Strange week the third or: Starbucks sucks

All righty, so we want this guy Chris to wake up from this dude's subconscious, right? And who should we start talking to when the guy stops seizing and gets up off the ground?

Robert DeNiro from Taxi Driver.

No, seriously.

Well, that didn't work. So risking giving this guy permanent brain damage... to all four brains I guess... we flashed the high beams again and sent him back to foaming on the ground.

That's when he was all like "Grrr! I'ma fuck you up!" The dude in the black was back... you know, the fear demon guy I was telling you about?

Well, apparently it didn't work quite like we expected, cause we didn't all feel uneasy until the dude was already all up in our collective grills and talking smack. So much for Spider-sense.

Anyways, he and Travis started flexing nuts at one another until the demon... let's call him Bob so I can stop typing "fear demon." So Bob and Travis are jawing at one another when the fear demon sorta cups his hand and holds it out to the side with him palm facing in like he's holding something to read. Yeah, it looked kinda fruity, but it got to Travis. He started freaking out and doing some mime. No joke! He looked like he was trapped in one of those invisible boxes with his hands out trying to push away absolutely nothing.

So he calls out to me to help, and I'm all like "With what?" Curtis tells me he's using Travis' fears against him... must be some kind of claustrophobia thing. Well, I tell Travis this and I'm giving him my best cheerleader routine. "You can do it, Keri Strug!" I should have said. But he's totally not buying it and tells me to pull him out of a hole. When I don't do that he starts getting on me to attack Bob. What the hell am I? An ultimate fighter all of a sudden? That's Travis though, always thinking with his fists. I guess when you play a violent sport like football it's hard to turn it off in your everyday life. But now we're getting philosophical, and that's not what this blog is about.

Gary says he's going to get us out of there and busts out the trusty Lap-o-tron to book us a flight elsewhere. Only it doesn't work exactly right and only Gary vanishes.

So Travis seems to be making progress, or at the very least it seems like my encouragement has gone as far as it can, so I get up in the fear demon's face and let him know how much he sucks at this. He gives me the hand routine, but no holes for me. I guess I'm immune. Must only effect people with a little less going on upstairs like Trav. No offense, bro.

So I ask him where the hell Gary is and he tells me he's out in a vast ocean or some junk. Crap, more fear stuff. If he was even telling the truth... maybe his laptop just shorted and sent him to Cancun. But then Bob tells me that both of my friends are in trouble and dying and that I can only save one. "BS," I told him, "I'm saving both!" Well, I look, and Travis is fighting his way out of imaginary holes. So I tell the guy he's full of it, and eventually Travis does recover.

Well then Bob just tries to leave, but Travis isn't having it. Like a linebacker he hits a three point stance and spears the dude into the ground. Faster than a flash he's got the lance out, and it's in the guy's shoulder. Well, Bob wasn't happy. No wine came out this time... I could use a drink. And a change of clothes for that matter. I'm still wearing the gift shop tee, the 1800s pants, and an oversized pair of flip flops from the theatre department that have probably been on every foot in the building and are probably giving me a fungus as I type this. Oh god...

Well, things started to go bad. Bob grabbed a hold of Travis' arm and was about to pull the lance away! So I DO now see the need to intervene physically, and with my help we manage to keep him from yanking the lance away. The dude was strong as hell, by the way. With one hand against both of Trav's and both of mine, he was still holding his own. What are they feeding fear demons these days?

So he gets up and starts backing away while Travis is taunting him by doing hand motions and making comments about tai chi. I ask him seriously where the hell Gary is and he says "I told you you could only save one..." He had to just be fucking with me... Bob keeps slipping back until a streetlight pops, and he slips into the shadows. The last thing we see is his smile as he cheshire cats away, leaving us with "Don't go to sleep."

Trav says, I swear to god, "I'll be asleep in ten minutes!!!" Even despite all the dire shit going on, I was rolling.

After I regained my composure, finding Gary became priority one. Curtis said he'd use his connections and track him down, so he took off. Meanwhile, Travis and I set back to finally meet with the prof.

We get back to the "flat," and the dude is all "Where were you? You're late!" Shoot no wonder I breezed through the guy's class.

We explain what's going on, but by this point we're all losing it. We need coffee. So we go to the place next door to our home, where everybody in this universe, and probably several others are looking for us! What could possibly go wrong!

Heh. We figured we could at least see if the cops had us staked out, and the place looked empty, so we figured we were ok. We'd find out to the contrary.

On the way in Travis ran into some old friend of his. Some kinda scuzzy looking bumpkin who I'm pretty sure came up to us to beg for change until he saw someone he knew. Turns out his name was Wes and he and Travis grew up together.

So we go in and order from Tim, our favorite coffee guy. I wouldn't point something like that out normally... I mean Phil was working too, but that doesn't matter. I only point Tim out because you know already that he's with us now.

So we all order and start to chat quietly about what's going on when we hear "Hope those coffees are to go, boys!" Wouldn't you know it... McClintock and Magruder show up to find us for about the 50th time. I'm sure I left a bunch out. These guys are always around.

Well, we're trying to figure out what to do when we hear the little ting of the door as two guys in suits walk in. Special Investigators Oscar Blonde and Terrance White. This trip was turning out to be awesome. And by awesome I mean I was about to shit my bloomers. Did I mention I'm wearing itchy pants from the 1800s? It sucks. Anyways...

There's some back and forth as the cops claim us, and then the agents, and they talk about jurisdiction and so forth. Travis tells the cops that these are the guys who are trying to kill us! And I'm pretty sure that's when all hell broke loose. Not literally... normally I wouldn't feel the need to make such a distinction, but in this case I guess that could actually happen. A portal to hell didn't open, but the cops and the investigators started exchanging gunfire, and things got pretty hectic.

The M&M boys flipped a table and exchanged fire with the color guard (like my clever nicknames?) The only problem here is that White and Blonde took several shots to the chest, but it didn't even slow them down. These guys are no joke.

Professor Troughton starts doing some kind of crazy nonsense. I was jumping over the counter to avoid a hail of gunfire... one gunshot per lifetime is enough for me... but I'm pretty sure he turned his jacket into some kind of solid shield. It was pretty crazy. So the prof and the cops are holding off the investigators, and professor Troughton keeps screaming for us to run. But before we can, Phil comes flying through the door from the back. And wouldn't you know it, out steps the two warlocks.

At this point I fully expected to see Bob next, followed by little Billy Miller who used to take my lunch money in 4th grade.

The warlocks let us know that this is our last chance and that they want the lance now. Trying to be clever, Travis and I both go in on the same lie that we already gave the lance to the agents. Yes, go kill the agents.

Unfortunately they said that it was too bad for us, since now they'd have to kill us and then go get it from the agents. These guys suck. I can't imagine how bad they'll hate us next time we see them. I'd worry about giving it away that we got out of there, but you know that since I'm writing this now.

So Travis gets blasted back into the counter and sends coffee dripping everywhere. Pretty sure that he popped the guy pretty good, because later when I looked up he was on the other side of the room trying to slip through the glass. I was more concerned with the other warlock coming right for me. I tried to pull the time trick, but it was NOT working... I felt like I was slowing myself down for a terrifying half a second before I decided to let that one go.

At some point while this was happening McClintock took a bullet. Magruder stopped firing and pulled him back behind the surprisingly durable Starbucks table they had flipped. Also the prof had turned his jacket into some kinda sticky net, and tossed it on... lets say White... White's head, covering his face and eyes.

Me? I was getting one of those warlock force blasts to the chest. Just what I need... I'm backed up against the counter and he's coming to kill me... So I reach behind me onto the counter and grab whatever I can... Lucky me! It could have been a pastry for all I knew, but it turned out to be some hot, hot coffee... next stop, warlock's face! Now you see why he might hate me next time.

I'm pretty sure that Wes shot that same guy in the arm too. Seems he saw McClintock's gun skitter away and wanted to grab it, but wasn't stupid enough to run through a hail of gunfire. He was however stupid enough to get involved with us and develop superpowers. Yeah, it appeared right in his hand from across the room. Turns out he's one of the kind similar to Gary. I wonder if I'm lucky enough to get a twin! Here's hoping!

Let's see... Travis had a doorway open to the spirit world and was calling for folks to come and get the hell out of there. The cops had stopped firing, and one of the agents was blinded. The prof was doing his best to do something to the floor under Blonde, so Tim, Wes and I all jumped the counter and made a break for it.

Wes was lucky. One second he was at the counter, and the next he was over right by Travis. I guess he was disoriented or something since it looked like he gave Travis a mean pistol whip. I can't say for certain since I was getting shot. Again!! Ok, so this time I just got clipped in the arm, but still! Now I had a hole in my stylin t-shirt from the gift shop. But I was luckier than Tim, who instead of heading for the window went for a door for some crazy reason! Silly boy! It wasn't fatal, or as bad as McClintock's or my old one, but it still sucks to be shot. Trust me.

As I'm making my way down there the professor managed to disable Blonde by turning the floor to liquid, having him fall in it, and then re-solidifying it with his arm and leg still inside! Is that crazy or what??? I had a pretty good view of it as I was looking back on my way to the window. I also saw White finally clear the sticky jacket away from his eye and come back to combat the prof once again. We needed to get out.

Travis started to usher Wes into the spirit world, but as he was in the process the windows shattered to pieces! The only new world Wes found himself in was the world outside of Starbucks. I bet he felt silly hanging out the window like that. You see, the warlock that wasn't shot and burned was up on the counter and had done something to destroy all the glass in the window. Great.

Wes hightailed it out around the building, and Tim managed to crawl out the door. Travis on the other hand decided to go help M&M! But he was heading back towards the warlock! I called for him to come back, but he's nothing if not stubborn. So I see this warlock licking his lips, ready to tear Travis in half. I'm trying to think how I can help... Travis stops and tells Magruder to get McClintock out of there before he dies. Apparently Magruder didn't agree. Before they can settle it the warlock grabs a hold of Travis somehow and he starts to float above the ground!! So I see that he's kinda precariously standing on top of that counter with all of the coffee all over the place. Concentrating hard I'm thinking I want him to slip... I mean the odds are good right? Well, they were! He seemed to be distracted for a second and took a bad step. Next thing I know he slams onto the ground and looks pretty dazed. Did I do that? I think I did... I'm pretty sure anyways...

Travis is released and does his miracle faith healer thing on McClintock. I guess that was enough, as Magruder Grabbed him and went to get him help. Then he sends a message I guess... He goes out of his way and stabs the warlock with the lance! Travis is getting kinda bloodthirsty or something... I mean demons and whatever the investigators are, that's one thing... but the warlocks are people... and this one was definitely out of action for a minute. Well, either they'll think we're dangerous now and leave us alone... or they hate us even more and will be back to kill us for certain. I'm thinking the latter. *Ulp*

Travis rejoins me and we go out the window where we join Tim and Wes around the side. The prof, who I have to assume was holding off White and Blonde with his mad Kung Fu skizills, finally got to break off combat and we all made a dash for the mini.

Tim didn't want any part of this, but if he stayed we knew he was dead. We told him we didn't have time and to come with us now and we'll drop him off later. We all pile in, but that's when we notice the backup that got called what seems like ages ago are there and have countless guns pointed and ready to light us up.

Prof tells me to do something to distract them! Like what? I could try to impress them with Ryan Jr, but distracting 1 in 10 of them still leaves far too many gunshots.

As they're screaming for us to get out of the car and we're stalling wanting to pull away, but not wanting to be riddled with bullets, something miraculous happened.

Coming to bat for us with his badge in the air, and ordering everyone to put down their guns is Lt. Magruder. He calls out and says that we're innocent, and that the real bad guys are in the coffee shop. I am buying this guy soooooo many donuts. He says we're innocent and have to get away before we get killed. Then he tells us that we have to have a long talk and to give him a call. I wonder if he's a Harry Potter character now too? Seems like everybody else is. Except Tim I guess.

So we get away and head back to the prof's place to regroup and have a talk about what the hell to do now. Tim has been really insistent on going home, even though Travis did help his wound. We have had to kinda keep the talks quiet while he's here, but prof has pulled us all aside and started to chat with each of us. In the meantime I've been writing this blog just to help keep sane and recap all this stuff.

I think now we're waiting on some friend of the prof... We have to do something about the Loki beans, and we need to find Gary... so hopefully Curtis shows up again soon. On top of all of that, we have Bob the demon, two injured and pissed off warlocks, and Blonde and White ready to come looking for us again. I hope the evil little girl with the beans belonged to one of them, but maybe we have more enemies. Heck, the prof wants to take the lance back to the Vatican, so maybe they're coming after us too.

So now we've missed a lot of class, been injured, and probably will never go back to our old lives. On top of all that Vlad probably thinks I'm dead, and not enough of my companions have vaginas. At least we could blow off some steam or soemthing, right?

*sigh* Well, dear reader... whoever is crazy enough to read this... I know you probably think I'm making up stories... Good. Keep it that way. You really don't want to get involved. If I get another chance maybe I'll update our progress. Until then, it's back to the real world... for whatever that means anymore.

Peace!

Strange week, continued

Man, that guy is actually helpful. That's a quality I can really admire in a person these days. That and bangin titties, but nobody here meets that description sadly...

Anyways, where was I?

Oh yeah, driving to the farm house. I woke up with Travis over me and was hoping like crazy that I didn't just get mouth to mouth. As it turns out he healed me a little bit somehow. Pretty useful. I'm thinking he should switch to pre-med if we ever get back to school. Well, maybe not... the guy's my friend tot he end, but kinda dumb as a box of rocks. A below average one that's gotta go to summer school or something. That's why he's at Towson in the first place with his talent.

Anyways, I hate to rag on the guy. Let's move on. Curtis got all spiritual on us and told us there are other worlds and that we could travel to them. So we go searching through this 1800s house for some kinda doorway using Travis like a divining rod. I missed most of it, I was more concerned with being in a hospital gown. That was freezing, man. So I swipe some t-shirt from the gift shop, and some kinda 1800s pantaloons. Not a great look for me.

Anyways, we find a room finally with a carpet on the floor, and there we go! Trap door underneath. I swore that if we saw a well I was out of there. I don't need to add video zombie girls to the list of crazy shit after me. So we wander through some udnerground tunnel for a while and when we come out we do see a well. Son of a bitch. But anyways, apparently we were in the spirit world or some such.

We went back to the house, and somehow Travis jumps through the window to the spirit world version of our house. Eventually Gary uses his lappy to teleport us there too, and Travis is being smacked around by some guy who Curtis tells us later is a "warlock." he didn't look a thing like Julian Sands.

Using the same trick, Gary got us out of there before we suffered too much damage.

I'm pretty sure by that point I was tired and cranky and sick of looking at dudes all day. So the universe smiled upon me and Morgan Celeste re-entered our lives. She had that other guy with her... the one from the investigator's pictures? I don't remember his name... he's that kind of guy. You know a theatre techie geek? The kind that does nothing but complain and act like everything that goes wrong is a chore... but you know they get off on it. The chicks are the best if they don't look too manly. They're used to making things work so they'll do anything if you play em right. ANYTHING. Woo...

So she says she and her group can finally give us some answers, unlike Curtis. He was always kinda dodgy about things and said that some guy named Gideon would give us answers. We're still waiting on this joker.

So he goes to see what the hold up is with Gideon and we go to hear out the Blackbox theatre nerds and their head Magnus Ver Magnusson. Yes, the same Magnus who told us to come to the fairgrounds. We're not sure if he had anything to do with the shooting, but there's something to that. Curtis thinks he was involved...

So Magnus tells us more about what they believe. Aparently lots of people can bend reality to their will. We're called mages. Curtis and Gideon work for some stuffy version that's really bureaucratic, while these guys pull some sorta Che Guevara revolutionary bit. There are different kinds of avatars too they say... the Fighter, the shaman, the sage, the... rosemary and the thyme I think. Ok, I was staring at Morgan's chest. But it's totally something like that.

So we find out that this knife is the Holy Lance (also known as the Spear of Destiny, Holy Spear, Lance of Longinus, Spear of Longinus or Spear of Christ). Yeah, supposed to be real even. Also supposedly it has some wicked strong juju in it. Wonder why?

So lots of people want it so they can use its power. Y'know, putting huge bullseyes on our backs. But Travis won't give it to anybody. Oh no. I mean, we'd probably hand it right to Gideon, but dude won't even pop in to say hi.

Well, anyways, these fellas do agree to help us rescue Kincaid who is trapped in some kind of dream world. I know I've seen this movie too. Pretty sure it didn't end well for anyone without a claw hand. Travis goes to sleep and we have to enter his dream.

So the weirdo techie guy draws a door for us that leads us in and he says he'll keep it open. We're in some kind of cave and go searching for Kincaid. It's a really creepy place. Next time we do my dreams. That would be more fun for everyone, and that's a promise. So we head down some corner and the walls start closing in on us! We were told that magic was easier to use there, so what the hell, I gave it a shot. Doing my best impression of the Flash I carried Celeste to safety, then went back and got Gary and then went back AGAIN and got Travis. It was a close one too... the wall clipped his leg on the way by... So I hit the ground panting and they're ready to move on. No "Thank you, Ryan!" No "Oh my god, you're so brave and heroic!" No "Complimentary blowjobs for the hero!" That is to say I mean, hopefully Celeste would cash in all 3. This blog is coming off a lot gayer than I'd have hoped. I can just see the slash fiction now. Yeesh.

So we find Kincaid, but that same damned warlock fellow finds us. He starts blasting us and making the floor melt and kinds of crazy shit, and we can't find the doorway back. So Travis absolutely DECKS this guy and we get teleported away by Gary.

By this point Magnus knows the shit hit the fan and comes running to help us. He and Professor Troughton come charging in and help navigate a daring escape. Travis almost screwed us over by waking up, but Magnus and the Prof got us out of there. Later we found out we did let some kind of fear demon into the world. Our rogues gallery is getting bigger by the minute!

Well, we're worn out and starving, so the Professor invites us back to his flat (do we have those in America?) for a spot to eat. Knowing that everyone in the world is probably looking for us, we agree.

Small snag on the way over as an accident on York shut everything down. We knew that the prof wasn't getting home any time soon.

We did, however, have our first run in with the fear demon. Dressed all in black and creepy as hell. Curtis told us later that we're connected in some way, and we should be able to know he's around by the uneasy feeling.

So we go to Bateman's for some wings and beer to kill time, when Curtis does manage to rejoin us. He answered more questions we had about the nature of the universe. Man, those wings are good. I'd tell you more of what he told us, but I was concentrating on the delicious.

After a while we head down to the professor's "flat" and he's still not home. We got mugged too! Heh. Another homeless looking guy (a different one) pulls a gun. He got my money and Travis' but Gary was busy trying to pull some new age computer/magic-jitsu. Didn't work though. We did run him off.

You know what? That was after the scary little girl. Yeah, there was a scary little girl. I called this at the well. She starts taunting us like the tubby kid from that women's baseball flick. Curtis tells us she's not real, so Travis punts her across the parking lot and she's crying. I found it a little excessive, so being the nice guy I am I go help her up and her face turns from sweet to scary internet video on me.

After while she disappears and leaves a bag of beans behind. Travis picked them up and there was a big flash. Curtis went to investigate the thing and that's when the mugger showed up. I remember offering him a bean. Hehe.

So we find out that supposedly it's made by Loki and only bad shit will follow. Travis now has 24 hours to eat the beans or give them to someone who will take them freely, or else they'll start disappearing and he'll suffer the effects one by one. Some are good luck (but it comes with a cost, so it balances out a bit), and some are bad (but will never kill you... like that's better somehow.) Loki has a twisted sense of humor.

So we hear some horror stories and figure that we have to get rid of them. My great idea was to go to the track! Degenerate gamblers will do ANYTHING for luck... even risk the bad. But Travis was being stubborn again. So Curtis suggested a guy that could help us.

Well, maybe...

Anyways we haul ass over to Sheppard Pratt and see this orderly type. We can't figure out the rub yet, but Curtis keeps asking for "Chris" and the guy says he hasn't seen him. We found out that somehow there are 4 people in his head. Not just multiple personalities, but full blown 1 body 4 people. Only the guy Chris knows that though. So after some confusion, Curtis gets us to flick the high beams and give this poor guy a seizure...

So we're waiting for him to wake up when...

Hang on, our coffee guy Tim is pitching a fit about going home. Yeah, our coffee guy is here. I'm getting to it. BRB

Strange week...

Dear Penthouse Forum, I never thought it would happen to me...

Sorry, this livejournal crap isn't something I usually do... Far too incriminating to post all of your stories online, y'know. But at this point it doesn't matter I think. I mean the people after me? They can probably read my mind anyways.

Let's start at the beginning... I guess that'd be the party. Pretty typical for me, I'm a party legend after all. I guess the last bit of normal that we really had ended when Kincaid and that other guy decided to settle some stupid argument with a drag race.

Kincaid is the starting safety for the football team here at TU. One of my roommates, Travis Dixon, is the starting QB... so he went with his teammate to support him. My other roomie, Gary, is a bit of a nerd. So he stayed home. Hehe... They're both good guys.

Anyways, I had been scoping out this smokin chick named Michelle all night, so I saw this as an opportunity to make my move. Man she was hot. Anyways, we piled into somebody's car and followed after the race. Only problem is, we found the good guys spun out halfway through the reservoir! There's Kincaid and Travis wandering the road looking for god knows what.

Well Michelle and I get out and help them look. Apparently Kincaid thinks he hit somebody, but Travis thinks differently. Must not have been much of a collision if both guys didn't notice, right?
Well, our ride leaves us to go follow the other car... the winners... and we get to look for this imaginary thing that Kincaid thinks he hit.

Well, it was imaginary anyways... until this homeless looking guy pops out and before we know it he's got a knife to Kincaid's throat and demands the keys to the car. Shoot, I'm not crazy... a walk home from the reservoir, as much as that sucks, beats stab wounds any day. So we hand it over and the guy hops in the car. Only thing is he doesn't drive away. Kincaid is getting heated at this point. He starts screaming at the guy and threatening to do all sorts of nasty things. The kind of stuff that makes snuff film enthusiasts cringe.

That's when we notice someone getting out of the backseat. Where the hell did he come from? This big secret service looking guy steps out, and we see a big hole in the back of the seat with blood dripping out. This guy who has been in Kincaid's car for who knows how long just stabbed our carjacker! Woot!

Or not so Woot! What a creepy guy... Agent Smith didn't really answer any of our questions. How he got there, why he liked stabbing the homeless, or even who exactly he worked for. Of course the third one didn't seem suspicious at the time. Isn't every guy in a suit and dark glasses an FBI agent or something? Guess not...

So this guy grabs the homeless guy's shiv, and when he's about to tuck it in his pocket KINCAID'S FRICKIN CAR EXPLODES! Ok, so the car didn't explode... but there was an explosion. The suit guy got blown back into the trees and the homeless guy crawled out and picked his little knife back up. He handed it to Travis and told him to keep it away from the ominous "them!" So ever since Travis has been retarded about holding onto the damned thing.

Well, we get out of there. Despite the explosion in Kincaid's car, the interior is still spotless. I'd almost think we imagined the whole thing if it hadn't blown the door clean off. It was a little chilly riding back without the door. I remember because I was looking at Michelle's...

Oh speaking of Michelle, was she ever freaked the fuck out. Seriously. A little blood, a murdered homeless guy and a chilly ride home and that's enough for her to fall to pieces. Whatever though, not really my first choice for things I'd like to hold against her.

Well, at some point Travis called the cops. Who wouldn't? Well, we had to figure something out... If they found a dead homeless guy and maybe pieces of an FBI agent, we'd be in it up to our elbows. So we came up with a story. One that didn't involve Michelle... no way she could hold it together. So we got her cleaned up and got Gary to give her a ride home.

Next thing you know we're in talking to Officers McClintock and Magruder about how this homeless guy almost jacked us on a pleasant drive through the reservoir at like 3 in the morning. We left out the drag racing and crazy stuff... I feel like they might have bought it. Then again maybe not... we sure have seen a lot of those guys since then. They questioned us a few times that night and the next day and everything.

I tried to convince Travis to get rid of that damned knife before it ruined our story and he begrudgingly agreed. We headed to the Center for the Arts and I totally charmed the pants off of this Morgan Celeste chick who works in the office. Ok, well, maybe I just charmed her. The pants thing comes later in the story I'm sure.

So I take a blowtorch to this knife, and the whole goddamn room lights up like a Christmas tree! Barely even got the thing to warp too. So here come Celeste wondering what the hell we're doing. She gets one look at the thing and says it belongs to someone she knows. Called us goddamn idiots too. That stings to the bone!

Well, she says they'd be coming for it. Damn them, always coming after us... That's when the lights started going out.

So we hit the road and almost bowl over Gary on the way out. He tells us that some feds are in the Union asking about us. Fuck! I mean this is going downhill fast, right?

That whole day was creepy. Everything would get really quiet all of a sudden... It was a really paranoid feeling. So we get back home and this crazy computer stuff starts happening. We're getting IMs from people that don't exist according to the system.

We get an email with a sound file that we play a few times, and each time the only audible bit is this whispering voice counting down. 10, 9, 8, 7... Well, Gary refuses to believe it's someone else and thinks Travis and I are playing a joke on him. Well, the joke was on him, but it sure wasn't our doing. Next thing we know we've got this web camera in our living room saying the time is like midnight. We see Gary wander out in his underwear, and then this giant, scary freakin eyeball way too close to the screen. It's like that video where you stare at the hallway and then some scary ass monster pops up. Only after that you see your buddy and roommate lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Well, I'm screen capping this shit like mad, but when we go back to show Gary there are pictures of Kincaid standing in the middle of the room. Creepy, right? Gives me the jubblies just thinking about it now.

So Gary doesn't believe us, but we know some crazy shit is going down. Travis goes off to visit Kincaid, since he hasn't heard much from him, and Gary goads me into finishing the countdown. I didn't wanna, but he kept insisiting that we were behind it so I had to show him. Boy did I show him! Me too!

Aparently completing the countdown took out the power all throughout Towson! Well, Gary was done with the whole thing and went downstairs to go to sleep. After a while I heard some noises from the kitchen and I was freaked out enough to check it out. I mean, you yell at the guys in the horror movies, but they don't know they're in a horror movie. Seriously, wouldn't you check out a strange noise in your house?

So I open the basement door to check on Gary and what do I see? The freakin thing from the webcam! It's some kinda mutant in a hospital gown, probably escaped from Sheppy. Well I tried to kick the stupid thing. Gut reaction, y'know? I didn't really endear myself to it I suppose, since it backed me up to the kitchen counter and started choking the life outta me. Gary finally believed that we weren't the ones doing this and straight waffled the thing with a frying pan cartoon style.

We got out of there and found Travis, who was somewhat confused. There was something about Kincaid. Can't remember if he said he saw him or heard from him at that point. I guess by then he was already kidnapped. I mean, not physically but like, in a dream. I'll get to that later.

So we call the cops and eventually they show up. They said they were pretty busy with the blackout, but this one cop goes into the basement to look for the creature from the Sheppard Pratt lagoon.

We hear some gunshots and screams and head into the house. We can hear the cop calling for help clear as a bell, so Trav and I head down the stairs. Only there's no cop. No psycho either. No nothing but a giant pool of blood. But the weird thing is that we see the cops reflection in the pool! We can hear him and everything, so I reach into the pool of blood and my hand slips right in. Like way down past where the floor should be. He grabs a hald and I almost get sucked into bloodworld, were it not for the intervention of my rather athletic QB friend. The cop pops halfway out with these crazy messed up eyes and slides back under.

That's when McClintock and Magruder arrived. So here we are in trouble again, and we have a missing cop and I'm up to my elbows in blood. Needless to say we were back for more questioning after I cleaned up. So we're there forever, and when we get done we clearly don't wanna go back to the house. So I crash at Vlad's, and I don't know what Gary and Travis do. Hotel maybe.

Pretty sure Travis spends more time looking for Kincaid. He may or may not have found out he was in the hospital at this point, I'm not sure. And I really have no idea what Gary was doing. I just know that I was at Vlad's when time stopped. Clocks stopped ticking, eggs stopped sizzling, the whole deal. I scared the hell out of Vlad too. Oh, Vlad is my personal assistant, by the way. Never know who will be reading this I guess. I'm not sure if he has a job anymore... my life has changed a lot recently... But that's what this is about. After that I headed back home.

When I got there I found Gary screaming at another guy in a suit. Just what we needed. He said his name was Special Investigator Terrance White, and he wanted to ask us some questions. He had pictures of 3 people, and wanted to know who we recognized. One of them was the homeless fella, and another was the chick from the theatre department. Weird, huh? Third guy we hadn't met yet.

So he goes to leave and is just standing there on the porch. All of a sudden he wheels around and kicks our door in! He comes lumbering through wrecking the place with som story about hearing someone call for help.

About then Travis gets home, and he is hot. I'm not commenting on his appearance... I mean I'm sure he's handsome enough for a dude, but I'd have to be pretty lonely to... anyways, I mean he was angry. He answered a few questions for the guy, but he wasn't satisfied. He started heading upstairs and Travis was pretty sure he knew what the guy was looking for. He had stashed the knife inside of his mattress and that's right where the guy was headed.

The guy wrecks Travis' bedroom until Trav comes clean and says he knows what he wants. He tells him to look into the closet and dives for the bed... only the thing is already gone! What the hell?

Well this is one of a number of feverish escape attempts we've been making lately. The whole thing is a blur, but I'm pretty sure I pulled a bat out of Travis' closet and thwacked the guy in the knee. Knowing what I know now, it probably did little more than distract the guy. Anyways, Travis was doing most of the fighting... he's better at it than I am. We tear ass down the stairs and all of a sudden everybody stops! How inconvenient. I get tot he bottom of the steps and shake Gary to get him to start running again, and he almost jumped out of his skin. They tell me I teleported down the steps, but I know that's not true... Apparently I was just moving super fast. I can do that.

So we get out in Travis' car and Gary goes to pull out his laptop... and the knife is inside. I didn't think things could get any weirder, but they absolutely do. We haven't even gotten close to Loki's beanbag yet.

So Gary has an email from this guy calling himself Magnus who says he knows how to help and wants to meet at the fairgrounds. So that's where we go. We're in the stands waiting for him when Gary says he hears someone talking about us. Next thing I know I'm on the ground. I was pretty sure at the time that somebody just drilled me in the chest with a 100 mph fastball. As it turns out I got shot.

The rest of the day was kinda blurry for me. Travis hightailed it to his car (god bless his 40 time), and they dragged me over to GBMC where I hit surgery ASAP. Apparentlt while I was out some weird guy named Curtis Williamson was questioning Gary, and when Gary looked him up the report said he disappeared from Colorado or something like 10 years ago. Another mystery.

So I'm out of surgery and doped up and everyone is gathered round. By this point we definitely knew that Kincaid was in the hospital too. In a coma even! I guess this is what happens when somebody takes your soul or whatever.

So Curtis is talking to us on the level. On the level on the level. Like, weird shit and all. So I'm in no mood... I come clean. Apparently none of this imformation is surprising to him. What we knew at that point was that we were special (like I didn't know I was special already), that the knife that we had was really powerful and that a lot of people wanted it.

He let us know that the po-po (The M&M boys, clearly) were coming to take us in because they thought they could pin some murders on us. Gary confirms it, saying he could read the cop guarding our room's mind. So we're planning the great escape when time stops. Not me this time! Well, we get by the cop posted at our door and I'm doing the best I can to move after having surgery to remove a bullet that nicked my heart. Man, I really am a champ.

Soon we see who's responsible. Terrance White! Or... his partner Oscar Blonde...I really can't tell them apart. Doesn't matter, they're both there eventually. The elevator isn't working, so we have to use the stairs... only I'm in a wheelchair, so it sucks. Travis gets a crazy idea and runs interference, luring the guy up the steps while Gary navigates me down in my chair.

We see the other investigator pop his head in the lobby, and we're freaking out. I try to start time again like I did before by shaking somebody, but all I did is strain myself and pop some stitches.

Gary sneaks me outside to Curtis who is waiting for us at Travis' car. He went back in to help Travis, and I'm a little unclear on what happened inside. Travis tells me he got the best of the guy upstairs. Pretty sure he stabbed him, he does that a lot. Also he says he turned into a bear, or he had the strength of a bear, or he hit him with a bear... I'm not sure really.

But whatever happened they gave the guys the slip almost. They were running for the exit, but one of the investigators was behind them getting ready to shoot them I suppose. Curtis was getting me to try to help them. Se he paints the picture for me and starts talking about this light with a loose screw... and how it keept getting looser... and I swear I could almost picture the damned thing. So I picture it swinging down just as the good guys run by and smashing the big guy right in the face! Apparently that really happened. Awesome, right? I thought so.

Well, we pulled away and headed off to some place Curtis said was safe. By this point I was bleeding internally and barely breathing. The pain was nuts, man. Travis, hereafter known as my hero, made a stop at some point and did the smash and grab in the med room. I popped a few Oxy and that really helped the pain. Pretty sure I passed out after that.

Hang on a sec... Prof is talking and this might be important...

Dragon Hunters of Galen Tur

It is 40 years before the First War of Angels and Demons, an age known to human historians as "THE AGE OF DRAGONS".

At this time in Galen Tur humans occupy a relatively small portion of the land. They are huddled in the center of the continent surrounded on all sides by lands occupied by the Galen, the mighty race of creatures that humans call "dragons". For ages dragons and humans have co-existed peacefully. Though the dragons have the power to easily overthrow the humans and take their lands, they remain in observance of a centuries-old covenant which stated that neither race would meddle in the affairs of or bring hostilities against the other. There are still a few dragons living who remember when this covenant was first formed. Humans, unfortunately, live much shorter lives and that accord, which is only a few generations old to the dragons, has been relegated to the ancient past for humans.

As such, humans have begun to wonder why they must share their lands with these creatures, and thus began hunting them. A Dragon Hunter is more than just a person who kills dragons. A Hunter studies dragons, becomes familiar with their behavior, and ultimately seeks out dragons to use them to whatever ends he chooses. The first Dragon Hunters were thrill-seekers: young men who were out to get excitement and prove their manliness. At the time it was more about surviving an encounter with a dragon, and not killing it. Later, a market emerged centered around dragon products. Dragon scales, horns, teeth, even their blood and organs, are traded and sold as everything from jewelry and clothing to medicines and magic potions. Some churches, still mostly unorganized and disparate, have begun to portray dragons as foul beasts and unholy abominations. As a result, the number of Dragon Hunters, and wanna-be Dragon Hunters has increased sharply. This story follows a group of would-be Dragon Hunters, most of whom have not even seen a dragon in person as our tale begins.

Each of them has been drawn for one reason or another to seek training from Kovar, a dwarf renowned as a "Dragon Slayer". Slayers are a particularly admired group as they make the claim that they are able to hunt and kill dragons single-handedly. While most Dragon Hunters
work in groups of at least 3, Slayers prefer to work alone. They have the highest death-rate out of all types of Dragon Hunters to be found in Galen Tur. Kovar, however, is a particularly sucessful Slayer. The number of kills credited to him is a matter of legend, and some say it is as high as 100. Nonetheless, he and his wife Freya hold a training session at the beginning of each season to guide new Dragon Hunters that show potential on their path to greatness.

Though over 50 assemble at his camp just north of Eastreach along the White Dragon boarder, Kovar's assistants and Freya weed out all but 14 using criteria unknown to the potential students. After Kovar's personal inspection of his guests he quickly eliminates 2: A dwarf from a rival clan and a snobbish nobleman who learned that when you wag your fingers in Kovar's face, you walk home with bloody stumps where your fingers used to be.

Announcing that the first lesson is about to begin, Kovar's pet griffin leads a Huge White Dragon into the middle of the encampment. The beast's first attack kills all but 7 of the students as the rest are badly hurt and scatter wildly. Here is a closer look at those 7 who were lucky enough to live:

Hollis: Son of a Psionic clan that was destroyed by a dragon from the Lowland Red family. Though only a teen-ager, his mental powers are greater than any in his clan had ever seen. He has spent his time since the clan's demise in study of dragons. He hopes one day to accumulate enough knowledge to bring as much fear and destruction to the dragons as they did to his family.

Caustos: A Raptouran scout. Little is known about this winged archer as not only is his race very rare, but to the best of anyone's knowledge, no Raptouran can speak or understand the common tongue. He wields the footbow, an exotic weapon designed by Raptourans for arial archery.

Kiernan: Archivist in the service of Gideon Turner, a leading member of the Church of Lineous. He is trained in the technical details and minutiae of dragon anatomy, physiology, and taxonomy. His unique understanding gives him the knowledge to level the playing field in any dragon battle.

Nall Langdon: A dark and gruff ranger who is a member of the rare group known as "Dragonstalkers". Stalkers excel in tracking dragons and bypassing their natural defenses. Langdon's past is somewhat of a mystery, he seems to exist only to hunt down dragons. Though abrasive, he shows possible signs of emerging as a strong leader. Prior to venturing to Kovar's camp he entered into a tentative business arrangement with dragon wares dealer Eben Grigon.

Dar: Member of the Dragonmaw clan of druids. Dar's clan hold the uncommon belief that dragons are a higher form of life even than humans, and that they are to be revered almost as earth-bound gods. His goal in life seems to be to understand dragons not on a practical level, but on a spiritual and metaphysical level. He holds to many bizarre rituals that usually make others around him...uncomfortable

Thaddeus: A Warmage who, up to this point, has made his living helping raid small dragon hoards. Having recently lost his adventuring party to a Black dragon who returned to his den earlier than expected, Thaddeus has established a partnership with Nall and is considering also going into business with Eben.

Lastly, an unnamed warrior who appears to be training to be a Dragon Slayer. During most of the battle the young man is so frozen with fear that he does nothing.

The fact that most of these young men have never faced a dragon before becomes painfully apparent as they devise no strategy and put each other in harm's way more than once. Kovar watches in disappointment as the dragon levels Thaddeus with a nasty series of claw attacks and nearly swallows Hollis whole. The battle rages on as Kiernan beseeches Kovar to intervene. The dwarf seems at first as if he will not, but when Kiernan accidentally draws the dragon's attention things change. The beast prepares a blast from its breath weapon aimed at Kiernan, Kovar, and unfortunately for the dragon, Freya. A quickly casted protection spell from the dwarf's wife shields them, but the insult has already been delivered and Kovar springs into action to protect his beloved. With a leap some would think impossible even were he not a crippled 270-pound dwarf, Kovar lands a fatal blow from his pole arm directly into the dragon's spine.

As the 7 survivors of the once 50-man group attempt to collect themselves, Kovar's only comment before retiring to his tent are:
"Not bad...tomorrow will be harder."

Manifest Destiny

Welcome back! I suppose it's time to continue with our story. Let me see. Where was I? Ah yes...

As I mentioned, it took about 18 months to get the keep fully built and staffed, and during this time the group became vital members of the Maren community. They were respected almost as a police force. Although they weren't given completely free reign, they generally had their run of the place.

Theddis and Cade spent most of their time in the local tavern, which became something of a second home to them. That just so happens to be where this story starts. Seems like a common starting point, don't you think?

This time, though, it wasn't just Theddis and Cade in the pub. It was Theddis' 40th birthday, so everyone was celebrating. Blain was highly inebriated, and was sleeping it off with his head on the bar. The rest of the group, other than Cody and Orm, were drinking and having a good time. Well, Cody was also having a good time, but you can never tell with Orm. Their party would soon be interrupted.

A loud voice rings out from a table on the other side of the bar. Drinks are on them! This is a welcome sound for some, until the reason for the generosity is revealed. They all have gold to spend because they received a government contract. The entire group, sans Blain, notices and perks up their ears. Theddis takes only a few moments before drunkenly, violently, stumbling to their table and taking them to task. He calls them cowards and sell-outs, as would be expected of someone with such an intense hatred for the government. The others try to calm him down, but soon an argument ensues. The argument spills outside where a fight is narrowly avoided, but Theddis makes sure to point out that if they ever come back to this tavern they will be leaving on crutches, or worse. Three of the four men listen well, but the fourth doesn't seem phased. Our group returns to the bar, and sits in somewhat stunned silence.

A few moments later, sure enough, the fourth man returns. He seems about as average as you can be. Average height, average weight, black hair, and brown eyes. His description would describe the majority of males in this town. Aside from his incredible, yet heretofore unknown physical prowess, that nondescript appearance makes him even better at his line of work. He slides into the bar without a sound, and would've easily been able to leave unnoticed had he not decided to give goodbyes to his new acquaintances. He pats Theddis on the back and says simply "Happy birthday."

Theddis detects the obvious sarcasm in his kind words and spins around in his stool. He attempts, rather sloppily, to deliver an elbow to this man. With a quickness that borders on precognition he avoids this blow, kicks the stool out from under Theddis, and lowers himself onto Theddis with his knee pressed firmly on his neck. He stands, adjusts his shirt, and introduces himself. "My name is Kaz, nice meeting you all." With those words he heads to the door and leaves. Theddis follows him, naturally, never being one to be shown up. However, when he gets to the door the man is long gone, as if he has simply vanished into the night air.

After being somewhat reprimanded by his friends, and by the bartender, Theddis finally calms down and apologizes for taking his authority too far. It's one thing to police the town, but it's another entirely to act like a bully. It would be especially bad if the government influence here got wind that there was a group so opposed to their work. As a matter of fact, it was that very worry that prompted Orm to want to investigate further. His watchtower archers took notice with their keen eyes of everything that went into and out of town. He would check with them to see if he could gain any information. During the argument the men said they were simply hired to transport something on behalf of the government, but that wasn't nearly enough information to calm Orm's troubled mind.

Sure enough, the captain of the archers did have some information. The arrived into town, but from the oft-ignored western entrance. Through his spy glass he counted seven men total, and they appeared to be transporting a large animal of some kind. The cage was covered and locked, but was noticeably shaking, and several times the men had to poke short spears through slits in the cover in order to get its contents to calm down.

Cade took this information and took it upon himself to search for a little more. Whereas Orm used military style surveillance, Cade used his underground contacts. It turns out that the men were hired to transport something, although he wasn't sure what it was. They had purchased it through a middle-man, and were not given the identities of the original sellers. Well, this was certainly something. Cade was under the impression that this animal or creature was being delivered to the government by these men, but it turns out that they were actually purchasing something and transporting it out of town. Certainly a new twist, to say the least.

Cade told the rest of the group this information, and it was decided that the best course of action would be to run a little recon. They would station themselves at a room in an inn across the street, and keep an eye on their room. Meanwhile, Cade would sneak in and look around, trying to find anything of note. Once this was done, they would ambush the caravan, take whatever it was they were transporting, then use false credentials to pass along false information to the government. They would simply tell them that they were unable to purchase whatever it was they wanted. This should send them on the wrong trail, and give them time to find out what is so important to the government that they're willing to go through such strange channels to acquire it.

Later that night they went into action. Cade searched the room and found nothing out of the ordinary, until he found a small compartment carved into the bottom of the bed frame. Here he found a locked metal box. With ease he picked the lock. Inside this box were the government credentials, seven different pieces of paper with information specific to each of the men. He studied them quickly, noting their seals, writing style, and watermarks. He felt confident that with his skills he would be able to forge similar documents for others. More importantly, at the bottom of the box was a piece of paper that contained coded information. Cade couldn't make heads nor tails of it, but he hoped someone else would.

During this time, Tristan followed one of the guards out of town, trying to get an idea as to where he was going. He followed him out the east gate, then up north. There he discovered a small campsite set up amongst some large rocks. He saw the covered cart, as well as three men he didn't recognize. One thing he did recognize, however, was that he was probably not going to be able to learn anything more on his own. He would report back with the information and they would proceed from there.

With all of the information gathered, the group discussed their plan further. Orm recognized the information Cade copied immediately. It was military code, giving a meeting location and a time. Perfect! Now they knew exactly when and where to spring their ambush. With that final piece of information, they were able to finalize their plan. Orm and Blain would take Cody up north to get information from the campsite, and find out exactly what it was they were transporting. Cade would continue to sneak into their room and gather as much new info as they could, with Theddis and Derrick watching from across the street. Finally, Tristan would scout the town, making not of anyone from the other group coming or going. After all this was done, they would finally wait and ambush the men on their way out of town.

The first group headed north, and Cody did a little acting. He must've been inspired by Orm's magnificent work back at pointed pass. He claimed to be a lost child, trying to find his way back to town. His amazing ability to read people and to bluff them came in handy here. Despite telling a reasonable shaky story - the town was just south on the path, and easily in view despite the darkness - he managed to keep the guard's attention long enough for Blain and Orm to move into place. Once the other three guards got interested in the distraction, the ruse fell apart. Cody had begun to ask casual questions about what they were doing here, what they had in the cart, and the like. Perhaps he pushed it a bit too far, but the guards got aggressive. Orm and Blain saw this attack on Cody, and they struck. Orm jumped from a high rock, using the magic in his boots to land softly, and ran one of the men through with a single blow. Blain rained down eldritch blasts from the top of the rocks, taking out two of the others. Orm cut down the last man with only the slightest effort. Cody avoided combat somewhat, but still helped support the other two with his magic. With the men having barely broken a sweat, the battle was over. News from Tristan that other men were returning to the campsite cut their search short, and they left under the cover of night, still unaware of the contents of the covered cart.

No new information was gained from their final search of the other group's room, either. By the time Cade went back it was completely empty and cleaned up. They had checked out. During one final cursory search, Cade heard footsteps coming from the side room, but saw nothing. Perhaps he was hearing things. He saw an open window and assumed that someone had passed by outside. He couldn't quite convince himself of this fact, however. Perhaps he remembered hearing Theddis explain how this man, Kaz, had seemingly vanished upon leaving the tavern, but something wasn't right. Maybe that story wasn't just the ramblings of an angry, drunk man.

Now that everything was in place, it was time for the ambush. They were to meet up with their contacts ten miles out of town, and a mile north of the main road. The group decided they would ambush them on the main road about five miles out of town. The terrain was too rough for them to take an entire cart off the road at this point, so they only had one way to go. After deciding where to position themselves for an ambush, they made their way out. Once there they got into position. Although no one said it at the time, quite a few of them had an uneasy feeling of deja vu, Theddis in particular. Regardless, they were steadfast in their resolve and they waited patiently.

At long last, they could see a the small torches from the front of a caravan lighting the horizon. They knew that was their mark. Blain stepped out into the road with Derrick, intercepting. Sure enough, the man at the helm was Kaz. Blain asked with a cocky arrogance where the rest of his help was, and Kaz replied that four of them turned up dead, and the other two ran off in fear. Derrick then demanded that he turn over the cargo immediately. Kaz refused, saying that it would be akin to signing his own death papers. He jumped from the carriage and the fight was on.

The other men joined quickly, but Kaz was able to bounce around the battle field and strike quickly while staying out of harm's way. More than that, he was able to make himself completely invisible without the use of magic. Orm noted this as quite an amazing feat. Tristan was becoming particularly worse for wear as the battle went on. He was the first to strike, and was the first to feel the force of Kaz's unseen spiked chain. Using his invisibility to deny his foes the ability to prepare for his strikes, he was able to strike true and inflict a great deal of damage. The others gained the benefit of observing the results of Tristan's hasty attack, and were able to defend it somewhat. Shear numbers began to get the best of Kaz, so he had to think quickly. He ran and tumbled around the back of the cart, and with one quick motion unhooked the lock that strapped down the cover. As the bindings fell, he reached through the cover and pulled down over top of him the metal gate of what appeared to be a cell. He did this just in time that a strong blow from Derrick was deflected by the gate, preventing serious damage. He immediately vanished again and was gone, never to be seen blah blah blah.

The group took a moment to search around, but found nothing. They didn't have much time to search, however, before the contents of the cart finally became known. Emerging from the cage like a cannonball, a monstrous humanoid barreled straight into Derrick, sending him flying back. Finally able to get a good view, they saw a massive green man, nearly eight feet tall. He was all muscle and brandishing a huge two-handed axe. He didn't appear nearly as beast-like as the creatures they'd seen at the keep, and they detected hints of human emotion in his eyes. Nonetheless, he was enraged and ready to destroy everything in his path. Orm was the first to feel his blow. With a mighty swing of his axe he nearly collapsed Orms chest, sending him stumbling back ten feet. Even the more stealthy combatants had their problems. Although they were quick enough to avoid some of his blows, he seemed to have an almost uncanny ability to shift his body at the very last second to avoid very precise, and more importantly very deadly strikes. Once again, however, the numbers began to get the best of him. More noticeably, fatigue was catching up to him as well. It would appear that sustaining that type of inhuman rage was too much for his body to handle. Once a mammoth of great power, he was now hunched over, having great trouble swinging his weapon as well as defending himself. The group took advantage of this and cut him down at last.

With their final threat gone they checked the contents of the cart. They saw a locked box, which Cade easily opened. Upon opening it the group was in awe of the gems they saw. They were absolutely exquisite, and many members of the group couldn't take their eyes off them. They were also absolutely worthless, a point Cade quickly made after examining them. Something was wrong. Even if the gems were valuable, the government has more gold than it can even spend, and there's no way they'd take such an indirect route to acquire something like this. Cade studied the chest and got to the bottom of it quickly. Both the situation, and the chest, to be specific. Underneath the false bottom was huge book. Orm removed it and studied it. He saw no magical qualities to the book, so he opened it and began to read. Written by a man named Rolan, a lot of it was just notes and scrawling. He had an incredibly difficult time making out the specifics, but he was able to decipher one thing. This book contained a list of towns and names.

He quickly leafed through the book until his hand, and very possibly his breathing, stopped at the page for the town of Brightwood. With his eyes wide he read aloud: "Cody Baker." This book contained a list of countless magic users from all over the continent! No wonder the government would go to such lengths to get their hands on it. Now more than ever they knew they could never let this book leave their possession.

After gathering themselves they realized the job wasn't finished. They packed everything up as best they could and continued on to the meeting area. Blain was able to easily convince the soldiers sent that they were unable to retrieve the item, and they were free to go. However, this wasn't before the soldier gave a warning. There will be an investigation into this matter, and if it turns out they're lying, there will be hell to pay.

The group disregarded that warning and considered the operation a success. After all, they weren't the men actually hired for the job, so if the government sent scouts or soldiers to investigate they would be entirely on the wrong trail. Yes, there was absolutely no way anything from this operation could possibly come back to haunt them...

With all that settled, they were all itching to get this book back to Eli to study. Surely he would be able to find out information and point them in the right direction. If this was truly a manifest of magic users, they would be able to be one step ahead of the government at all times.

They would finally have an edge.

The Emerging Homefront

Quite some time has passed since the viewing of Al Hazarde comet. The group attempted to glean details about its supposed significance, but the information given wasn't exactly detailed. They would just have to wait, they supposed.

In the meantime, something peculiar had happened out west. After bi-weekly correspondence, contact was lost with a semi-independent resistance group just outside the mining town of Maren. Let me explain the significance of the town before I go any further.

Maren exists far to the west. So far, in fact, that the area is still mostly uncharted - at least according to the maps that can be found throughout the various towns around the Great Ring. At this time the military, although somewhat active in the area, still hasn't gotten a strong foothold. There are no major outposts at this point, and even those that exist aren't heavily manned. What this means is that their influence is barely felt, if at all. This fact has proven highly beneficial for the resistance, because Maren sits a few miles from the most bountiful mithral deposit on the continent. Sure, they're supposed to mine it and turn it over to government-licensed merchants. That, however, doesn't always happen. Maren has actually been supplying some of the resistance's biggest supporters. This has allowed them easy access to mithral goods of the highest quality.

Just north of the town, overlooking the city from the foothills of a large mountain range, is the creatively named Overlook Keep. Up until recently it would seem, this keep was occupied by a group of six members of the resistance, along with their hired help - soldiers, scouts, cooks, and so on. This fact alone would have raised quite a bit of suspicion, but the letter sent from the town was the final confirmation. It would seem that the group had gone missing. Even worse is that the few who went to the keep to investigate never returned. Since the group stationed there acted as something of a police force for the town, banditry has also been on the rise. Needless to say, this had to be investigated.

The group set off the following morning on what would be a long trip. After many boring days, the group spotted on the horizon something they had never seen before. Something truly awe-inspiring, but something that also filled their hearts with nervous uncertainty. They saw a forest. Not just a haphazard collection of haggard trees, either. No, this was a magnificent forest, stretching north and south as far as the eye could see. They approached the forest in the late afternoon. After some discussion, they decided to press on, despite the fear that they may be traveling through it during nightfall. Such fears were quickly realized, as it soon became far too dark to safely continue. They decided to make camp in a small clearing, guarding in shifts.

The night was uneventful at first, but the silence was interrupted by... well, an event. Closing in on the camp was an owlbear. At the time they had no idea what it was, but its name explains it all. As is becoming abundantly clear, naming conventions during this time valued functionality over flare. The group didn't have much of an issue taking care of them, with four of them left dead, and another two being run off into the forest by Cade of all people. So he says, anyway, and his sterling reputation gives us no reason to doubt his claims. Yeah...

After another day of travel, the group finally emerges from the forest on the other side. They are immediately given a pause by the color of their surroundings. The plant life seemed healthier and more plentiful. The sky, brighter, bluer. Even the grass was greener on this side. It was truly the type of situation that someone should write a proverb about. After taking in the world around them, they continued on to Maren.

They met with town officials, and after some discussion they agreed to investigate. The town was so grateful for their help that they agreed to deal directly with the resistance when moving their mithral, instead of through independent merchants.

The next order of business was strategy. Due to the layout and position of the keep, approach could be difficult. The path leading north to the keep was very steep on both sides, leaving any approaching party at the mercy of those in the guard towers. Approaching from the east required them to traverse very difficult terrain, and even then left them wide open once they had done so. It was decided that the best course would be to bypass the pathway, climb through the foothills, then approach from the west. Seeing as how this was the best course, that's exactly what they did.

It was at this point that our group noticed two sentries in the southwest guard tower, both struggling with the sun. They were large, green humanoid-looking creatures, the likes of which the party had never seen. Using his magic cloak, Cade took the form of a viper and began to climb the side of the keep. The guards noticed this and attempted to spear him, but missed clumsily. Once he finally made his way to the top, Theddis did what he does best. He used his psionic ability to swap places with Cade, putting him between the two man-beasts. He easily defeated them and climbed down into the keep. Working from the inside and outside, the group was able to take advantage of one the damaged sections along the wall, making a hole large enough to provide entrance.

Once inside, the group immediately noticed a large pen in the courtyard, which housed a wolf. Not just any wolf, but a wolf the size of a horse. The group came to the very wise decision to just leave it alone. That is, until it spoke to them. It asked in common speech, much to their surprise, to be set free. In return for their help it promised not to harm them, and to give some information about the occupants. After some initial grumblings from Cade, Orm set the beast free. It explained that the new occupants all slept during the day and had difficulty seeing in the sunlight. None would provide much of a threat, except for the two "masters." The wolf motioned to the north building, indicating their location.

The wolf entered the southwest guard tower, and cries of pain and surprise were immediately heard throughout the area. It emerged, covered in blood, with a severed limb gripped firmly in its maw. Without a second look it was gone, leaving the group behind. The group members split up and easily took care of the occupants of the other towers, leaving only the "masters," whatever that meant.

As the men approached this building, its eastern doors swung open, and a large group of humans ran out. They ran straight for the northwest building and entered, stumbling over each other in the process.

Bursting into the room, the group finally got view of the "masters." They were green humanoids, like the others, only much taller and ferocious. They stood about 9 feet tall, and attack with razor-sharp claws, rending their foes at any point they could get a firm grip. Although the group was easily able to out-fight them, they seemed to heal wounds almost miraculously. After finally dropping them both, the wounds still seemed to slowly heal. It would only be a matter of time before they were back and ready to fight again. It was at this time that Tristan reminisced about his childhood.

Before you contend that this was neither the time nor the place, let me assure you it was with good reason. He recalled an old bedtime story that he was told as a child, one that he had planned on telling his own child one day, about large man-eating creatures that could regrow lost limbs. In the story, only fire could truly end their lives. Lacking any other suggestion, Cody went to work. He ignited their bodies with his magic, turning the beasts into mere piles of ash.

Now that these creatures were dealt with, it was time to question the humans. They learned that they were brought here to work in the cave a few miles north of the keep. A group is taken there each day and sometimes returns in the evening. No one speaks, and no one is truly sure of what actually takes place there. It is then decided that the group should prepare, rest up, and then go to this cave at the same time the prisoners normally did.

The time finally came and they made their way north. Upon approaching, Derrick immediately got a feeling of strong unease and dread. There were clearly dark forces at work here. Upon entering the cave this terrible feeling felt even stronger, with good reason. Cade scouted the small cave from the shadows, and saw what appeared to be a pile of human corpses. After passing along this grim news, Derrick immediately sprang to battle. The surprised group followed suit. Upon full entry into the cave, they saw the culprit. He was a pale man with sunken features, and armor that seemed to be made from bone. His name was Kurjan, and his hatred knew no bounds. He swore that until his dying breath, he would destroy the world of the living.

His first act of battle was gruesome, to say the least. With a wave of his hand, the corpses sprang to life - unlife, actually - and lurched forward horribly at the shocked men. Derrick attempted to use his own divine connection to turn them away, but it was no use. This area was unhallowed by some vile power, and his connection to St. Cuthbert was all but severed. Kurjan then waved his hand again and surrounded himself with some form of barrier. The coward!

The undead proved to be little threat, but their shear numbers made them difficult to defeat. Meanwhile, Kurjan still stood. Seeing that the group was not in any real threat, Orm attempted to engage him. After a few attempts to pass through this barrier, he finally was able to summon the will to fight through the magic, and found himself face to face with this unsettling man. Keep in mind that this was no victory, because upon entry Kurjan was quick to inform Orm that he was fully capable of defending himself. He did so not with words, but with two well-timed mace shots to the skull. Orm was sent reeling, but was still steadfast in his determination.

As the undead dwindled in numbers, members of the group began to break away and face off with Kurjan until finally each member of the group was free. Those who attacked him earliest were a bit worse for wear, but their numbers made it impossible for him to win. This certainly didn't stop him from trying, though. Insanity can be a dangerous motivator. He called upon as much divine might as possible, although the "divine" part is up for serious debate. Any god that would allow such terrible degradation of life is surely no god at all. Kurjan's final act of desperation was to call a ring of magical blades which surrounded him at all times. Several members of the group had to back away and avoid combat, lest they be sliced to pieces. This was particularly difficult for Derrick, who wanted nothing more than to destroy this man in the most horrible of ways.

This stalemate may have continued long enough for Kurjan to escape, had it not been for Tristan. With total disregard for his safety, he continually closed the distance with Kurjan, attacking him with a bloodthirsty zeal. The blows were quick and precise, and despite many painful, violent slash wounds, Tristan was able to put him down. Derrick plunged his sword down into the man as well, you know, just to be sure.

The battle was won, but none of the men would soon forget the abominations they were forced to witness. But in the end they stood tall and rose above their fears to stand against the darkness. Truly heroes in the end.

The town was true to their word, providing them with everything they promised. The group also decided that Overlook Keep would be the perfect base of operations for them. It was secluded, secure, and somewhat out of the government's view. Father Benjamin agreed with them, and provided them with the resources they needed to rebuild it. The process took a year and half, and during this time they trained soldiers, hired help, and created a strong foundation of trust within the communities of Maren. Even Father Benjamin's most trusted adviser, the incomparable Eli Deschain was sent to reside there. Eli was truly the most knowledgeable man in the world. He had unparalleled intelligence, but also the wisdom to understand its impact. Also, might I add, that he progenated some of the most amazingly awe-inspiring descendants to every exist in any of the worlds... ever.

Yes, Overlook Keep truly became a stronghold in every sense of the word. It was a good thing, too, because in the coming years it would most certainly need to be.

A Little Backstory: The Revenge

So, do I have a treat for you! If you recall, I mentioned that Theddis' activities during his time in Greenmont were more or less unknown. It turns out that I've recently learned some information from some very reliable sources. I still don't know very much, other than this one story, but it's quite entertaining, if I do say so myself. But really, which of my stories aren't?

Don't answer that. Anyway...

This all takes place about a year before our group came together. Unlike most stories involving Theddis and Cade, this one doesn't start at the tavern. Outside of Greenmont is a small guard outpost. These things are everywhere, like pockmarks. Sometimes, when the military doesn't think it can exert proper control over an area it contracts out to local militias. Honestly, anyone who values money over their integrity can hold the job. Cade got wind of when their next payroll delivery would be, and decided to muscle his way in and take it. Actually, let me rephrase. Cade decided that Theddis should muscle his way in and take it. You see, they had formed something of a strange relationship. Cade needed someone strong to stand behind, and Theddis needed to eat. But don't worry, it's not that Theddis became a thug or anything. As a matter of fact, his morals - regardless of how much he tried to suppress them - are usually what kept Cade in line.

The job seemed to go off without a hitch. They got in, got out, and got the gold. Sadly, their victory was short-lived. They were eventually out-numbered and captured. The attempts of the militia to interrogate the prisoners were futile, and that's being nice about it. They weren't highly trained in this kinda thing. The weren't highly trained in anything really, a trait that was easily exploited by Theddis and Cade. With minimal effort they were able to free themselves, dispatch their aggressors, and escape. They really couldn't ask for anything more, given the circumstances. Except the gold, of course. I should mention that they were never able to retrieve the gold during their escape.

The two men took some time to sulk. After all, they were this close to being able to live the good life for a few months. I'm not going to get into any specifics details about their sulking, because its somewhat uncouth, but let me just say it involved a young halfling woman, Tiny Tina... a prostitute...

Things got back to normal for them, and they still found the right combination of brains, trickery, and well-timed physical blows to the head, that they were able to make ends meet. One day, however, while they were enjoying themselves at the tavern, something strange occurred. Two men entered the tavern, armored heavily. Before anyone could inform them that weapons were not permitted inside, they noticed the crests on their capes. They were military. Very high-ranking. Little did they know exactly how high, but that's a story for another time. The taller man, sporting two small, slightly curved blades questioned the bartender. He asked about Theddis Noren. The bartender was able to defer his questions, but not without frustrating the normally calm man. With blinding speed he lept upon the bar and drew his blades, placing one against each side of his neck. Before anything else happened a third voice spoke up out of nowhere. A cloaked individual, seemingly lighter than air, simply said "He's telling the truth." With that, the man was down from the bar and the three of them left without another word. Whew! The crisis was seemingly averted. For now, at least.

If that event wasn't enough, a few days later something else happened. Not nearly as ominous, but still strange nonetheless. None of the normal servers were working. In there places were two new faces. The names that go along with those faces are Doral and Sherice. They seemed friendly enough, and struck up conversations with everyone. They wanted to know everything about them, it seemed. I suppose those are the traits of a good server, you know? To seem like friends after having only known you for a few minutes.

Theddis and Cade didn't really pay much mind to this, nor did they pay much mind when three young men were forcibly removed from the bar. They didn't notice the heated discussion that the new male server/bouncer was having with them outside, especially when he informed them that Theddis and Cade ratted them out for stealing and carrying weapons into the tavern. They most certainly didn't notice the scroll containing a charm spell that really drove the point home to the three men. They did, however, notice immediately when one of the men returned to the bar and demanded that Theddis and Cade meet them outside. Both men were somewhat confused by the accusations, having never said anything of the sort. Cade would, however, keep in mind how effective such accusations would be, if he ever needed to use them. An attempt to disarm the situation was futile, and a fight broke out immediately. Although it was a wholly one-side affair, and although the young men ceased their aggression after the near fatal wounding of their "leader," a particularly perceptive observer might have noticed how intently the new servers watched the battle, and the slight smile they cast each other when it was over.

The next day, the strangest of all events leading up to this point took place. Not only was it unheard of in this town, but it was also the most distressing sight Theddis had laid eyes on since coming here. Closed. That was all it said. The tavern, his second home, was closed. In the middle of the afternoon. After a short discussion it was decided that Cade would break in and check it out. Theddis caused the necessary distraction, bellowing out horribly about withdrawal and "the shakes," symptoms that may or may not have been actually occurring.

Within seconds they were inside. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Theddis helped himself to some rum, and noted that the place looked just as it did when they left the previous night. It was as if no one bothered to come open the place. Also worth nothing is that both Theddis and Cade were close friends with the bartender. So close, that he knew their true identities, and helped set them up on their "jobs." This fact made it all the more strange that he'd be completely gone without so much as a word.

They decided to check his home, and in doing so their fears were realized. The place was torn apart. Whether or not it was a robbery or a brawl wasn't something they had the skills to discern, but the lack of blood was a good sign. The first in days, actually. The fact that the fire seemed to have been smoldering for days was strange, but didn't inspire in them any other thoughts. Hey, give them a break. They're not bounty hunters. They both probably came to their next course of action at the same time. If things got heavy, or anyone got pinched, their plan was to meet up at the usual place outside of town. It was in the ruins of a large building, completely shielded from view from all of the main roads. This is where they met to discuss deals, and to exchange whatever gold or treasure they came upon.

They waited until nightfall and set off. Sure enough, someone was there. But what, what was he doing?! Through the would-be windows of these ruins the men could see a fire burning. This was a grave sin in such criminal dealings. It was like hanging a banner that said "please investigate." Something was wrong.

Cade waited, hidden around the corner and out of sight, while Theddis took the more direct route. As he got closer a figure slowly came into view. Young, average height, average build, completely shaved head. His most noticeable physical trait was the gaping wound which took up nearly all of his lower torso. It was Hayden!

Theddis stopped in his tracks. Before he could muster the strength to speak, the figure spoke to him. "Why did you leave me to die. This is your fault." Theddis began to apologize, still in disbelief. The figure spoke again, this time in a more cryptic fashion, almost in another voice entirely. "You shouldn't keep such horrible memories at the surface of your thoughts. It's a wonder you can even make it through the day." Theddis paused again, still unable to act.

Cade watched these events for long enough. His confused observation gave way to fear. Theddis never acted like this. He hastily stood up from his hiding spot, calling aloud to Theddis. That's when it happened. He barely had time to ask Theddis about the situation when he felt it. It was familiar, but never this bad. It started off as a cool tingle, but then the horrible burning came. The last thing he felt before his arms and legs went numb was the warm rush of liquid pouring from his back. This was it. His actions had finally caught up with him. He was dead.

But no! This wasn't death. Although he couldn't move, he was still aware of his surroundings. His assailant ran off into the shadows, becoming invisible beneath their veil.

Theddis immediately realized what was happening. His mind was able to fight off the illusion before him, causing his former apprentice and friend to appear for what he/it truly was. A gray-skinned humanoid with minimal features, able to read thoughts and change his shape at will. His revelation was short-lived, as he was now in a fight for his life.

Using his considerable skill, and making full use of his incredible physical fortitude, he was able to hold them off, but he knew he couldn't keep this up for long. Just as he thought he was going to be overwhelmed, he came roaring back. The doppelganger was crafty, but not hardy, and had to withdrawal to survive. This left only the assassin, who upon further inspection was none other than Sherice, the new female server at the tavern! Her skills were much better suited for ambush than direct physical combat, and soon she saw herself nearing the end. It was at this time that another voice spoke out. Appearing out of nowhere was Doral, the other server, who was standing over the unconscious body of the bartender. In no uncertain terms he demanded the surrender of Theddis and Cade, and in exchange for this he would let the bartender live. Theddis made one final attempt at a power play, trying to use his psionic abilities to allow him to switch places with the bartender. Sadly, since he was unconscious, Theddis was unable to get into his mind to complete the switch. Not wanting harm to come to his friend, Theddis reluctantly agreed.

Doral explained that Theddis apparently stepped on the wrong feet recently. If a group is willing to hire them to exact their revenge, it means that normal methods didn't work. This does make sense, after all. The guards wouldn't want their gold source to know they were weak. They would be replaced. He also explains that the fight at the tavern was intentional, so they could get a good idea what their skills and tactics would be. After this somewhat stereotypical disclosure of motives, Doral said with a smile what turned out to be his last words: "I changed my mind." He then plunged a dagger into the helpless throat of the bartender. The pool of blood forming around his still body said all that needed to be said. His life was over. Seeing this, Sherice screamed out at him. "What are you doing? You said no one else was going to die!" With that, she vanished, leaving on Theddis and Doral standing eye to eye. Charging at each other, they met with thunderous force and began their battle.

Cade had seen enough. Having recovered from the poison, he saw his chance to strike. Flanking their opponent, each man was able to land strong blows. Each of these was countered just as heavily by Doral, who was turning out to be quite the capable combatant. Even against two men, he was gaining the edge. Cade was particularly worse for wear, having to leave the battle to recuperate. With only one opponent, Doral looked to end the fight. Theddis was proving to be much tougher than he expected, taking damage that would kill most other men, yet continuing to fight with no sign of slowing down. It was at this moment that something unexpected happened. That sensation that Cade felt, this time Doral felt it, too. His eyes opened wide as he looked over his shoulder and saw Sherice, her knife plunged into his lower back. This time, with a vicious grin, she twisted the knife once, sucking all the life from his body, and sending him to whichever of the nine Hells had a particular interest in a cold-blooded killer-for-hire.

The battle was won, if such a battle could have a winner. Their friend was dead, and old mental wounds were once again brought to the surface. Cade, never one to let a stab go unreturned interrupted Sherice and Theddis' conversation to deliver a blow to the young assassin. As the attack was coming, she as able to notice and avoid it somewhat, saving herself from death. But, the message was sent. She would not retaliate, but that considerable wound was her payment, and she considered them even. She apologized again for the death of their friend, and once again vanished into the cool night air, never to be seen again. Keep in mind that I like the drama of that phrase - "never to be seen again" - but that it isn't necessarily always true.

Theddis and Cade took a few moments to take in what had just happened. Although neither would say it aloud, both were thankful to have the other there. They were more than just business associates, and although they'd probably never admit this either, they were friends. In times like these, that's more valuable than any treasure. Cade would especially never admit that.

Speaking of treasure, Cade's ever-astute eyes noticed a small pouch, which must've been dropped during the battle. He opened it immediately and saw it. 3,000 gold pieces!! It must've been the payment this group required to do the job. What luck! They would be able to live well, after all, for at least a year if they're careful. What good timing, don't you think?

As Sherice ran through the plains, feeling the refreshing cold breeze against her face, she somewhat lamented the loss of the gold. But, those two men had won, and they deserved it. Besides, she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she kept it, not after what Doral did. She didn't worry long, though, and knew in her heart that dropping the pouch for them was the right thing to do. As she disappeared over the horizon, she had a feeling she'd see them again, sooner or later.

Together Again

The messages were sent. The carriages arrived. It was time.

Cody, Derrick, and Orm each packed their belongings and left in the morning. They had no idea where they were going, nor when they would reach that destination. So they waited.

The two carriages finally converged on a small dirt road about mile away from town. I'd love to give you the name of the town, but I don't know it. I could give you list of all the towns it was said to be, but that would take quite some time. It was as non-descript of a town as you'll ever see. It's the type of town someone immediately forgets as soon as they leave. Hell, it's the type of town that someone immediately forgets while they're still there. It takes a lot of effort make a town well known; to really put it on the map, so to speak. Let me tell you this, it takes even more effort to take it off the map, but that's exactly what they did, and with good reason.

Upon arrival they exited their carriages, which turned and went the way they came. The pleasantries were short, if they happened at all. Sure, it had been a long time since they'd seen each other, but there were more pressing matters. Two men who looked as if they just so happened to wander to the town line as the carriages arrived looked over the visitors. Then, strangely, they each removed a monacle from their pockets and looked upon the visitors again.

"Please come with me" is all that was said.

They followed the men into what appeared to be a tiny greenhouse. It seemed that this town was attemping the ever-daunting task of growing plant life. They seemed to be succeeding to some degree, which is to be admired. but in this case the plants were a mere afterthought. Although the onlookers were unsure of what exactly happened, a tile in the walkway shifted, revealing a staircase leading underground. The men lead them down, through a complex maze of underground caverns, and then to an underground structure.

Once inside they were greeted calmly, and their two escorts left them.

"Welcome," said one of the guards. "He will see you now."

Orm and Cody were no doubt curious as to whom they were to see, but Derrick knew full well. They were here to see his father.

They were led into one final room, and the guard left them. There, sitting at the table was the man behind everything. Father Benjamin, in the flesh. No more than a dozen people had laid eyes on him since he organized the resistance. His presence was commanding, yet kind, not unlike Derrick's, but he exuded such powerful confidence and steadfast resolve that even the strongest of wills couldn't help but be intimidated. His soft, yet strong voice pierced the silence.

"Welcome. I've waited a long time to finally meet you both. It is my pleasure."

With that, the story was told. As much as it could be. He assembled the original group with a purpose, and more of that would be revealed in time. Right now, however, they were short one. Actually, two...

"Blain," he yelled. "Come here!"

Blain casually walked from the room next door, from a doorway which was seemingly absent a split-second ago. He greated his brother and friends in his typical, sarcastic style, but his smile gave away his happiness. He was glad to see them, and glad to be moving on.

So now they were only short one. They needed to find Theddis Noren. After years of misinformation and faulty leads they finally found one. A contact who knew the real Theddis Noren: the smartest, most cowardly soldier. Willem Boscogne. It would seem that he had made something of a life for himself in Greenmont, a town that's a noted haven for liars, thugs, lying thugs, and thieves. Apparently Theddis had, too. The mission was clear. Bring him back at all costs.

The four men were off the next morning. They were all given amulets that allowed them to silently communicate with each other over great distances. A distinct advantage in many situations. Their trip was uneventful to say the least. They took the time to catch up and exchange stories about the last five years until they finally arrived. Word is that Willem hung out at the tavern. This wasn't exactly news to anyone, because in a town like this just about everyone hung out at the tavern. The tavern was like town hall. It was not only the biggest structure in town, but easily the most well-built.

The tavern didn't allow weapons, so they had to check them at the door. Orm, never feeling very comfortable without his massive blade, which he began to call "Sizzle," at arms length, opted to wait outside. The others did as required and gave their weapons to the attendant, then began their search.

Cody went off and tried to put some of his skills to the test. He began playing Three Dragon Ante with some of the bar patrons, besting them in nearly every hand. They were so impressed that they opened up to him quickly, but none of the information they gave was of any more use than what they already had.

Derrick and Blain started where most people would likely start, with the bartender. He was told that Willem often came in later in the evening, but wasn't currently there. Derrick didn't recognize anyone in the bar, but questioned to himself if he would recognize this man even if he saw him. He took the opportunity to ask the bartender about Theddis Noren. An old, fat, grizzled man at the bar appeared to peak up ever-so-slightly at the mention of this name, then put his head back down in his drunken haze. The bartender did, in fact, know Theddis. What luck! Could it be possible that all along he would be this easy to find? He followed the direction of the man's finger, but oddly enough didn't see anyone. Confused, he cast his gaze down ever so slightly and saw him. Theddis? No, of course not. This man was barely over 3 feat tall. Clearly a halfling. Was this also going to be a dead end? Before any questions could be asked of him, Derrick received a message from Orm outside.

A man was walking up toward the tavern and glanced over at Orm as he passed. He stopped, did a double take and continued. He took a few steps before stopping dead in his tracks. He barely had time to remember Orm's face when he looked forward and saw Blain, who had since moved into the doorway. He tried to run but was easily subdued. Orm took this opportunity to message Derrick, who along with Cody, joined them outside.

Willem was understandably terrified to see these men again. It was, after all, only five years ago that he watched every other member of his assignment killed unmercifully by these very men. He said the first thing to come to mind.

"You've come to kill me, too. Please don't. I'm no harm. I'm done with the military, I swear."

His ramblings were cut off by Derrick, who explained the situation. The man was so panicked that he didn't even require the gold they were going to pay him, although he was given some for his troubles. He explained the situation, and clarified a bit of confusion. Theddis often was in the bar, so often that Willem didn't remember a single time that he was in there and didn't see Theddis sitting at the bar. It was weird, though, because apparently he'd been calling himself something else. Kain maybe? Cade? Yes, that was it. Cade. Another guy, the little guy, was calling himself Theddis. He wasn't sure why, but just assumed it was to help him stay hidden. He said one other thing, in passing, that struck a chord with a few members of the group: "Geez, a lot of people looking for this guy, lately."

With that done, they allowed him to leave, and leave he did. It's been said that most humans, regardless of size and athletic ability, can only run about 120 feet in six seconds, but I'll be damned to the nine hells if this guy didn't run at least 200 feet in that time.

Now that they had their info, they just had to wait for the real Theddis to arrive. The agreed to play it cool and strike up a conversation with the fake Theddis to maybe get some information. Blain took the reigns and began. He stood in front of the table at which the diminutive fellow was sitting and spoke.

"I'm looking for Theddis Noren," he said, loud enough for the entire bar to hear. "Has anyone seen him? I'm an old friend of his from a few years back."

"I'm Theddis, mate," spoke the man.

"Wow! It's great to see you again. Have you gotten taller?" He said with a smirk. It was the typical Blain smile that you couldn't forget even if you tried.

The banter went on for quite some time, with each group member getting involved in various ways. Except for Orm, that is, who continued to wait outside. After a time the game became tiresome for everyone, but Blain is the one who finally took the next step. Underneath of the table he called upon his Eldritch energy, fueling it with fire called from the brimstone of the Hells.

"Enough of this game," He spoke, calmy, an expression of carefully suppressed anger on his face.

The halfling did his best to swindle his way out of it, but wasn't the least bit worried. You see, he made a very specific point to employ an insurance policy for just these types of situations. It was a good thing, too, because he found himself in situations like this quite often. Seeing the trouble from the bar, the drunken, passed-out old man sprang to life and darted toward the back, wrapping his hand around Blain's neck.

"And who might you be?" Blain asked, all the while maintaining his Eldritch energy.

The question wasn't answered with words, but nothing could've been more definitive than what wasn't said. From this man's hand came a blade. Not a hidden dagger or wrist knife, but a mental blade. The very same weapon that Theddis had used. They found their man!

Blain managed to spin away from his grip, and the standoff lasted a few seconds that seemed to be hours before they agreed to discuss the situation like men. With their weaponry dispersed, they talked. Now that they knew, they could all see Theddis' thinner, younger, clean-cut version hidden amongst the dirty, unkempt, out-of-shape body they saw before them. Their diplomatic relations barely had time to take off before the halfling, having snuck off during the staredown, made his play.

He informed the barkeep that the strangers had snuck in weapons and threatened his life. Immediately the bartender dispatched his bouncers to take care of them. Three men marched to the front of the bar and told the group to leave. Having no weapons, and being in no position to start a war, they obliged.

If you're wondering why they weren't searched or questioned to verify the accusations, the answer is simple. In a town like this, you pay your dues and eventually work you way into the social inner circle. They do not take kindly to strangers, and if one of those circle members wants you gone, you're gone. Simple as that. Not only that, but you deserve to go home with a black and blue reminder not to come back... if you go home at all.

The bouncers did what they do best, and tried to rough up the members of the group, as Theddis and his small friend watched from the doorway.

During the commotion, something else somewhat curious happened. Another man, as inconspicuous as any other, was looking for his wife. Not at this very moment. Not literally anyway. I mean, she wasn't in the bar or anything like that. His search up to this point was haphazard at best. He went from town to town, asking anyone who would listen, but turning up nothing. It was recently that he heard the rumor of the midnight caravan of great importance that was hijacked by the resistance, and of the magical boy that was rescued. Of Theddis Noren. This piqued his interest a great deal. Hmm, I suppose I should tell you his story before I go on.

His name is Tristan Ludlow. He was an unassuming man in an unassuming town in the middle of somewhere. He was upstanding and outgoing, and took an important role in the town guard. He finally married the love of his life, Quinn, and was ready to settle down. He thought he knew everything about her, but little did he know her one huge secret. On day, shortly after their marriage, the extraction crew came under cover of night. They took her, and although Tristan did all he could to stop them, he could not prevail. Since then his demeanor changed drastically. He is now morose and quiet, and his combat skill has taken a turn for the much more ruthless. He has shut down his softer emotions, and barely keeps himself from drowning forever in his sorrow with the thought that his beloved might still be alive somewhere. He will stop at nothing until he finds his wife or destroys those responsible for her disappearance. He will display their corpses for all to see, as a macabre warning of what happens to those who harm the innocent.

Back to the story. Once Tristan saw the strangers removed, he stood up and took action himself, albeit in a subtle way. He knew that the town guard would be arriving shortly, and although the tend to look the other way quite often, they never avoid a fight, and very often fight to the finish.

Theddis, despite his hesitations, and his desire to never see these men again, would not have wished these events on his former allies. He wanted to help them, but refused to let himself go back to his old life. He knew in his heart what was right, but he just couldn't find the motivation to act. Luckily for everyone, the motivation found him.

The town guard arrived, and upon surveying the situation, took a shot at Cody and tried to muscle him to the ground. Perhaps Cody was tactically the best target, or perhaps the guard was simply ruthless and cowardly, and wanted to take his shots on a young man who was still a week removed from his 18th birthday. Nevertheless, seeing this aggression awoke something in Theddis. Maybe it was the flood of memories of where things went wrong with Hayden, or maybe it just his innate good nature finally escaping from it's prison of alcohol, self-loathing, and fear, but he couldn't let this happen. Not again. He activated his mindblade a sprung into action.

Tristan also saw his opportunity, darting into the weapon room with nearly magical quickness and grabbing his trusted halberd. It would finally get a taste of battle. Cody also took this same opportunity. He surveyed the area, and with a subtle gesture pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, activating it. With that, he was gone. Invisible, he darted to the weapon room and retreived those of his comrades. He returned them to their respective owners, who were no doubt happy to have them. Now that each side was armed and prepared to fight, things escalated quickly.

The group made short work of the bouncers and town guard, but knew that more would be on the way shortly. Their victory was even more short-lived than before, as the bartender - who already had something of an aversion for Theddis and his friend - screamed at them. It was clear that they were no longer welcome.

After a heated discussion about the nature of right and wrong, good and evil, and of course, the double-standards that come along with fighting an enemy, the group left together. The real Cade took this opportunity to introduce himself.

The group didn't exactly convince Theddis to join up for their cause so much as he wanted to protect Cody. He still wasn't able to completely differentiate these men and their tactics from those they were trying to usurp, but he could see the good in them. He also didn't trust that they were going to act in the best interests of the boy they rescued. Despite their assertion to the contrary, Theddis believed that they viewed Cody as a weapon to be harnessed instead of a person. He didn't know if protecting this boy would be able to heal the scars that came from Hayden's death, but at this point it was the best he could do.

Cade, having grown used to having his muscle at his side, came along as well. Despite his own complaints and accusations, he knew it was the only option. Besides, he also had his own code by which he lived, and the idea of being a thorn in the side of the entity that made it so hard for him to live his life from day to day was definitely appealing. Sure, he was a thief. He would readily admit it. But oppression and cold-blooded murder? That made his blood boil. Actually, who was he kidding? This was all about steady pay and lodging. He didn't give a shit about all that other stuff... did he? The group wanted nothing to do with him, but getting Theddis back was paramount, and if Theddis required that he come along there was no avoiding it.

Finally, there was Tristan. He saw these men as his best lead to finding out what happened to Quinn. He was welcomed by Blain and Derrick, who appreciated his help at the bar. They didn't know if they could fully trust him yet, but they were not ones to turn away a potentially strong ally. He seemed genuine, but where do his loyalties lie?

They returned to Father Benjamin immediately. Arriving back in town on the eve of Cody's 18th birthday. Father Benjamin spoke to them briefy, although he did not allow Tristan or Cade into his inner sanctum, although both were no less amazed to be in the presence of such an iconic figure. He was unable to explain the specifics to everyone at the moment, but theorized vaguely about important events. He asked them to return just before midnight and he would explain further.

As the time approached, the men showed up to meet him. Before someone could ask what they were doing here, Benjamin interrupted and pointed to the sky and the full moon. With perfect timing when midnight struck, they saw it. Streaking across the sky was the Al Hazarde comet, a portent of great events, bathing the sky in emerald light as it passed.

Father Benjamin seemed more relieved than anything else. He closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them again he spoke.

"That is the most important event you will ever witness."