Post:Bards, Paladins and Visions - 9/5/2010 - 8:27:20

Bards, Paladins and Visions · on 9/5/2010 8:27:20 AM	842
Here is my short summary. Here's the beef of the story, I don't have it logged. Sorry it's not more thorough, but you're getting the meat of the story. This explains why Ezruh got purged: >per history You focus your senses on the past events of this room. The room immediately shifts out of focus, then slowly returns back to normal. The Bard Guildleader Ezruh sits behind his desk, pouring over some manuscripts when a man clad in full plate armor enters, walking right past you as if you weren't there. "The Hounds of Rutilor are seeking a heretic, and I was told you might know where to find him," he says grimly from behind the anonymity of his visor. Ezruh rises and starts to open his mouth to speak, but at that moment a powerful wave of fear fills the room, leaving you as paralyzed as Ezruh appears to be. The shadows around you begin to shift and move, seeping out to fill the room with unpenetrable darkness and an unimaginable sense of horror. Just when you think you can bear no more, the shadows slowly fade back, revealing Ezruh crumpled beside his desk in a pool of blood. The armored man wipes blood from his broadsword and quietly sheaths it before turning to leave. "Unfortunately, now that I think about it, the heretic I was sent to find was you," he says casually. "If by some miracle they do save you, take a bit of advice. Mind your own business." With that, he exits the office, leaving you shaken and unnaturally cold. With a start, you find yourself drawn back to the reality of the here and now. Roundtime: 9 sec. That is what happened in Haven. Then we went to search out some dead Dward Paladin named Emille's tomb in Hib, although I didn't get there in time to find out why.But I guess that was what Ezruh was meddling in.. So Darius said the council didn't want us to find the real tomb (the alleged real tomb is visible in the guild memorial room) so I found a torch lever, pulled it, we followed a maze (I dropped coins and we read the images on the ground, which told a story) until we found a soulstone arch and we got Taghz of all people to let us in because Madigan wouldn't go against the will of the Paladin Council. (Wouldn't expect you to btw Madigan, based on your RP) Darius had told us one thing though, that "they" (I believe the Paladin Council) feared the coffin. So we get past the soulstone arch and Ezruh basically cues me to perceive the coffin. >per coffin The chamber slowly fades to darkness, filling you with a quiet sense of dread. You feel alone and isolated, and yet cannot shake the feeling you are being watched. Finally a faint light flickers in the darkness, slowly growing in intensity to reveal the same chamber as it must have been shortly after construction. A pair of Dwarves walk about the chamber, talking in low, hushed voices. One is a young male, the other a charismatic female. Both are clad in gleaming plate armor, and clearly well-armed and prepared for battle. The young male Dwarf clears his throat and asks the female, "Are you sure about this, Lady? Surely no one would dare desecrate your tomb." The female Dwarf just chuckles. "Lad, you have far too much faith in your fellow beings. There is no question that my tomb will be desecrated. In fact, that's the entire point of this entire charade. We are sworn to secrecy, my friend, but the truth must one day be known. When the right time comes, our little deceptions will lead the seekers here, to this time and place, and he will try to stop them. In doing so, he will reveal himself, and open the way for them to uncover the truth. We will make sure he believes he must stop anyone from reaching me here. The male Dwarf frowns. "But what if they don't realize what is happening until it is too late? What if they don't come at all?" The female Dwarf pats him on the back affectionately. "They will, lad, they will. Was it not decided that I would be the caretaker of the truth, to reveal it when the time was right? They will come, and I will reveal part of the truth to them. The rest they must find on their own, for first they must understand why the truth was hidden, and the dangers it presents to them." With those words, she turns her gaze directly at you with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "The Bonding was a success, you see. But all bindings can become unbound, and should that happen, darkness will once more engulf the lands. The enemy was never truly defeated, merely imprisoned. Imprisoned -- bound, you might say -- in the only prisons that could possibly hold him, but flawed imperfect prisons nontheless. He can see the world clearly from his prison, and scheme his schemes. And sometimes he escapes, however briefly or incompletely. And if the people of the lands knew the truth of what we have done, they may turn against us, and perhaps rightfully so, at least in these dark times. We can only hope that this will not always remain true." With those words, she turns away to walk beside her companion once more, leaving you to wonder if she really saw and spoke directly to you, or if it was just your imagination. Either way, you feel a sudden surge of malevolence from the surrounding darkness, and find yourself rapidly returning to the here and now as a cold chill washes over you. Ezruh says, "The Bonding is something I've seen mentioned in various writings from the time the Paladin Guild first formed." Ezruh says, "No one ever knew what it meant, precisely. In fact, it was one of Oane's obsessions." Ezruh says, "The first "True Paladin", at least in the sense we know them now, was Syal." > Ezruh says, "He supposedly brought several paladins together to oppose some great evil unleashed by the Dragon Priests. They defeated it, but would never speak of how. Only that during this time an event they called the Bonding occured...." Ezruh says, "..and a Covenant of some sort was made. With whom, it was never really clear. Some claim this was the first Paladin Code. Some claim it is still the Paladin Code. Others...aren't so convinced." Ezruh says, "But the aftermath of this event lead to the formation of the Paladin Council. Syal himself was killed during the Bonding, or so we are told. The rest of his companions served as early council members." Marsais asks, "What was this thing the Dragon Priests unleashed?" > Ezruh says, "The rest I am quite certain Oane covered in his lectures. There are many who attended these, and probably know more than I." Ezruh says, "Not quite sure. We do know that it was nearly unstoppable." Ezruh says, "It wasn't until Oane and his companions faced it that it was defeated." Ezruh says, "Er - Syal." > Ezruh says, "Not Oane." Ezruh says, "Head still muddled from the attack." Ezruh says, "That's part of what obsessed Oane. Not the information, but the lack of it. He strongly believed the Council was hiding something." Loqutis says, "Some have recently started to question if a deal was made to defeat it." > Ezruh shrugs. Ezruh says, "The extent of what I've read." Ezruh says, "Now, let me add a little advice." Ezruh says, "Once upon a time, the bard guild was hiding information from their members." Ezruh says, "I think several here know exactly what I mean." > Ezruh says, "And though we did so under best of intentions.." Ezruh says, "It was divisive and nearly tore the guild apart once the truth came out." Ezruh says, "I don't know any more about what is behind any of this. I don't know if I want to." Madigan asks, "However sir, you have left an impression that the paladin guild is acting in a similar manner?" > Ezruh says, "But I pray that the end of it all will go better for the Paladin guild than it did for the Bards." Ezruh says, "Obviously some people think there are secrets being kept. If there are, I hope that, as I said, the end of it goes well." ou say to Ezruh, "I hear your words, but I think we came out okay." > Ezruh says, "I do not want anyone to go through what we did." You hear a cloaked figure says, "Bravo. You are almost there. I will contact some of you soon. There is much you still must learn. But for now, I'll leave you with this warning. The Bonding. She said prisons. Plural. Yet implied one being. How can this be? And what does it have to do with the Bonding. You are so close, yet so far. I will find you soon. Those that can be trusted." Ezruh says, "Mark my words, be careful, and think hard about where your actions might lead." Ezruh says, "If people think they've been misled, no matter whether they HAVE been or not, ugliness may well follow." Ezruh asks, "And didn't you say Oane was under guard or captured by the council or such?" Ezruh says, "And now, I think I may make myself very scarce indeed, as soon as we're out of the guildhall." By the way, this was one of the most amazing events I have ever been a part of. It was fun from beginning to end, thank you so much to everyone involved. - Terra
This message was originally posted in The Paladins (30) \ Paladin Events (19), by TERRA on the play.net forums.