The Venerable Jai
Rumored to be alive...
(Note: I've left all spelling and grammatical errors as well as time/date stamps from the posts. Enjoy)
Posted by Lim-Dul (or Ixxus at this post) on 12/10/2002, 9:58 PM
Within the Prime Material Plane.... 100 millions miles away from Ayenee Prime (and the encircling NDI fleet for that matter)...The lich known as Ixxus was in heaven.
Well, not as in the deceased sense of the word (for it is likely he will be going to hell when the end does come)
Ixxus was in monetary heaven. His small, yet intricately decorated, coin purse continued to spill pile after pile of platinum coins onto the floor of his private sanctum. With but a few uses of his awesome mental facilities, the coins were flying through the room in a spiral of metallic silver, going through loops and zig zags and a veritable whorl of cash around the wealthy lich.
"Ah, how good it is! The only thing I like more than money is...more money!" Breaking into a fit of laughter (it was hard for even he to remain calm in such a joyous situation) he replays the events within his mind that led to his massive net worth increase....
....
"So, madam...You wish Ried Shas to be retrieved from the clutches of the primitive NDI? I might as well take your money as it is and then sell him off to the Necromancer himself."
"No, you mustn’t. Please. Here, this amount that you requested...plus this...is this enough?"
His memory blurs briefly as a torrent of dollar signs fly through.
"This is most satisfactory. Ried truly is a most excellent individual. I shall have him returned to you within but a few days."
"His psionics are blocked. I have tried to trace him with my own devices and cannot get through. Does this information help you at all?"
"Blocked Psionics? Madam, we hold a variety of means to get what we desire...Where one Art fails, another can surely succeed."
"Be careful. His physical state is fragile, and he must return alive."
"No harm shall come to your precious Ried...with such amounts of coin at his disposal, I wouldn't dare let harm come to him. We rich and luxurious protect our own.
"Eh...very well. I thank you, sir Lich, for your aid."
....
How simple! Now, it was but an easy matter to have the Diviner work his wonders and bring Ried to him. And him along, not Lim-Dul....hrm....the "all-seeing" Neriliziak's sight must be clouded. I shall see to that....Well then, no time like the present to begin!
And so, the now exceedingly happy Ixxus vanishes from his personal quarters, even as his money continues to float through the air in a variety of forms (the most recent being that it stacks itself into piles of one hundred, then knocks itself over and does it again)
Later on...
"What need you, Psionicist? My gaze cannot be shifted from the current task, as the turtle is slow and unrelenting so must I not be stopped by some savage sea gull."
"Eh...ahem, dearest Neriliziak. Your talents, I am told, can foresee great evens and even pluck morsels of space and time to yourself. I dare not distract you from this utterly consuming task, yet implore you that I might take a look at your personal wares? I have lost something dear to me, quite valuable and precious, and desire to retrieve it. I felt that your magic could best help me?"
"You foolish, materialistic being. Your items will be your downfall. Just as the city of gold stopped to glitter and became brass, so shall the sands of time tarnish all you have. To find all items or things of the lost, consult yonder scroll case on the far right."
With that, the Diviner Neriliziak steps back once more into the circular nimbus of golden light, foreseeing and directing the future actions of the fleet as they prepare to launch their attack.
Turning away from the ancient wizard lich without so much as a thank you, Ixxus probes the book cases relentlessly....hrmph....magic mumbo-jumbo. Bah. Too much thinking involved, whereas my willpower far exceeds their mumbled spells....ah hah, what’s this? Bah, "Locate Precious Minerals or Stones"!? What kind of mighty magic is this!? Not only is this Neriliziak all-seeing...he is also an old, senile fool.
Hrm..."Detect Poison"..."Detect Traps"...."Scrying"....ah...what have we here....recollection spells....that sounds promising. Ah, "A Summons One Dares Not Deny". That sounds most useful, as I certainly do not want Ried to deny this....hrm....can't comprehend this. Well then...
"Oh, dear sir Neriziliak? This scroll, right here...ah, this may be just the thing I require? Care to translate what it does outright?"
Not even bothering to turn around, much less look at the held piece of parchment, he replied...
"A powerful spell, one that instantly brings the desired target into place before the caster. Complex in its casting, difficult in the mastery. Are you certain that you require that much magic for a simple item?"
"Oh yes...Yes! Why, it is simply the foolproof way to get back what I want! I don't want any chance of a mishap!"
"I cannot cast it for you, and I doubt there is anyone here on board that can also work the same magic with my level of skill. You cannot even cast spells, so how do you propose to proceed?"
"Oh don't worry to think about me. I am quite capable in all I do. So...I'll just borrow this and be on my way then. I deeply thank you from the bottom of my non-existent heart."
And with that, Ixxus was gone.
Much Later...
Ixxus's chamber was littered with spilt vials and jars of various powders and substances. Traced in a vague, ovalish line on the floor was a circle of mixed powders (gold, ruby, diamond: the waste of such wealth almost made Ixxus cry.) Also, a trio of purple candles was spread about the perimeter of the circle, with Ixxus placing the last one.
"Bah. This magic stuff takes too much work...Now, to light thusly placed candles..."
Even as he speaks they light themselves. He snorts, that was easy.
"And then proceed with the ridiculous practice of waving the hands and sputtering gibberish. But that’s where this comes in...."
Reaching within the folds of his many, many layers of purple robes/gowns/vestments (he has them all), he draws out a single medallion (about a baseball in diameter) of solid gold, with a single emerald in the center. This emerald flickered faintly, and Ixxus sighed as he spoke out loud to an empty room...
"Alas, I fear this may drain you to nothing, my precious. Fear not, your ample powers have served me well, and you shall be remembered. As are all of my belongings, I forget nothing. Now then, cast this spell, bring Ried Shas...to me!"
Seeming to feed the scroll he took from Neriziliak into the medallion's center, it glows and pulsates and finally leaves the lich's hands to float by itself in the air. The emerald glows fiercely, and abruptly projects into being before it a human-like apparition...composed all of green light, it is a human woman in long flowing robes, and seeming to be in her mid-twenties...
"Dearest, all you must do is this final spell. Then at last, rest is yours."
The woman image smiles, a sweet smile of hope, determination, and one of hardship. Nodding, she turns away from Ixxus to walk within the circle on the floor, and raising her spectral hands high she intones the complex words of the scroll, her haunting voice calling them out without error....
Ixxus purrs happily to himself, Excellent. Alasaandara's Amulet will not be used up in vain and now only to-
There is a bright flash of light, the spectral woman's face in a wide smile, and then....
Posted by Lim-Dul on 12/15/2002, 12:59 PM
The scene returns to where it last left, the Lich Ixxus employing some strange (yet no doubt, rare) magical item to cast a spell to draw the muchly-wanted Ried Shas (well, his money at least) to himself...Whereas he will then promptly send him on his way to the position that the dear Marionette described for him.
This was too easy.
As the bright light abruptly died off, Ixxus's amulet now lie on the ground, the gemstone in its center cracked, and the gleaming metal now taking on a dull and rusted texture. Yet, in the middle of his trap circle was now the infamous Ried Shas.
Just...appearing, in whatever position he last held, whether he was talking, sitting (or something unmentionable) he was not quite here and not where he once was, such was the might of the magic employed.
Ixxus, smugly, talks to the obviously bewildered Ried. Of course, Ixxus would still act smug even if Ried somehow knew this was going to happen.
"Welcome Mr. Shas. Had I known you would pay so well in the first place, this "rescue" would have happened much, much earlier. With that said, you shall be sent on your way."
Ixxus languidly stretches out a gloved hand to call his wand to him, in order to tap its power and send Ried home. But at that very instant...
Ixxus inwardly winces. He was here.
Lim-Dul, clad in his customary black, shimmered into existence via a glowing circle of silvery star-like brilliance. Seeing Ried within the summoning circle, and how Ixxus had his wand level at him, his immediate assumption was good.
"Ixxus! At last! How excellent of you! How did you come by acquiring this traitorous wretch!? Ah, no matter! I will aid you in his destruction! Proceed!"
Ixxus, eyes assuming a deep purple hue, struggles to maintain composure. This was not good.... hrm....it would be difficult to lie my way out of this, and a battle would not turn out well for me...alas, it seems I will have to get dirty over the worth of this human. Hopefully he could even persuaded more money out of his client if he convinced her to give damage pay.
"Ah, Lord Necromancer...Ried is...just going. Now." With that, Ixxus's mind goes through the intense calculations to tear a hole open within the fabric of space-time and send Ried to where he needs to be.
Yet, to no avail.
Lim-Dul simply makes a motion and the room immediately takes on a strange blue tinge to all the lighting. Ixxus silently curses, a Dimensional Anchor...now things truly will be interesting."
Lim-Dul, eyes flaring red briefly, speaks. "Best not allow for any chance for Ried to escape. This magic shall prevent that. Now then, you said Ried was going? Going to the underworld I presume. Slay him now, and let’s send him on his "way"."
Ixxus carefully weighed the consequences of his next action. There was no way, unless through extreme perseverance, to pierce the Necromancer's magic. Yet fight him? I would be hard pressed to defend myself, much less press an attack...yet it is the more favorable of the two.
"Ah yes. The underworld. Of course. You mean.... like this?" With that, Ixxus spins about to face Lim-Dul and stand between him and Ried, whilst hurling a volley of expensive furniture (there is a lot of it) at the Lim-Dul through an amazing use of telekinetic force.
"What is the meaning of thi-!?" Lim-Dul, caught completely unaware of any sort of betrayal, is bowled over and send crashing into a far wall, buried beneath a veritable mountain of drawers, armoires, and chairs.
Ixxus, using this bought time, plucks a rather large circular bauble off a chain on his sleeve, then carefully tosses it against the wall on the opposite side of the room. The item hits the floor, bounces once, and then explodes. A spectacular green-yellow flash fills the room, but no real damage is done to anything physical. The bluish aura filling the room, however, is apparently dissolved into nothingness by Ixxus's magic.
Ixxus then, turning back to look at Ried, simply tears the chunk of floor that he stands on (summoning circle and all) and slowly ushers it across the room to the un-spellguarded area. "You are proving more trouble than you are worth, human...I think that a bonus-"
"Fool! You will pay dearly for that Ixxus!" So shouts Lim-Dul, as the pile of furniture is soundly reduced to ashes by a spoken word of magic. The Necromancer proceeds to fling orbs of utter darkness, laced with leaping lightning, across the room to pelt Ixxus in more than a dozen areas.
Cursing, Ixxus uses his mental powers to erect a force-like barrier, which takes the brunt of the spell-flurry, yet quickly shrinks against the arcane onslaught. A volley of more than a dozen bolts of acid follow soon follow, and more than a few slip through his barrier to hit him, as well as his priceless clothes.
Ixxus spits a whole string of curses, looking down to see the potent acid eat away layer after layer of silk, satin, wool, and finally bone. Looking up just in time to be bowled over by a barrage of magic missiles, Ixxus searches for a venue of escape. Ried was almost out of the dimensional-anchor area, just to hold out...
Ixxus returns Lim-Dul's attack by filling the room with a clashing and clanging cacophony of blades. All manner of swords and slashing weapons blink into being, and hack and swirl madly around the room. Some hit furniture, others sink into the walls, yet still more chop and slice away at a black-garbed Lich in the corner of the room.
Lim-Dul, seething in fury, hisses out a string of words and sends a storm of blistering, meteor-like projectiles across the room. Many of them miss, yet the few that do hit Ixxus throw off the psionicist's aim and causes the wand he was aiming to freeze a segment of wall and floor in a hefty quantity of ice.
"This ends now. Mayhaps, Ixxus, when you redeemed yourself of this folly, can once again come within my good graces."
"Your good graces? I never wished to be within your "graces" you ancient fool. But you are right, this battle is over."
With that, Ixxus (who was within the Dimensional Anchor-free area of the room) vanishes.
Lim-Dul laughs darkly, taking in the vast amount of damage that was caused. Ixxus was too good to lose, he needed to get him back.
But now....
Lim-Dul gestures and the floor pieces that Ried had been sitting on come to the floor. Another gesture and a spoke word intensify the caging magic (as Lim does not feel that there is ever enough holding magic, especially in Ried's case.)
"Now then...What was Ixxus doing with you? Perhaps you paid him some great sum...as he is the one to fall for such temptations. I, on the other hand, do not. And now that you are here...best that you stay awhile, and we can catch up...."
And Lim-Dul laughs.
Posted by Ried Shas on 12/16/2002, 5:35 PM
One moment, he was talking to the Nerimian Defense Initiative's artificial intelligence avatar for GoldenG.A.T.E, the next, he was trapped in some sort of protective circle by the Psionic Lich, Ixxus.
Ried was at a loss for words. Immediately, he thought that Lim Dul had somehow convinced Ixxus to employ his most potent of abilities to seize him. But why Ixxus? Lim Dul's magic could easily do a vulgar molestation at such distance. It was then that he noticed Lim Dul was no where around. Still, Ried was out of it from the magic.
"Rescue?" He thought to himself. Ried didn't want to be rescued. He finally had some idea of what the hell was going on and now...rescue? He could come to only one logical conclusion. Marionette must have used Progenitor to find Ixxus and paid him to rescue him. That damned girl loved Ried...he finally realized it. But the warm, fuzzy feeling was short lived...
There was Lim Dul.
"Oh boy...I'm in for it now."
But then, something incredible happened. Ixxus defended Ried. A battle insued. The Master Psionic Lich versus the Master Necromancer Lich? Shas was, to say the least, utterly confused. In the course of the battle, he saw many things that only added to this confusion, but in the end, it happened much as he had guessed it would. Ixxus had deserted him to save himself.
Now, Ried was in the custody of Lim Dul.
Then, something else happened. Ried Shas doubled over. He fell dead to the ground...literally. He was dead. Death had taken him. Had Lim Dul somehow used "Momento Mori" or "Word of Death" upon him before? No, that wasn't it. Wait a minute...Ried was still thinking.
His eyes fluttered open. He could feel his fangs in his mouth. Suddenly, he realized that he was, again, one of the undead. One of his scientists had said this might happen. Lukan's "Wish" spell wasn't permanent.
He looked at Lim Dul, who was engaged in his hearty laughter. "I'm warning you...if you don't kill me right now, you'll unlive to regret it. I will have your phylactery chiseled into a tear drop and wear it as a momento of your stupidity." It wasn't an empty threat.
LimDul
Member
Posts: 3
(1/7/03 10:13 PM)
Reply Will of Darkness(part 3)
The scene opens to where it last left off (a long time ago, my apologies)...
The rather expansive room has been trashed by a hasty, yet devastating, clash of powers. The Psionic Lich Ixxus, for a considerable sum of money, agreed to free Ried Shas from NDI and return him to a rather wanting customer. All had gone according to plan until Lim-Dul (a powerful lich) appeared on the scene, and seeing Ried, thought that Ixxus was going to slay him. In a quick action, Ixxus attacked Lim-Dul and nearly had Ried away until the Lich unleashed a fury of mystic might and forced the psionicist to flee.
And so the stage is set, and the play resumes...
"At last! Ried! You are in my clutches! You have no idea, after all this time, how much time I have spent anticipating this moment.... Yes, anticipating, because I knew it would come!? So what do you have to say to that!? Any of your normal caustic remarks now, pathetic wretch!?" So roared Lim-Dul, so seething with anger his eyes nearly changed over from red to a bleach-white.
Ried fell to the floor, unmoving.
What!? What was this...? Did Ried have a weak heart? I have never been known to talk someone to death...What befalls?! Maybe a quick spell will serve me here.
But slowly, Ried rose from the floor. And simply laughed.... Confined, imprisoned, and in the worst possible situation anyone could ever be, Ried taunted him and laughed. Of course, his skin had gained a slightly paler tint to it, but Lim took that in as being fright and blood loss.
This was too much for the ancient lich to bear...
"Wretch! Infidel! Your death will be-.... No. Not death, this has pushed me far beyond what I had planned before. Now it will be something you, something...fresh and invigorating, as I am sure you will greatly appreciate. But first..."
With a wave of hand, Lim-Dul called into being an image of the location Ried was originally destined to go. Interesting...some strange building of stone.... No matter. He shall go there yet, but best to send him away bearing permanent gifts he shall never forget.
Lim-Dul looks up from his moments in thought, red eyes gleaming slightly, and with a wave of his hands the room fades to black...
The Venerable Jai
Member
Posts: 5
(1/19/03 6:31 PM)
Reply | Edit In the Company of Darkness
The Scene was set...
the mood was perfect...
unfortunately, roles were reversed.
The Lich Lord, Lim Dul stood victoriously over Ried Shas. The eyes of Shas locked on the beady pin-points in those dark caverns that used to be eyes.
"Your photokinetic tricks are not intimidating, you cowardice Lich. You want caustic insults? How about I tell you exactly what everyone in Ayenee thinks of you."
Shas eyes narrowed. "You're a joke, Lim Dul. Everything you've done, everything you DO is laughed at...mocked! Why? Because it fails! You're a failure, Lim! You're worthless!"
Ried knew his words bit at the ego of Lim, but the only chance of him staying alive was to keep the Lich so pissed that death would not be a suitable punishment. "So you can gather a Conclave of Undead sorcerers and a half-dying God? I could do that in less than a day!"
At this point, he used some of his fabled illusionists skills to conjure up an image of some old greats standing together, including himself, Vaticus, Lucifer, Aglaranna, Pryde, and Gargauth. It's a falsity, of course. In his current state, though, the image on lasts a few seconds. Long enough for Lim to get the picture.
"The difference is my escapades are Legendary Epics, still remembered and spoke of today, while your fiascoes are nothing more than dinner conversation for a week or two."
Shas smirked, his fangs bared at the Lich Lord, "Face it, Lim Dul, you're a buffoon. A simpleton like you could never amount to anything more than an evening distraction. Enjoy our time together, Lich Lord...it will be fleeting."
Posted by Lim-Dul (or Ixxus at this post) on 12/10/2002, 9:58 PM
Within the Prime Material Plane.... 100 millions miles away from Ayenee Prime (and the encircling NDI fleet for that matter)...The lich known as Ixxus was in heaven.
Well, not as in the deceased sense of the word (for it is likely he will be going to hell when the end does come)
Ixxus was in monetary heaven. His small, yet intricately decorated, coin purse continued to spill pile after pile of platinum coins onto the floor of his private sanctum. With but a few uses of his awesome mental facilities, the coins were flying through the room in a spiral of metallic silver, going through loops and zig zags and a veritable whorl of cash around the wealthy lich.
"Ah, how good it is! The only thing I like more than money is...more money!" Breaking into a fit of laughter (it was hard for even he to remain calm in such a joyous situation) he replays the events within his mind that led to his massive net worth increase....
....
"So, madam...You wish Ried Shas to be retrieved from the clutches of the primitive NDI? I might as well take your money as it is and then sell him off to the Necromancer himself."
"No, you mustn’t. Please. Here, this amount that you requested...plus this...is this enough?"
His memory blurs briefly as a torrent of dollar signs fly through.
"This is most satisfactory. Ried truly is a most excellent individual. I shall have him returned to you within but a few days."
"His psionics are blocked. I have tried to trace him with my own devices and cannot get through. Does this information help you at all?"
"Blocked Psionics? Madam, we hold a variety of means to get what we desire...Where one Art fails, another can surely succeed."
"Be careful. His physical state is fragile, and he must return alive."
"No harm shall come to your precious Ried...with such amounts of coin at his disposal, I wouldn't dare let harm come to him. We rich and luxurious protect our own.
"Eh...very well. I thank you, sir Lich, for your aid."
....
How simple! Now, it was but an easy matter to have the Diviner work his wonders and bring Ried to him. And him along, not Lim-Dul....hrm....the "all-seeing" Neriliziak's sight must be clouded. I shall see to that....Well then, no time like the present to begin!
And so, the now exceedingly happy Ixxus vanishes from his personal quarters, even as his money continues to float through the air in a variety of forms (the most recent being that it stacks itself into piles of one hundred, then knocks itself over and does it again)
Later on...
"What need you, Psionicist? My gaze cannot be shifted from the current task, as the turtle is slow and unrelenting so must I not be stopped by some savage sea gull."
"Eh...ahem, dearest Neriliziak. Your talents, I am told, can foresee great evens and even pluck morsels of space and time to yourself. I dare not distract you from this utterly consuming task, yet implore you that I might take a look at your personal wares? I have lost something dear to me, quite valuable and precious, and desire to retrieve it. I felt that your magic could best help me?"
"You foolish, materialistic being. Your items will be your downfall. Just as the city of gold stopped to glitter and became brass, so shall the sands of time tarnish all you have. To find all items or things of the lost, consult yonder scroll case on the far right."
With that, the Diviner Neriliziak steps back once more into the circular nimbus of golden light, foreseeing and directing the future actions of the fleet as they prepare to launch their attack.
Turning away from the ancient wizard lich without so much as a thank you, Ixxus probes the book cases relentlessly....hrmph....magic mumbo-jumbo. Bah. Too much thinking involved, whereas my willpower far exceeds their mumbled spells....ah hah, what’s this? Bah, "Locate Precious Minerals or Stones"!? What kind of mighty magic is this!? Not only is this Neriliziak all-seeing...he is also an old, senile fool.
Hrm..."Detect Poison"..."Detect Traps"...."Scrying"....ah...what have we here....recollection spells....that sounds promising. Ah, "A Summons One Dares Not Deny". That sounds most useful, as I certainly do not want Ried to deny this....hrm....can't comprehend this. Well then...
"Oh, dear sir Neriziliak? This scroll, right here...ah, this may be just the thing I require? Care to translate what it does outright?"
Not even bothering to turn around, much less look at the held piece of parchment, he replied...
"A powerful spell, one that instantly brings the desired target into place before the caster. Complex in its casting, difficult in the mastery. Are you certain that you require that much magic for a simple item?"
"Oh yes...Yes! Why, it is simply the foolproof way to get back what I want! I don't want any chance of a mishap!"
"I cannot cast it for you, and I doubt there is anyone here on board that can also work the same magic with my level of skill. You cannot even cast spells, so how do you propose to proceed?"
"Oh don't worry to think about me. I am quite capable in all I do. So...I'll just borrow this and be on my way then. I deeply thank you from the bottom of my non-existent heart."
And with that, Ixxus was gone.
Much Later...
Ixxus's chamber was littered with spilt vials and jars of various powders and substances. Traced in a vague, ovalish line on the floor was a circle of mixed powders (gold, ruby, diamond: the waste of such wealth almost made Ixxus cry.) Also, a trio of purple candles was spread about the perimeter of the circle, with Ixxus placing the last one.
"Bah. This magic stuff takes too much work...Now, to light thusly placed candles..."
Even as he speaks they light themselves. He snorts, that was easy.
"And then proceed with the ridiculous practice of waving the hands and sputtering gibberish. But that’s where this comes in...."
Reaching within the folds of his many, many layers of purple robes/gowns/vestments (he has them all), he draws out a single medallion (about a baseball in diameter) of solid gold, with a single emerald in the center. This emerald flickered faintly, and Ixxus sighed as he spoke out loud to an empty room...
"Alas, I fear this may drain you to nothing, my precious. Fear not, your ample powers have served me well, and you shall be remembered. As are all of my belongings, I forget nothing. Now then, cast this spell, bring Ried Shas...to me!"
Seeming to feed the scroll he took from Neriziliak into the medallion's center, it glows and pulsates and finally leaves the lich's hands to float by itself in the air. The emerald glows fiercely, and abruptly projects into being before it a human-like apparition...composed all of green light, it is a human woman in long flowing robes, and seeming to be in her mid-twenties...
"Dearest, all you must do is this final spell. Then at last, rest is yours."
The woman image smiles, a sweet smile of hope, determination, and one of hardship. Nodding, she turns away from Ixxus to walk within the circle on the floor, and raising her spectral hands high she intones the complex words of the scroll, her haunting voice calling them out without error....
Ixxus purrs happily to himself, Excellent. Alasaandara's Amulet will not be used up in vain and now only to-
There is a bright flash of light, the spectral woman's face in a wide smile, and then....
Posted by Lim-Dul on 12/15/2002, 12:59 PM
The scene returns to where it last left, the Lich Ixxus employing some strange (yet no doubt, rare) magical item to cast a spell to draw the muchly-wanted Ried Shas (well, his money at least) to himself...Whereas he will then promptly send him on his way to the position that the dear Marionette described for him.
This was too easy.
As the bright light abruptly died off, Ixxus's amulet now lie on the ground, the gemstone in its center cracked, and the gleaming metal now taking on a dull and rusted texture. Yet, in the middle of his trap circle was now the infamous Ried Shas.
Just...appearing, in whatever position he last held, whether he was talking, sitting (or something unmentionable) he was not quite here and not where he once was, such was the might of the magic employed.
Ixxus, smugly, talks to the obviously bewildered Ried. Of course, Ixxus would still act smug even if Ried somehow knew this was going to happen.
"Welcome Mr. Shas. Had I known you would pay so well in the first place, this "rescue" would have happened much, much earlier. With that said, you shall be sent on your way."
Ixxus languidly stretches out a gloved hand to call his wand to him, in order to tap its power and send Ried home. But at that very instant...
Ixxus inwardly winces. He was here.
Lim-Dul, clad in his customary black, shimmered into existence via a glowing circle of silvery star-like brilliance. Seeing Ried within the summoning circle, and how Ixxus had his wand level at him, his immediate assumption was good.
"Ixxus! At last! How excellent of you! How did you come by acquiring this traitorous wretch!? Ah, no matter! I will aid you in his destruction! Proceed!"
Ixxus, eyes assuming a deep purple hue, struggles to maintain composure. This was not good.... hrm....it would be difficult to lie my way out of this, and a battle would not turn out well for me...alas, it seems I will have to get dirty over the worth of this human. Hopefully he could even persuaded more money out of his client if he convinced her to give damage pay.
"Ah, Lord Necromancer...Ried is...just going. Now." With that, Ixxus's mind goes through the intense calculations to tear a hole open within the fabric of space-time and send Ried to where he needs to be.
Yet, to no avail.
Lim-Dul simply makes a motion and the room immediately takes on a strange blue tinge to all the lighting. Ixxus silently curses, a Dimensional Anchor...now things truly will be interesting."
Lim-Dul, eyes flaring red briefly, speaks. "Best not allow for any chance for Ried to escape. This magic shall prevent that. Now then, you said Ried was going? Going to the underworld I presume. Slay him now, and let’s send him on his "way"."
Ixxus carefully weighed the consequences of his next action. There was no way, unless through extreme perseverance, to pierce the Necromancer's magic. Yet fight him? I would be hard pressed to defend myself, much less press an attack...yet it is the more favorable of the two.
"Ah yes. The underworld. Of course. You mean.... like this?" With that, Ixxus spins about to face Lim-Dul and stand between him and Ried, whilst hurling a volley of expensive furniture (there is a lot of it) at the Lim-Dul through an amazing use of telekinetic force.
"What is the meaning of thi-!?" Lim-Dul, caught completely unaware of any sort of betrayal, is bowled over and send crashing into a far wall, buried beneath a veritable mountain of drawers, armoires, and chairs.
Ixxus, using this bought time, plucks a rather large circular bauble off a chain on his sleeve, then carefully tosses it against the wall on the opposite side of the room. The item hits the floor, bounces once, and then explodes. A spectacular green-yellow flash fills the room, but no real damage is done to anything physical. The bluish aura filling the room, however, is apparently dissolved into nothingness by Ixxus's magic.
Ixxus then, turning back to look at Ried, simply tears the chunk of floor that he stands on (summoning circle and all) and slowly ushers it across the room to the un-spellguarded area. "You are proving more trouble than you are worth, human...I think that a bonus-"
"Fool! You will pay dearly for that Ixxus!" So shouts Lim-Dul, as the pile of furniture is soundly reduced to ashes by a spoken word of magic. The Necromancer proceeds to fling orbs of utter darkness, laced with leaping lightning, across the room to pelt Ixxus in more than a dozen areas.
Cursing, Ixxus uses his mental powers to erect a force-like barrier, which takes the brunt of the spell-flurry, yet quickly shrinks against the arcane onslaught. A volley of more than a dozen bolts of acid follow soon follow, and more than a few slip through his barrier to hit him, as well as his priceless clothes.
Ixxus spits a whole string of curses, looking down to see the potent acid eat away layer after layer of silk, satin, wool, and finally bone. Looking up just in time to be bowled over by a barrage of magic missiles, Ixxus searches for a venue of escape. Ried was almost out of the dimensional-anchor area, just to hold out...
Ixxus returns Lim-Dul's attack by filling the room with a clashing and clanging cacophony of blades. All manner of swords and slashing weapons blink into being, and hack and swirl madly around the room. Some hit furniture, others sink into the walls, yet still more chop and slice away at a black-garbed Lich in the corner of the room.
Lim-Dul, seething in fury, hisses out a string of words and sends a storm of blistering, meteor-like projectiles across the room. Many of them miss, yet the few that do hit Ixxus throw off the psionicist's aim and causes the wand he was aiming to freeze a segment of wall and floor in a hefty quantity of ice.
"This ends now. Mayhaps, Ixxus, when you redeemed yourself of this folly, can once again come within my good graces."
"Your good graces? I never wished to be within your "graces" you ancient fool. But you are right, this battle is over."
With that, Ixxus (who was within the Dimensional Anchor-free area of the room) vanishes.
Lim-Dul laughs darkly, taking in the vast amount of damage that was caused. Ixxus was too good to lose, he needed to get him back.
But now....
Lim-Dul gestures and the floor pieces that Ried had been sitting on come to the floor. Another gesture and a spoke word intensify the caging magic (as Lim does not feel that there is ever enough holding magic, especially in Ried's case.)
"Now then...What was Ixxus doing with you? Perhaps you paid him some great sum...as he is the one to fall for such temptations. I, on the other hand, do not. And now that you are here...best that you stay awhile, and we can catch up...."
And Lim-Dul laughs.
Posted by Ried Shas on 12/16/2002, 5:35 PM
One moment, he was talking to the Nerimian Defense Initiative's artificial intelligence avatar for GoldenG.A.T.E, the next, he was trapped in some sort of protective circle by the Psionic Lich, Ixxus.
Ried was at a loss for words. Immediately, he thought that Lim Dul had somehow convinced Ixxus to employ his most potent of abilities to seize him. But why Ixxus? Lim Dul's magic could easily do a vulgar molestation at such distance. It was then that he noticed Lim Dul was no where around. Still, Ried was out of it from the magic.
"Rescue?" He thought to himself. Ried didn't want to be rescued. He finally had some idea of what the hell was going on and now...rescue? He could come to only one logical conclusion. Marionette must have used Progenitor to find Ixxus and paid him to rescue him. That damned girl loved Ried...he finally realized it. But the warm, fuzzy feeling was short lived...
There was Lim Dul.
"Oh boy...I'm in for it now."
But then, something incredible happened. Ixxus defended Ried. A battle insued. The Master Psionic Lich versus the Master Necromancer Lich? Shas was, to say the least, utterly confused. In the course of the battle, he saw many things that only added to this confusion, but in the end, it happened much as he had guessed it would. Ixxus had deserted him to save himself.
Now, Ried was in the custody of Lim Dul.
Then, something else happened. Ried Shas doubled over. He fell dead to the ground...literally. He was dead. Death had taken him. Had Lim Dul somehow used "Momento Mori" or "Word of Death" upon him before? No, that wasn't it. Wait a minute...Ried was still thinking.
His eyes fluttered open. He could feel his fangs in his mouth. Suddenly, he realized that he was, again, one of the undead. One of his scientists had said this might happen. Lukan's "Wish" spell wasn't permanent.
He looked at Lim Dul, who was engaged in his hearty laughter. "I'm warning you...if you don't kill me right now, you'll unlive to regret it. I will have your phylactery chiseled into a tear drop and wear it as a momento of your stupidity." It wasn't an empty threat.
LimDul
Member
Posts: 3
(1/7/03 10:13 PM)
Reply Will of Darkness(part 3)
The scene opens to where it last left off (a long time ago, my apologies)...
The rather expansive room has been trashed by a hasty, yet devastating, clash of powers. The Psionic Lich Ixxus, for a considerable sum of money, agreed to free Ried Shas from NDI and return him to a rather wanting customer. All had gone according to plan until Lim-Dul (a powerful lich) appeared on the scene, and seeing Ried, thought that Ixxus was going to slay him. In a quick action, Ixxus attacked Lim-Dul and nearly had Ried away until the Lich unleashed a fury of mystic might and forced the psionicist to flee.
And so the stage is set, and the play resumes...
"At last! Ried! You are in my clutches! You have no idea, after all this time, how much time I have spent anticipating this moment.... Yes, anticipating, because I knew it would come!? So what do you have to say to that!? Any of your normal caustic remarks now, pathetic wretch!?" So roared Lim-Dul, so seething with anger his eyes nearly changed over from red to a bleach-white.
Ried fell to the floor, unmoving.
What!? What was this...? Did Ried have a weak heart? I have never been known to talk someone to death...What befalls?! Maybe a quick spell will serve me here.
But slowly, Ried rose from the floor. And simply laughed.... Confined, imprisoned, and in the worst possible situation anyone could ever be, Ried taunted him and laughed. Of course, his skin had gained a slightly paler tint to it, but Lim took that in as being fright and blood loss.
This was too much for the ancient lich to bear...
"Wretch! Infidel! Your death will be-.... No. Not death, this has pushed me far beyond what I had planned before. Now it will be something you, something...fresh and invigorating, as I am sure you will greatly appreciate. But first..."
With a wave of hand, Lim-Dul called into being an image of the location Ried was originally destined to go. Interesting...some strange building of stone.... No matter. He shall go there yet, but best to send him away bearing permanent gifts he shall never forget.
Lim-Dul looks up from his moments in thought, red eyes gleaming slightly, and with a wave of his hands the room fades to black...
The Venerable Jai
Member
Posts: 5
(1/19/03 6:31 PM)
Reply | Edit In the Company of Darkness
The Scene was set...
the mood was perfect...
unfortunately, roles were reversed.
The Lich Lord, Lim Dul stood victoriously over Ried Shas. The eyes of Shas locked on the beady pin-points in those dark caverns that used to be eyes.
"Your photokinetic tricks are not intimidating, you cowardice Lich. You want caustic insults? How about I tell you exactly what everyone in Ayenee thinks of you."
Shas eyes narrowed. "You're a joke, Lim Dul. Everything you've done, everything you DO is laughed at...mocked! Why? Because it fails! You're a failure, Lim! You're worthless!"
Ried knew his words bit at the ego of Lim, but the only chance of him staying alive was to keep the Lich so pissed that death would not be a suitable punishment. "So you can gather a Conclave of Undead sorcerers and a half-dying God? I could do that in less than a day!"
At this point, he used some of his fabled illusionists skills to conjure up an image of some old greats standing together, including himself, Vaticus, Lucifer, Aglaranna, Pryde, and Gargauth. It's a falsity, of course. In his current state, though, the image on lasts a few seconds. Long enough for Lim to get the picture.
"The difference is my escapades are Legendary Epics, still remembered and spoke of today, while your fiascoes are nothing more than dinner conversation for a week or two."
Shas smirked, his fangs bared at the Lich Lord, "Face it, Lim Dul, you're a buffoon. A simpleton like you could never amount to anything more than an evening distraction. Enjoy our time together, Lich Lord...it will be fleeting."