****************************
[Xeen] Compendium Chapter 10
****************************


Cari had been observing the dart match with only half-interest, until the 
daggers opted to have minds of their own. The room seemed to her to be 
filling too rapidly with the power radiating from the daggers.

Her focus was not on the daggers, but on the thrower, Boromir. She set 
her plate down quietly, but held onto the knife she had been using to eat 
with.

She slipped around and neared the surprised Boromir, with her knife 
ready. As far as she was concerned he had pulled one surprise already - 
they didn't need anymore.

At Zeph's cry Cari's attention was brought back to what the daggers were 
doing, and she sent, ::Semareth!!!!::
--Cathy Mosley

She not only heard Semareth's scream, but his horror tore into her mind, 
expanding their link. All other thought was driven away, and Cari stopped 
cold.

No nightmare could be worse than the barrage of images that assailed her 
from what Semareth faced. She knew she would be of no use if she 
continued to be tossed about in this torrent, and worked at disassociating 
herself from the nightmarish glimpses. When she had regained some degree 
of calm she sent him the energy born of her own anger at what was 
happening to him, and her emotional support.

As Semareth regained some presence of thought Cari pulled back into 
herself. For a moment the room and its desperate occupants seemed out of 
focus. She gave herself a second to re-orient herself, looked at 
Semareth, and noticed he had covered his arm. Her own soul twisted at 
the knowledge that a horrendous possibility was becoming a part of the 
Semareth's very real present. And for now there was nothing that could be 
done.

Cari remembered her original plan, which was to slow Boromir. It was 
true that he could be as innocent a bystander as the rest, but she had 
no desire to take that risk. Though she had no intention of killing him. 

She bent to pick up her knife, which had fallen from her grasp.
--Cathy Mosley

Semareth, his arm underneath his cloak, turned to face Boromir, the 
expression on the man's face, anything but friendly.

In fact judging by the look on a few of the party's faces, Boromir may 
have some explaining to do, if he was given the time to explain.
--Paul Raj Khangure

Suddenly Cari found a furious Thai standing between her and her target. 
::Girl, I don't know who you are but I accepted your presence because of 
Semareth and Zephyr.:: Her gaze drifted to Semareth now turning to face 
Boromir as well. 
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth watched as Thai and Cari clashed silently before him, with Boromir 
standing like a prize bull between two hagglers. He clenched cold fingers 
beneath his cloak, letting his mind drift from the two women.

Thai's voice cut through his thoughts as she broadcast.
--Nick Takayama

Her mental voice was cold as she broadcast to the entire 
room lest anyone mistake her intentions. ::We have an alliance with these 
elves, and I swore that I would protect them. If I must protect them from 
you...:: she looked steadily at both Cari and at Semareth.  ::...then be 
assured I will do so.::

With a final look at Cari Thai sent, ::Tend to Semareth child, and do 
not cross me again.::
--Phaedra Whitlock

Cari's sending had equal emotion behind it, ::And
--Nick Takayama

Cari kept control of herself, and looked at the Elven woman before her. 
::I have no intention of crossing you,:: she sent so all could "hear."::And 
while I respect your oath, I would say they need to uphold their end and
investigate. Because whether or not it was Boromir, there has 
been a breach in their security.:: 

She then went to stand near Semareth, though she knew there 
was little she could do for him.
--Cathy Mosley

She walked over and stood by Semareth. He glanced down at her, then 
resumed staring at the ground as he concentrated on sensing out his arm. 

Without looking up, he spoke, his voice grating through his teeth.

"Forget the investigation. We all know Boromir incapable of something 
like that. Xeen has let us know that every one of our pieces is in 
danger... I think it is time we took one of his. Shall we?". Finally he 
looked up, his eyes shot through with silver... his look at once angry 
and determined.
--Nick Takayama

::Yes Semareth, we shall.:: 'If people in this party will refrain from 
alienating the elves long enough for me to get the information out of 
Benedict and Zeph.' she added silently. 
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth mouthed a silent "Who, me?" with a raised eyebrow and a tilt of 
his head towards Jarrad. 
--Nick Takayama

Thai grinned momentarily. ::You nearly drew your sword on Boromir a 
moment ago my friend.::
--Phaedra Whitlock

::I suggest you tell your bloodthirsty little acolyte that she has no 
jurisdiction here. Attacking a Haven elf in anything but self defense is 
liable to get her shot, and apparently she hasn't the wit to see that 
Boromir is no mage.::
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth replied emotionlessly, ++ I know not why she posed so, but I 
believe she is no risk anymore to the elves. She has told me that no 
violence was intended, and I can do nothing but accept her word. As for 
being "shot"? I am not familiar with this term, but I know the risk 
involved.++ [<g>]

Cari sent to Semareth, :: You are right - Xeen has declared his 
omnipotence by tonight's attack. So if we are to take one of his pieces we 
must find a way to shield our plans. Otherwise our fight will heroic but 
empty.:: Her tone was matter-of-fact, though there was still 
residual shock evident from what she had experienced from the link.

As for what had passed between her and Thai that had already been dismissed. 
Cari could understand how the woman could have mistaken her actions for an 
intent to kill Boromir. And she knew that her actions hadn't been 
diplomatic, but at the time it made sense to keep an eye 
on the only handy suspect. 

She pushed back strands of black hair that had fallen in her eyes, and 
wondered at what to do about the link. Or if it really mattered anymore. 
It might, she decided, but at the moment she was too tired to consider how.
--Cathy Mosley

::Legolas, Zeph:: Jarrad broadcast to both at once, then included 
Proctor Benedict as an after thought.

::I think you need to get this in hand. Say you will question Boromir 
later, or need to check him for any magical taint or something, just show 
control, and get him out of here before the mob effect comes into play.

It won't work for either of us to have a confrontation now, and the last 
thing we need is elves tearing each other apart.::

As the legentors began to take action, Jarrad quickly transmitted 
everything to Thai, including his injury, which he minimised a little, to 
make it seem like a small scrape.
--Paul Raj Khangure

Observing that none of her newly acquired allies were in any
serious harm, Zeph relayed some silent orders that Boromir -who
still held a look of ultimate bewilderment since his daggers flew,
be taken away for questioning. She did not have anything
substantial or feel as if there was anything that the man was
responsible for, but something had to be done to sequester the now
rowdy crowd. No, Boromir was not guilty of this attack. The magic
act with the daggers was performed by one of great power and
mischief -Xeen! Boromir was removed as a precaution to settle the
crowd -excellent advice taken from Jarrad.

Soon the crowd had settled and were being cleared away from the
scene by some of her guards when it was noticed that Legolas was
resting against a nearby beam, holding his gut. He had been hit by
one of the fragments from the dagger meant for Semareth. A sickly
colour had clouded over the elf's face and his breath came in short
shallow waves. He was dying. 

Alarmed, Zeph requested that Celesta tend to the man then with an
after thought, looked at Draca for aid as well. Such a small
fragment, piercing the flesh, could not of done this. Remembering
her missing eye, she put her hand above the patch and realised
Legolas was dying of poison. Would Draca and Celesta be able to
combine their efforts to save him. She prayed.
--Dave Smart

Noticing the direction of Zeph's gaze, Thai too noticed Legolas' 
condition. Looking from Legolas to Jarrad who had also been wounded, her 
eyes darkened with worry. 
--Phaedra Whitlock

Feeling her glance, Jarrad was thinking the exact same thing as he 
checked the gash in his leg.

::It seems fine. I think the dagger had to stay in the wound and cool 
down there to release the posion, this was  a glance as it passed, the 
heat prevented the poison from setting:: Replied Jarrad, not sending the 
"I hope" that he was thinking.
--Paul Raj Khangure

During the 'game', Draca had been sitting in a corner, mentally 
assembling a collection of healing herbs, salves, etc. for Cari and 
Semareth.  When Boromir's turn had come, she sensed the upsurge of power, 
and automatically raised her personal shield, trying to encompass those 
few elves who stood nearby.

The instant Legolas was struck, she felt the pain.. a burning 
sensation that somehow reminded her of the necromantic taint on Smith's 
body...  Semareth's plight, too she shared.

By the time Zeph remembered her existence, she was already 
crossing the room, analyzing the magic, and feeling for the life thread 
of the victim.  To Semareth, she sent privately:  *I am aware of your 
affliction.  Perhaps we can talk when there is time...*
--Margaret Tayti

Strawberry came forward and asked if there was anything he could
do. "Aye!" responded Zeph. "You can parley a message to Xeen! We
will destroy HIM!" 

Poor Strawberry blanched and mouthed 'me' as he pointed a long
slender finger at himself.

"No," said Zeph. "Forgive me, I-I'm terribly upset...Could you pass
on the following message to Thai. We will follow her plan. Oh! And please
see Tel, and have him tend to the needs of you, Thai and your other
friends. We will sleep this night and tomorrow we hunt for Dragon's
blood."

With a chill in his bones, Strawberry went off and did as he was
asked. He took Thai aside, relayed the message. Later he would have Tel
show them to their quarters. It would be a fitful sleep at best,
this night.
--Dave Smart

Thai listened to Strawberry's words, but despite her best efforts her 
attention was on Jarrad. ::Thank you Strawberry. I'll talk to Tel before 
I turn in.::

She hesitated slightly and then reached out to touch his hand. 
::Strawberry, if I don't see you before I leave, good luck tomorrow.::

While Legolas was being cared for Thai sought out Proctor Benedict 
[unless hes helping them of course]. ::Proctor, I think now is the time 
to give us what information you have. I need to plan my spells and get 
some sleep before I have to leave.::

::Also, someone will have to go with me part of the way to remove the 
gateway information once I need them no longer.::

She absently rubbed a hand across her face as if to erase the exhaustion 
threatening her. Her head throbbed from the effects of the elven wine and 
overall she felt drained rather than bouyed by the 'festivities' Zeph had 
had such hopes for.
--Phaedra Whitlock

Her initial wrath dispelled, Thai's mind voice softened to normal. ::In 
the meantime, Zeph has given orders to an elf named Tel to equip us 
with whatever we need. We leave tomorrow morning so I suggest you see him 
tonight. Is there anything you need from me Sem?::
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth shook his head. He liked travelling light, and was already well-fed.
"Will we be travelling long? If so, my only need is a bedroll. Other than 
that, I am content. Thank you.", he bowed his head and walked to a bench 
to sit.
--Nick Takayama

::I do not yet know.:: Thai replied. ::But I imagine the journey to Dardt 
will take a day or two and will go through the portal we used earlier 
today. It is, so Zeph told us, the closest to Tynntangial.::

::Sem, I meant no harm to your acolyte and if she says she meant no harm 
I will accept that. What I saw seemed to bode ill for Boromir and I have 
to keep my oaths, especially now.::

::I would like to speak to you later on, in private, if that is 
acceptable to you. Zeph and I have agreed that I will go separately from 
the rest of you and so Jarrad will be in charge. I know you dislike magic 
so if you would prefer to come with me there will be no need to teleport 
you to Xeen once I reach him.::
--Phaedra Whitlock

He nodded as he turned to walk away, and replied in a low voice;
"I will think on it, Ms. Silverrun. I must judge where I will be best 
used by fate... feel free to let me know when you wish to talk 
privately.". Then he was walking away, his long black cloak fluttering at 
his back.
--Nick Takayama

Proctor Benedict watched the events unfold in front of him in the
blink of an eye.  He had quickly stood when he realized what was
happening, his hands beginning to glow in an increasingly radiant
show of magical power, but there was no quick target to discharge
the blast...his guests had dealt with the dagger-threat all too
readily and skillfully.  Perhaps they *were* worthy of this quest.

His rage at having the sanctity of Haven breached rising as quickly
as the power in his hands had, Benedict spoke softly and sternly.
"Everyone, sit down!  Sit down this instant!"  Once they had, he
began to scan across the room, his hands in front of his face
pointing outward along his line of vision.  He stopped at Boromir.
"You," he said, barely audible.  "You are the conduit.  You know
not what you do, yet you cannot be allowed to further jeopardize
the safety of the citizenry.  I am sorry, Boromir."

A flash of bright golden fire leapt from Benedict's hands, and
struck the man who had unleashed the daggers.  For a split second,
there was a line of pure energy between the two men, with little
specks of red and green and blue dancing about the cord in deference
to the tremendous power that must have been coursing along it.
Then, it was gone, and Boromir slumped in his seat and fell to the
ground.  Benedict motioned to a couple of elves nearby, and they
quickly grabbed the body and drug it away.

Turning back to his guests, Benedict said, "Boromir will be all right.
He was a conduit for Xeen and his power.  I broke that conduit, and
hopefully gave the Dragon-Demon a little sting to think about the
next time he tries to infiltrate my domain!"  The proctor was still
incensed that there had been such a grievous security breach.  He
wondered if there might be others that he wasn't aware of.  Shaking
his head, he consciously decided not to worry about that at the
moment.  The thought could only cause paralysis and indecision, and
that as much as anything would surely cost the loss of Haven to Xeen.

"Now then, my friends, I was not finished with my 'guidance' when this
little game of yours broke out.  I would greatly appreciate not being
interrupted again!"  It was clear that the man was a little edgy.
Who could blame him?

"I have told you about the cursed Dragon-Demon Xeen.  Allow me now to
tell you about Eldarion."  Turning to Zephillia, he said, "You, of
course, probably already know most of this, probably even more than
I do, so please interject whenever I misspeak.

"I first met Eldarion Elessidel in Montfort, nearly one hundred years
ago.  Are you surprised that I knew the man personally?  Well, no
matter.  I'm sure there are a lot of things about myself that would
surprise you, but I'm not here to talk about me.  Anyways, I didn't
actually meet him, per se, but more like I was dedicated to his
service.  It was when he, his sister, and his friend had been captured
by that scourge Proctor John that I was obligated to assist in a
rescue.  There were many who were part of that plan...even Zephillia
played a crucial role, as I remember."  He smiled at his High Inquis-
itor.

"After he and the others had been rescued, I helped everyone to escape
pursuit by porting us away from Montfort, and in the days that followed,
we were faced with another threat.  An agent of Proctor John (though he
didn't know it at the time!), one Lord Soros, was usurping the position
of Eldarion's friend...ummm...what was his name now?  The Strong One.
Zephillia?"

She answered immediately.  "Baron Therion, proctor."

"Yes!  That was it!  Baron Therion, Lord of Chadwick.  We determined
that this threat must be removed, and made plans to confront Lord
Soros with an army.  I accompanied Eldarion to Tynntangial to seek
reinforcements...and that was the first time I got to see the
beautiful kingdom of the elves!  And Eldarion was proud of the forests
and the land and the rivers.  And look at what he has done, what Xeen
has done.

Benedict shook his head from the nostalgic thoughts preoccupying it.
"When we returned to Lord Therion's side, he was already in grave
combat with Soros and his army.  We were cast into a battle for
survival, but we were victorious.  Once we had liberated Chadwick,
there was a banquet and an honoring ceremony..."  Benedict's voice
trailed away, as he was again overcome by the memories of the past.
His eyes began to water until he again regained his composure.

"It was during this time that I came to respect Eldarion as a man.
He was a very capable fighter, but conflict was not his first course
of action.  Eldarion the man always preferred to negotiate his way
out of a fight, often times cleverly outwitting his opponent into
convincing him to give more than he had intended.  He proved his
craftiness when he engaged the Dark One himself in the far north,
defeating him with his Sword of Xeen.  It was, however, this very
action, that began the slow degradation into what you see before you
now.

"When Eldarion slew the Dark One, that evil entity was trapped within
the Sword of Xeen.  This presence conflicted with the presence of the
Dragon-Demon, and the effect on Eldarion was irrationality that bordered
on outright madness.  His edicts made no sense, and took a harsh toll
on the populace of Tynntangial.  Something had to be done.

"There were many of us, back in those days, who tried to reason with
Eldarion, before he had fully succombed to the power of Xeen.  A
delegation led by Baron Therion himself, accompanied by Eldarion's
once beloved Joreen lar Sandor, journeyed to Daventry to appeal for
mercy.  Eldarion was enraged, and struck out at Therion.  Joreen
interfered, and was killed.  It was then that the entity that was the
Dark One made a bid for control, and Eldarion was struck with stark
madness.  Therion barely escaped, but he, too, perished when Xeen sent
forth his army to kill the Baron.

I had seen what was coming early on, and with the agreement of the
others who opposed Eldarion secretly fell into obscurity and founded
the city of Haven.  I would act as protector-general, and...joined...
the Church to further the city's protection."  The proctor cast a
wink towards Zephillia.

"So, as you can see, once Eldarion's will had been completely subjugated
to the Dragon-Demon Xeen, there was little hope left.  Eldarion was at
that time dead, and everyone began to realize it.  Tynntangial fell on
even worse times, until it became the desolate wasteland that you see
it today.  Xeen and I have sat apart from each other lo these many
decades, each countering the other's moves, neither able to get the
upper hand.  Yet, I fear that my moves may be coming to an end, and
Xeen may ultimately be victorious, if not for you."  He smiled at each
of his guests in turn.

"Zephillia!  Fetch us some more wine!  NO!  Fetch a bottle of the
Tynntanglian strawberry wine!  This is a special occasion, and I want
my guests to taste what Tynntangial was like in her finest hour!"
Turning back to the others as the High Inquisitor made for the wine
cellar, "I have but a handful of these bottles left.  They were
*exquisite* the first time I tasted them, and I'm sure you will
agree!  After we have whetted our throats, I will tell you how I
think you should go about defeating the Dragon-Demon Xeen."
--Proctor Benedict

Taking Elendil, Galadriel and Flannora with her, she began to relay 
orders to her subordinates as they made their way down the corridor.
"I want to know how Xeen had Boromir infiltrate our ranks! A full 
investigation, Elendil! If you find during your (inquisition) 
discussions with the man that our recruiting procedures are too 
lax -I want to be the first to know!" Then shaking her head in
disgust, "a lanceleader as an agent of Xeen."

"Galadriel, Flannora, you two are with me," Zeph ordered as Elendil
was given his leave to interrogate Boromir.

The three females made haste for the wine cellar and soon had 
themselves a bottle. [each in their possession or two if that's O.K] 
Flannora hated the dank place and was the first to exit it despite
herself. Her company chuckled. Within minutes, Benedict had his wine
and his speech could resume whilst fine Tynntanglian wine coated the
pallets of his guests.
--Dave Smart

"Now then.  You now know of Xeen, and you know of Eldarion.  What of
the combination?  And, once you know the combination, how do you find
a weakness?

"When Xeen was first on Ifreann, before The Sundering, and while he
was leader of the Dragon Marche, he rarely resorted to the use of
force as the first course of action.  He preferred instead to feel
his opponent out, and, if they were inferior (and they ususally
were), toy with them in a sick and twisted play of power.  Eldarion
was similar in his aversion to the outright use of force, and from
what I have seen of the combination, that trait remains.

"But one thing that I have noticed:  While Eldarion Elessidel was
always polite and gracious, Xeen was the exact antithesis.  At first,
the combination was quite courteous, despite being adamant in its
demands.  As the spririt of Xeen consolidated its hold on the body of
Eldarion, it became more and more brusque and impatient, to the point
where it was impossible to entertain an audience with it.  So, from
this I would gather that, while having the outward appearance of
Eldarion, you are really dealing with the Dragon-Demon Xeen.  There
*might* still be a shred of the original Elessidel in there somewhere,
but I suspect it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to find.

"What should you expect, then?  Xeen does not see you as a real
threat...if he did, he would have killed you the moment you entered
this timeframe.  No, I suspect that Xeen sees you more as...a
diversion.  A toy.  Something to entertain himself with.  Remember
his words to you:  'the game's afoot', is that correct?  Xeen sees
your whole quest as little more than a game to him.  Something to
amuse the great Dragon-Demon.  This may work to your advantage.
As long as you can keep him entertained, he won't likely lay
everything he's got against you.  That's not to say that approaching
him will be easy...not in the least.  He'll likely send that evil
dragon Dardt of his after you, and I do not envy anyone who is the
target of that wyrm.  Your road ahead will not be easy, but I
daresay you will have your audience with Xeen...he will want to meet
the creatures that have so entertained him prior to killing you."

He noticed that many of his guests stirred in their seats at his
last statement.  Proctor Benedict smiled and chuckled softly to
himself.  "You didn't think this would be easy or without risk, did
you?  Surely you acknowledged that others have gone before you with
similar intents, whether to strip the monstor of his sword for what-
ever there own agendas were, or to kill him outright, or sometimes
just to seek his knowledge.  The very few that returned were never
the same...not even close.  The horrors Xeen enacted on them, both
physical and mental, would make your skin crawl for a thousand
nights, and you would never look at a dragon the same way again.

"But you needn't die at the hands of Xeen, at least not that easily.
There is simply no way that you can overpower the beast...hundreds
of dragons thousands of times more powerful than either you or I
have already tried and failed.  But, you need to face him on a field
that is more level.  Since you cannot beat him by strength, perhaps
you can beat him by wit...a Battle of the Wits!  Yes, yes!  Xeen's
penchant for gaming with his prey could be his greatest weakness!
When you have finally secured an audience with the beast, you must
pique his interest in some kind of game...chess, riddles, puzzles,
paradoxes...whatever, I don't know what he will want or what you
can lure him into.  But I think this will be your best bet for
defeating Xeen.  You will need your swords and spells for the journey
to his lair, but you might as well leave them behind once you get
there.

"One last warning:  I said that a Battle of the Wits would be your
*best* bet...I didn't say that it would be a good one, or that you'd
be likely to succeed.  Before The Sundering, Xeen was around for
thousands of years...he knows most riddles and puzzles, has solved
most paradoxes, and has mastered most games.  You will be hard
pressed to beat him on even this plain.  But, on the mental plain,
you have a *chance*.  On the field of strength, you don't.  The only
*good* bet you would have would be to return to your own time, and
hopefully you'll die naturally before any of this transpires.

"Now then, do any of you have any questions before we retire for the
night?"
--Proctor Benedict

Thai looked at her folded hands, studying her fingernails intently. In 
her heart she believed that there was nothing Xeen could do to her that 
Proctor John had not. She feared dragons with cause, one more could not 
possibly change her mind.

As she rubbed her thumb across one chipped nail, an idea came to her. 
Just a fragment but an idea none the less. The thought danced in and out 
of her consciousness, facet by facet, until she had it all. It might 
work, it might not, she would have to think.

::I have no questions. Benedict has underscored what Zeph told us before 
and rightly so. We all of us are a cocky bunch, usually that works in our 
favor but not this time. Unless there are objections the plan is the same 
as we discussed before.::

[Admin: the discussion where it was decided Thai went alone has been 
superceded by this one, and I dont see a need to do it that way so I'm 
going dragon hunting with you all. Thai leads you guys, Zeph leads the 
elves, but we are all together like we discussed in the citadel, okay?]
--Phaedra Whitlock

Looking up from his thoughts, Semareth took the opportunity to speak.

"Benedict, if it is possible, I would like to borrow a shield and some 
other items from your stores. I will help choose what I need."
--Nick Takayama






Before leaving the dining hall Thai spoke to Benedict quietly. 

::Proctor, I know you cannot come with us, but could you prepare spells 
of protection for us? I had planned to do so myself but have not had the 
time and will not before we leave. The spells will not help against Xeen 
I know, but against Dardt they might be all that saves us.::
--Phaedra Whitlock

Benedict laughed quietly to himself.  "You never know, my dear Thai," he
thought, "they might just have some effect against Xeen after all!"

Smiling broadly, he said aloud, "You have hit upon my one saving strength;
I have mastered the art of protective wards.  It was a hobby of mine in
my youth, and over a dozen or so centuries, I have perfected the art.  I
shall work throughout this evening, and bless the lot of you upon your
departure on the morrow.  Now, Thai, you must retire and get some rest:
tomorrow will be an important day!"
--Michael Dew

Thai parted her lips to speak, then smiled and shook her head. ::You are 
right. If there was more time I would like to hear about your centuries, 
but there isn't. Perhaps I'll look for you when I return home and ask you 
then. Good night Benedict, and thank you.::
--Phaedra Whitlock







After everyone had spoken Thai sent, ::In that case I will bid you all 
goodnight.:: After briefly chatting with Benedict then Zeph she left the 
room and wandered the stone passages until she came to the outside 
passages. 

The soil was dusty and gray under her booted feet. Nearly lifeless.
Draca had been quite correct about that. She followed a well worn path to 
the farms and vinyards where the soil still held the key to life in its 
being. Scooping up a handful of the dust she slowly let it sift through 
her fingers. 

In the darkness her eyes glowed an eerie dark blue shade. Their glow was 
joined by a faint silver arc in the air in front of her as she started to 
call upon her magic. Tiny runes burned the air drawing what heat remained 
from the day into them as they searched. 

Not far away a pack of rats laired in burrows. The runes called them 
forth until Thai was surrounded by over a dozen of the nauseating, 
entranced creatures. Slowly she drew another set of runes underneath the 
first. The rats shuddered as one and drew together in a dark mass. 
Completing another rune Thai glanced at the rats and saw the runes 
reflected in their glistening eyes. 

She sliced open the ball of her thumb her dagger and made an incision in 
one of the rats. Her blood mingled with that of the rat as she tucked a 
minute green crystal inside it.

Another rune, more difficult this time, and the rats shrieked horribly. 
Their bodies touched and melded together, the dozen becoming one larger 
shape in the darkness. Thai manipulated the shape until it could survive 
then drew one last rune. The eyes of the rats, now merged into two, 
stared helpessly as she gave their combined minds purpose and comprehension.

Sitting back on her heels Thai waved her hand through the air. The runes 
disappeared and with it the homunculus turned and fled. She knew where it 
was going and that it would be in Tynntangial when she arrived.

That completed Thai stood and brushed the worst of the dust from her 
crimson robes. She spared a glance towards Daventry, wondering what Xeen 
was thinking and doing at that moment. There was no safe way to tell so 
she turned and headed back to Haven and a talk with Semareth.


Subject: [Xeen] Thai to Sem

Back inside the safety of Haven Thai relaxed her pace somewhat. At least 
Benedicts precautions provided *some* protection from Xeen. 

Following Sem's crystal she backtracked several times but eventually was in 
vfront of his door knocking. ::Semareth, its me. May I come in?::
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth looked up from his patch job on his chainmail.
He still wore his leather breeches, but had taken his shirt off while he 
worked on his armor. He looked around now for a shirt, but it appeared a 
maid had taken it away to be ironed or mended or some other domestic thing.

Cursing silently, he answered the door.

"Please, come in.", he spoke, his voice casual and friendly. It seemed as 
if he had forgotten he might die on the morrow.

"What was it you wished to speak about?", he said as he pulled up a chair 
for her.
--Nick Takayama

At the friendly tone of his voice Thai relaxed somewhat. The last time 
he'd spoken to her like this had been in the weapons room. She missed 
it. Discussing his arm, all too noticable without a shirt to cover it, 
could wait surely.

::You should get some rest and let one of the elves mend your chainmail. 
If they refuse to defend their sanctuary the least they can do is cater 
to those who will.::
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth let this comment pass, he enjoyed the mundane chore of fixing 
his armor. A true warrior must ensure that he uses the best equipment.
--Nick Takayama

She sat in the chair provided, tilting her head to look at him. 

::I wanted to get an idea of your combat abilities before we need rely on 
them, and what other skills and abilities you might have so I can make 
plans before tomorrow.::
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth grinned casually. He paused as he found a new shirt in one of 
the drawers near his bed and put it on.

He nodded to one corner of the room, where a large metal shield and long 
iron spear stood against the wall.

"I have been trained in weaponry since my childhood, so I can assure you 
I am more than proficient as far as combat goes.". Indeed, he had not a 
scar on him, though more likely because Sh'aljien had healed them.

"And,", he continued in his resonating voice, "this is not my first 
dragon hunt.".
--Nick Takayama

Thai raised an eyebrow. ::I fought a dragon once.:: She didnt mention 
that she had been half out of her mind from fever at the time, and that 
it had killed most of her then current travelling companions before being 
mortally wounded and forced to flee.

::What do you recommend we do fighting this dragon?::
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth shrugged, and finished tucking in his shirt.

"I have not seen this, Dardt, yet, so I cannot say. They are all 
different, as you probably know. But I know for myself that they can be 
killed.", he paused meaningfully.

"As a group though, we will stand a good chance. Only the experienced 
warriors should venture physically near the beast... they have a bad 
tendency to crush people... and we wouldn't want the delicate people like 
yourself to get hurt."
--Nick Takayama

Thai smiled at the compliment, it was the first he'd ever given her.

::We know Dardt breathes fire and is extremely large. He is a dark color 
and can fly incredibly fast. As for the rest, we'd best ask Zeph in the 
morning. Shes fought him longer than anyone.::
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth nodded at the wisdom in this.
--Nick Takayama

She hesitated before asking the next question, but it had to be asked. 
::What are you going to do about your arm? Are you planning to use it on 
Dardt and Xeen or have you a way to ensure noone accidentally touches it.::
--Phaedra Whitlock

The question surprised Semareth somewhat, and he didn't speak for a 
moment. When he did, it was as if he had put great thought into it and 
was reluctantly accepting some truth he did not like.

"Recent experience has demonstrated to me the dangers of exposing this 
arm to energy. Perhaps it is that whenever it is fed energy, this 
obsidian eats away at me..."

He frowned.

"In that case, isn't it possible that were I to accidentally or 
intentionally 'use' my arm on either Dardt or Xeen", he grimaced as if 
the thought repulsed him, "I would only be feeding it? With the power 
that those two undoubtedly have, perhaps the statue in the hallway is not 
too far off.". He ended as if it were a moral lesson, though it at first 
eluded Thai as to what possible moral he could be thinking of.

"At any rate," he continued, "I found a chainmail glove in the armory. I 
have just finished attaching it permanently to my armor. Hopefully fate 
will not be stronger than steel."
--Nick Takayama

::Much as you dislike the fact, I understand magic and how it works. 
You arent the only one who's 'gift' was more than it seemed and the 
arm has acted on its own once already. It might do so again and that 
worries me. Will you let me look at it?::
--Phaedra Whitlock

At this, Semareth scowled. In an instant his face was emotionless, and he 
crossed his arms in front of him before speaking.

"I'm sorry, 'deaconess', but your curiosity will have to remain 
unsated.", his voice was flat and cold.
--Nick Takayama

Thai shook her head in disbelief.  :Semareth, you're acting like a child. 
I am not *curious* about your arm, I said it worries me. What is it that 
I'm saying that youre not comprehending? I asked to look at it, not to 
learn how to create something like it.:: 

::It acted once without your intent, what are you going to do if it 
attacks your acolyte, or Dardt, Benedict or Xeen? What are you going to 
do if Proctor John has other surprises in store, wait until its too late 
and theyve already happened to you?::
--Phaedra Whitlock

Semareth merely shrugged and maintained his pose.

"I understand your concern, and I have given the possibilities _much_ 
thought. In reality there is little or nothing that _can_ be done about 
this bane, regardless of how much we know about it.
"I feel for myself what it is that this acrid appendage is doing to me, 
and I have gleaned some understanding as to what it can do - or at least 
as much understanding as I would like."

He gave up his pose, and took a seat near the hearth.

"I do not accuse you of evil intent regarding this, be assured."

He looked at her then.

"So, Thai, what is it you believe _you_ can accomplish from this caper? 
Are you not weakened since your experiences? But most important - why is 
this so important that you would risk everything... why not just walk away?"
--Nick Takayama

Thai exhaled. That was a very good question and one she had been avoiding 
answering.

::Yes, I am weakened and I will be weakened more before we leave 
tomorrow.:: 

She frowned. ::I don't know exactly why I'm doing this, I dont give a 
damn about Montfort or its citizens. I could say I'm doing it because 
its what Jarrad wants, but thats not quite right.::

She started to say something else then stopped and started again with an 
edge of anger to her thoughts. ::I dont like being Proctor John's pawn, 
and thats what he was doing with us. He used both of us.::

::What I can accomplish is to stop doing what the men around me want and 
do what *I* want to do. I know I can defeat Proctor John if I try. I know 
it.::

As if from ages ago Semareth recalled their discussion one night in the 
weapons room of the Church. Thai might not have consciously realized it 
yet, but she was at last starting to follow Astarte in truth, not just 
giving lip service to the goddess.

::And when I've succeeded in proving myself, then I can be whomever, 
whatever, *I* choose to be. *That* is worth any risk.::
--Phaedra Whitlock

















Subject: [Xeen] Thai talks to Sem - Soliloquy

Wending her way back through the corridors Thai probed along the crystal 
network. A quick search showed that most of her group had dispersed to 
their rooms. 

It was then that she realized that the girl, Cari, had no crystal. Thai 
sighed and located a vacant chamber off the corridor. Sitting on the arm 
of a chair she pulled out the green matrix that was the heart of the 
network she had built up over the past week. 

The crystal itself was worth a fortune for its size and purity, but her 
fascination was for the threads of magic within the facets. Through one 
she saw Semareth, the erstwhile High Inquisitor working on his armor.

In the darkness of the room she felt a faint tug of her awareness and 
realized where she was. The room they'd adjourned to just after their 
arrival. The one that contained Semareth's obsidian body.

Slipping to her feet she glanced around covertly and went to the curtain. 
It drew back silently on its hooks, and there he was. "Fine place for us 
to end up isnt it my friend." she whispered. "But we tried. They cant 
take that away from us."

Pulling the chair across the floor she sat down in front of the statue 
and picked up a decanter of wine left sitting out. Slouching, her long 
legs stretched out in front of her, she regarded the statue wearily. 

::Are you even in there? I think you are but I'll never know. I never did 
know what you were thinking behind those eyes of yours. Was your little 
friend right? Were you converted by the good Proctor? I've heard Draca, 
Dryctor, Jarrad and the others talk, they think its easy to undo the 
conversion but its not is it, and now I have to kill two people I admire.::

Thai got up and scrounged a glass from Benedicts desk. Pouring a healthy 
amount she toasted the statue and drained the wine before she sat back 
down. ::If I wasnt so concerned with what Draca would say I'd use you to 
get my power back in an instant, but Draca wouldnt approve.:: Thai sipped 
from the glass and put the decanter on the floor beside her. ::Shes 
right though. Youve become a battery, taking in power and storing it. 
The power wasnt meant to be used by you, Proctor John had great plans it 
seems. I dont know. You might even be too much for me to control,:: she 
smiled. ::But it would be something to try it.::

::What happened to us Sem? What happened 70 years ago, or 80 or 90 or 100. 
Eldarion was a hero, its hard to believe what Zeph and Benedict say 
about him and we have no actual proof of any of it. Benedict is a 
Proctor and shes his High Inquisitor. A good one too, she cares about 
her people. She wants Eldarion dead though, and Benedict followed her lead 
beautifully. Am I doing the wrong thing Sem? Am I being set up?::

She finished off the glass and sat slowly rolling the stem between her 
hands. ::I've really got to stop drinking this elven wine. Its delicious 
but it makes me think too much about things I have no answers for.::

Thai bent forward and placed the empty glass beside the decanter, then 
stood. ::Dont die on me tomorrow Sem. Dont be heroic, dont be vengeful. 
Betray me if you must, but dont die when I need you alive.::
--Phaedra Whitlock

Weaving slightly Thai made her way out of the room to the room she was 
sharing with Jarrad. Trying to not wake him she entered quietly and 
undressed once the door was locked. 

She wasnt quiet enough. "Thai?" Jarrad asked, knowing it was her, but 
liking saying her name.

"Yes love. Did I wake you up? I didnt mean to."

"No, I was awake. Are you done for the night?" Asked Jarrad, not 
wondering why her voice sounded slightly strange.

"Not quite." She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. "Theres one 
thing more to do."

Jarrad sat upright as he suddenly realized he was hearing her with his 
ears, not his mind. "Your voice! Proctor benedict... miracle...." 
stammered Jarrad before he gave up speaking and pulled her down into a 
lengthy kiss. 

Eventually Thai pulled back enough to take a decent breath of air. "Yes, 
Benedict, but lets not talk about him any more." Jarrad encircled her 
with his arms in full agreement. Unfortunately Thai braced herself with 
her arms and refused to be distracted. "I said I had one thing left to 
do. Before we sleep I have a spell I want to cast on you. It might help 
protect you from any more wounds, at least for a little while. Do you 
want it?"

"What about you? Wont you need it?"

"I already have one. Cast it before we left the citadel this morning."

"Sounds good then, what do I do?"

Thai grinned. "Think pleasant thoughts and dont distract me. Not yet 
anyway."

Taking his answering grin as assent, Thai lightly drew one finger down his 
chest. The line grew into a visibly glowing pattern as she wrote the 
spell out. 

At first the sensations tickled and Jarrad was hard pressed not to 
squirm, but the further she progressed the less he felt her light touch. 
By the time she was done he felt nothing at all. His sense of touch was 
merely dulled, not nonexistant, and as for his skin, it had become as 
hard as the stone walls surrounding them.

Tapping himself experimentally, Jarrad noticed how 'distant' the contact 
seemed. With a mock look of reproach, he said to Thai "You could have 
waited until after ... " then ducked the cushion which flew his way.

"Yes, but then I couldnt do *this*." 

It wasnt long before Jarrad understood what she meant, and not once did the 
spell hinder either of them, then or ever.
--Phaedra Whitlock & Paul Khangure