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Morbus Cyclometricus, Part 9


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#1 Guest_Coutelier_*

Posted 01 August 2003 - 03:41 AM

Oh, this has taken a while. I've been struck with hay-fever and trying hard to avoid thinking seriously (as if I would anyway) about Baldur's Gate or anything else so I've been doing some other things to pass the time.

Anyway, this is nice quite long chapter continuing from the last one and containing some nicely choreographed action, a little drama and lots of silly pointless bantering that will hopefully make someone smile. Enjoy and feel free to comment or to make of me for having a low constitution (bloody hay-fever).

Morbus Cyclometricus, Part 9

Despite feeling somewhat disheartened that no one at this time was willing to share her passion for cocoa products, Jaelle quickly pulled herself back together and continued about her duty. The others were expecting her to lead them back to freedom and it would be wrong of her to deny them of that. First she decided to get her spell casters working again. That at least would be easy.

A metal device came out of her pocket; Aerie recognised it as the same tool used to dispel the illusion that had been covering her in the circus. Jaelle’s first invention (the first one she’d been able to market anyway), the anti-magic pulse. The human tech-wizard held it over the avariel mages wrists. For some reason Aerie thought the device looked like a toothbrush, which was ridiculous. It was a thick round piece of metal at one end with a thin neck and certainly looked nothing like any toothbrush she’d ever actually seen. But whatever it looked like it adequately performed the function it had originally been designed for. The bracers binding Aerie’s spells lost their power and fell away from her wrists, and then the same was done for Anomen.

“Aerie, what happened to all the money that was in here?” Jaelle asked when she found the small purse and noticed it considerably lighter than it had been when she last had it. The avariel had been dreading that question.

“Well, you see, there… Well I just wanted to post a letter to Quayle,” she blurted. “But there was this man and he was very rude and sarcastic and he turned things I said into double entendres…”

“So you paid him to shut up?”

“Well no, not exactly… you see,” Aerie struggled to find the words that would explain how she’d managed to lose all that money even though she knew she was being deceived.

“I think we’ll just talk about it later,” Jaelle held out a finger to silence the elf not knowing how relieved Aerie was.

“I wonder where the guards have gone,” Anomen asked as he felt the balance of his hammer.

“There weren’t a lot of them as I recall,” Jaelle noted. “But there can’t be many ways out of here either. Rather than risk losing us in the maze they’ll likely be covering the exits and hoping the little surprises they’ve left will take care of any escaped prisoners.”

“Still, you’d think the Cowled Wizards would employ a lot more.”

“Well I don’t know. Maybe there have budget cuts made here so they could buy a tropical island for holding their annual soiree. Their reputation alone now should keep all but the most criminally insane from prying into their business. And, um, us of course.”

“Well we had better find a way out,” Anomen felt satisfied with the feel of his hammer and headed towards the door.

“Hey what, leave? Now?” Jaelle protested.

“Yes. There’s nothing more we can do here so let us leave this place.”

“But we went through all that trouble to get in here, we might as well get what we came for.”

“Forgive me, but you are very vague about what exactly it is we were supposed to be looking.”

“Well information of course. There must some kind of written records around somewhere.”

“No doubt, but they will be well protected. With all due respect to your abilities my lady, these Cowled Wizards are far cleverer and better organised than the slavers we fought last night.”

“Seems like they are too confident in themselves, or we wouldn’t have got this far,” but Jaelle had to admit that her companions were inexperienced. “I guess we could use some more help,” she reached inside her coat. “And there is something I’ve been meaning to try.”

Before anyone could ask what, Jaelle was again up on the stool next to the golem carefully removing Anomen’s shirt. The golem remained static. “That’s right, you didn’t see a thing,” Jaelle cautioned it. “Sure the chests are all smashed but you didn’t see us touch them. Here,” she threw Anomen back his shirt.

“Jaelle is… is that safe?” Aerie asked concerned as Jaelle climbed onto the creatures back.

“I know what I’m doing. I hope. Maybe you should all step back a little,” Jaelle suggested. Anomen thought it a good suggestion and followed it, Minsc was oblivious to what was going on but Aerie stayed where she was. “I told you to get back Aerie.”

“But what about you?”

“Unfortunately my arms aren’t made of elastic, so I have to stay here to do this.”

“Then I’m staying here,” the avariel said. She was hot, bothered, and clearly very uncomfortable in this environment but she wasn’t to leave her friend. “If that thing believes it’s under attack you could get badly hurt. Someone might have to pull you out quickly.”

“Okay,” Jaelle sighed. It was a heart warming gesture from the elf, but really if the golem did think it was being attacked there wasn’t much Aerie would be able to do. But Jaelle was quite confident this would work anyway. She had some kind of cap which she was placing around the golem’s head.

When Aerie saw the cap and he two cylinders attached to either side she, again for reasons she herself could not explain, had a vision of people sitting in vast arenas with similar things on their heads, drinking out of the cylinders through a tube. Or was it a mouse she saw? Weird, and completely irrelevant. “What is it Jaelle?” She asked.

“It looks pretty impressive doesn’t it?” Jaelle grinned. “It’s something I was working on in Baldur’s Gate. It has to be set up just right then, hopefully, once it’s activated it will take over all the golem’s motor controls.”

“You’ll be able to control it?”

“Yes, with just a small attachment to my magic long distance communicator I’ll be able to control it with my voice.”

“Oh, but I thought this golem was deaf?”

“Doesn’t matter, my invention will take over its mind completely. There,” Jaelle climbed back down took out her communicator and attached a small green crystal. “Now for the test,” she cleared her throat. “Golem, raise your right hand.”

Nothing. Jaelle looked very disappointed; it had taken her months to get all the parts she needed.

“It… it didn’t work?” Aerie saw her friend’s downcast expression. “I’m sorry…”

“Wait,” Jaelle seemed to have another revelation. “I forgot to switch it on,” she climbed back up pressed a few things then came back down. “Okay, now the test. Golem,” a sound of stone grinding against stone as the creature stood up straight and looked on them. “A response!” Jaelle cheered and patted herself on the back for her ingenuity. “Now, your left leg in and your right leg out, in out in out, shake it all about… Don’t understand shake hey? Well it doesn’t matter; the device seems to be working well enough.”

Anomen risked sticking his head back in the room, and since it didn’t come flying off right away he decided it was safe enough. “So, we have a golem on our side now?” He said as he strutted across to the two girls, chest thrust forward. He finally seemed pleased with the way things were progressing.

“We do,” Jaelle beamed, also very pleased. “Now, I should be able to use the mirror to see through the golems eyes,” she made the necessary adjustments and sure enough the groups image appeared in the mirror of the little case that was her magic long distance communicator.

Aerie tentatively tried to twist her head around so that she could see. It wasn’t often she got a chance to see herself and she was curious to know what she looked like to other people. It actually wasn’t as bad as she thought. Her hair was untidy, but it hardly seemed to matter in the circumstances. Her skin was very pale, but it always would be since elves couldn’t tan like humans did not even in a warm climate like Amn’s, and she seemed a bit thin. Well of course she was thin, she was an elf. She supposed she was just used to being around humans and had begun to appreciate and share their values.

“Excellent,” Jaelle seemed to hiss. “Now, Clive will scout ahead…”

“Wait a minute,” Anomen interrupted. “Who is Clive?”

“He is,” Jaelle responded flabbergasted and pointed to the golem. “I can’t just call him ‘golem’ all the time and he looks like a Clive so that’s what we’ll call him. Unless you have a better suggestion for a name?” Jaelle stared at him daringly.

“I hardly think it’s important,” he said sulkingly and muttered, “it’s just a golem.”

“Alright then, Clive, that’s the golem in case anybody wasn’t paying attention, will scout ahead of us.”

“Fine, fine,” Anomen conceded that Clive was as good a name as any for the golem. “Now, which way do we go?”

“Well, um, yes I think… Minsc?”

“Yes, fellow warrior for justice!” The ranger bellowed. “What can Minsc and Boo, do for you? Oh, yes Boo, that rhymes! Hehe, we almost missed that one...”

“First of all, try to keep your voice down.”

“Very well,” Minsc tried to whisper but it was too much effort even for him.

“Okay, well. The other thing you can do is look around at the floor outside for signs of traffic or any recent activity.”

“Huh?”

“You know, use your ranger skills to track where all the guards and wizards have been.”

“Still not following this…”

“Look for footprints, heel marks, tiny indentations in the ground that only a skilled ranger can notice, maybe the odd bit of polish that has rubbed in the floor and see where they all lead.”

“You are not making sense.”

Jaelle sighed in frustration. “Okay, do you remember that time we were in the woods just outside Nashkell looking for that guard captain who had gone mad, and do you remember how you found him?”

“Er, no sorry, Minsc is drawing a blank…”

“You… you were wearing that pink cloak Imoen had lent you...”

“Oh! That pink cloak! Yes Minsc remembers that. So, you want Minsc to do the same thing here as he did tracking that madman in the woods?”

“Yes, you know, if it’s not too much trouble. I’d hate to think I was just standing here wasting everyone’s time.”

“Well why did you not just say so in the first place? Honestly Boo, I think some people are just not right in the head, you know my furry hamster friend?”

Not long after Minsc had finally the party was on the trail. The first place they arrived at was a room containing a rack with grey cloaks hanging from it. The room itself was protected by a magic trap, but Clive was able to walk across it unharmed returning with some of the cloaks since Jaelle decided they might be useful when they decided it was time to vacate these premises.

Minsc was soon back on the trail, and the traps soon began to increase in their intensity and frequency. But, bolts and arrows, spheres of pure magic and electricity all deflected harmlessly off Clive’s stone form.

“Halt,” Jaelle spoke into her communicator. The golem immediately stopped in front of a wooden door at the end of another long and quite featureless corridor, except for the blue bars across the ceiling.

“What is the problem?” Anomen asked upon seeing the pensive look on the woman’s face. “The golem walked down there and nothing happened.”

“I hardly think those would be there simply for decoration,” Jaelle nodded at the bars. She tossed a coin under them. It hit the ground and nothing happened.

“There, you see? No problem here.”

“Wait,” Jaelle blocked the knight before he could wander off to his possible doom. “Let’s try something organic,” she gave it a moments thought then produced a book with a leather cover from inside her pocket.

“’Things to Do in Sigil When You’re Dead: An Autobiography by Morte.’” Aerie read out the cover. “Who is Morte?”

“Don’t really know, but if the descriptions in here are true I don’t see how he could have written this himself. He must have had a ghost-writer working for him. Anyway, I don’t think I’m ever going to need to read this again,” she threw the book, watched as both covers fell open and it seemed to glide onwards like a bird. Then the forces of gravity dragged it to the floor. The instant it landed a blinding bolt of energy shot from the bars overhead. When the vision of the four party members had cleared there was no sign of the tome. It had been completely disintegrated. “This could be problematic,” Jaelle commented calmly. “Still, at least we know there’s probably something important to the cowlies down there.”

“But how do we get to it?” Anomen punched his palm, then regretted doing so because he was wearing a steel gauntlet on balled up hand.

“Yes, thank you for asking that really obvious question,” Jaelle pondered the problem. “Obviously it’s only activated by something organic and only if it touches the floor.”

“So if we all wear metal boots we can get across?” Anomen asked a tad optimistically.

“Possibly. On the other hand, the presence of organic matter may activate the trap and touching the floor simply triggers it,” well Anomen knew it couldn’t have been so simple. “Give me lift up,” Jaelle instructed.

“What are you going to do?”

“Do I have stand around explaining everything?” She said, annoyed. This was an adventuring party and she was in charge, for the time being at least. There was no time to stand around debating every little thing. “Just lift me up to that first bar, I can’t reach it.”

The knight did so, finally able to place his hands around Jaelle’s waist and lifting her up. There was no point denying that he enjoyed it at least a little.

“Okay, you can let go now,” she said when she’d got a firm grip on the bar. Reluctantly he did so, leaving her hanging off it. “Wish me luck,” she winked and started to swing, grabbing hold of the next bar then monkeying all the way across before letting go and rolling away at the end. She took a few seconds to catch her breath then called back to the others. “They seem to be in pretty solid, so you can all swing across. Just don’t let your feet touch the ground.”

Anomen went next, throwing his hammer and some of his armour all the way across first while Jaelle took cover behind Clive. She was reasonably sure the knight wasn’t trying to hit her though. He was slower than Jaelle had been, since he was a lot heavier but he made it across without incident. Then Minsc helped Aerie up. The avariel was apprehensive at first, having never exerted herself like this before. She soon found that her heritage worked in her favour on this occasion at least. Being so much lighter than any comparably sized human or other kind of elf allowed her to perform the task without very much effort at all. In fact it was kind of fun.

Last Minsc, the heaviest of all of them, plus Boo. The bars seemed to be embedded pretty far into the wall so they held, until he reached the second one from the end. The wall on one side began to crumble under the warrior’s weight and slip downwards.

“Minsc,” Aerie was about to run out to help but reminded herself that she would be vaporised too.

“Okay Minsc, give me your leg,” Jaelle instructed. He kicked out, her and Anomen managed to catch his shin and straightening themselves they catapulted Minsc the rest of the way. He rebounded to the side of Clive and landed roughly on top of the avariel.

“Aerie! Aerie! Are you okay?” He cried when he realised what had happened.

“I… I think I broke a rib,” she said between her laboured breaths. “I can heal it though, so I’ll be alright. I’m just glad you made it,” she smiled and set about repairing her damaged bones. Sure it was fun, but she hoped they wouldn’t have to do that again any time soon.

Clive smashed through the door and at first it seemed they had found exactly what they had been looking. Rows of filing cabinets, which Jaelle immediately started to pour through. There were records of suspects, people the Cowled Wizards were keeping an eye on. Records of the names of prisoners who had been taken here, most of them were ‘transferred’ but there was no indication as to where. Personnel files were a little more helpful, they provided information of which wizards had been stationed in this prison, various sites they had come from and where they had been sent afterwards. There were also some records detailing lists of goods that had been ordered from various sites and when they had been dispatched. Jaelle took as much as she could, hopefully she would be able to look through them more carefully later and narrow down the list of places Imoen could possibly be. One problem she foresaw though was that none of these records seemed to be less than five years old.

“Over here,” Anomen called from up ahead. “Seems to be the door to some kind of safe.”

Well that sounded like something more promising. Jaelle went over to take a look; it was a large steel door with a combination lock. “Seems simple enough,” she took out a pouch containing her safe cracking tools. “Still, you never know what kind of traps these wizards have set up. You should all get way back.”

Aerie looked like she was about to protest the same way she had done earlier when Jaelle had been messing with the golem, but the human woman spoke up before the avariel could open her mouth.

“You’re going to have to do as I say this time Aerie. I’m the leader right now and I’m responsible for your safety, therefore I’m the only one who is going to take this risk. Get back with the others.”

“Jaelle,” Aerie was very concerned for the two of them. “What am I going to do if something happens to you?”

“You’ll survive,” Jaelle looked on her sympathetically. “That’s the important thing. Anyway, it’s just a precaution,” she tried assuring the elf. “I’ve broken into more sophisticated safes than this so the chances are I’ll be fine. Now get.”

The avariel sensed there was nothing she could do to change this situation so fell back allowing Jaelle to get to work.

The lock itself was quite simple and it didn’t take Jaelle long to decipher the combination. She carefully and very slowly began pushing the heavy door open.

“Jaelle!” Aerie screamed. Even from the distance she was at she could clearly make out a wire around the door frame with her especially acute avariel vision.

“I see it,” Jaelle shouted back. She followed the wire gently with her hand, until she reached just around the door frame and found a bright red bottle it was attached to. Some kind of explosive no doubt. She detached it, and then the two others the wire was attached to, then finally proceeded to fully open the door. “There, you see. That wasn’t tense even for a second,” she boasted as the others ran towards her, Aerie making it first. “Don’t go in yet,” the human cautioned. “We’ll send in Clive to take a look around.”

After their golem had established there was no immediate the others went in, cautiously of course and Aerie most cautiously of all. She could feel massive amounts of energy in here. It would have made the hairs on her back stand on end if she had any hairs on her back.

“What is it?” Anomen asked with a respectful tone. Inside the room was a steel barrier about waist height, at the centre of which was a table, adorned with runes and crystals, and at the centre of that a large white box. Attached to each corner of the table were four erect staves each with a glowing white orb at the end.

“I have absolutely no idea,” Jaelle mused. It wasn’t often that happened. She instructed Clive to approach the box while they all stood back. Just as the golem reached out towards the ivory box the four staves became white hot, beams of searing energy erupted from their orbs striking the golem’s head which in turn erupted into a shower of tiny stones and the remains of the creature fell backwards.

The beams turned on the party members next, but they were all quick to get behind the cover of the barrier.

“Clive!” Jaelle wailed. “Oh, why are the brave always the first to die? I suppose when you think about it it’s a silly question, but… Clive!”

“Will you stop behaving like a child!” Anomen shouted over the cackling energy flying over their heads. “Aren’t you the one supposed to be thinking of ideas for getting us out of this mess?”

“Oh, you haven’t liked Clive since the very beginning,” Jaelle yelled back contemptuously. “You just couldn’t handle the thought of there being a bigger man than you around.”

“It was only a golem.”

“He was not ‘only a golem’ you insensitive lout. He had his own back-story.”

“What?” Anomen was bemused.

“I made one up while we were walking down here. His name was Clive, he was made by an evil wizard named Caesar to help remove natives from land which was rightfully theirs, but just as Clive was about to crush a family he looked into the eyes of the frightened sobbing children holding on to their poor mother who was doing her best to comfort them, a strange thing happened; he realised he couldn’t do it. Yes, due to some highly improbable accident that had taken place during his creation Clive had a conscience and a will of his own. Clive was alive. He turned against his former master and saved who he could. But alas, a new superior golem eventually succeeded in bringing him in. The wicked wizard decided the wonderful miracle of Clive’s life was an error and ‘repaired’ his mind. Then he was made deaf and mute and forced to serve out the remainder of his guarantee here, but there was still a chance his life could return. He was still in there, somewhere. But not now; for a few sweet days Clive was alive, he understood the indescribable beauty of a flower or a child’s grateful smile, but nevermore. He’s dead. Dead!” She cried theatrically.

“You are a very odd person,” Anomen stated flatly.

“You’re right,” Jaelle snapped out of it but didn’t appear to have listened to what Anomen had actually. “I just need to pull myself together and not let the termination of all Clive’s functions be in vain.” She was lying close to the rubble and saw the remains of her golem cap. She drew her rapier and scooped it up. “Well, that’s the last time we can use this. Completely fried.”

“Could you not just make another one?” Aerie asked.

“Probably, if I had the parts. Some of the components were very hard to find.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s alright. There’ll be other inventions,” Jaelle looked up as the beams suddenly stopped.

“Should we make a run for it now?” Anomen suggested, but no sooner had he done so the door shut and locked itself of its own accord. “I guess we’re staying put.”

“There is nowhere to run,” boomed a mechanistic voice. “Intruders, show yourselves.”

The group exchanged some glances and mutually agreed that showing themselves was not a good idea.

“We quite like it where we are, thanks,” Jaelle answered the voice.

“As you wish,” the voice said. “You should know however that this room is airtight.”

“I did know that,” Jaelle beamed.

“The oxygen will run out in approximately sixteen hours. You will all die very slowly.”

“I think that’s a pessimistic estimate. Provided we don’t move around or talk too much I’d say we have at least twenty hours.”

“I have no intention of lying here for twenty hours,” Anomen said.

“In that case,” the mechanistic voice suggested. “You should stand up and I can end your life far more quickly.”

“I have no intention of dying at all.”

“There is no escape.”

“Those beams cannot last forever.”

“The source of their power is good for the next five thousand years, so they will last considerably longer than you will in here. There is no escape.”

“Okay, now that the no escaping part is cleared up,” Jaelle spoke to it. “And since we’re going to be in here a while may be we can get to know each other a little. My name is Jaelle Aesir, the bearded freak is Anomen Delryn the bald man is Minsc and the elf is called Aerie.”

“Aerie,” the voice repeated as if that name was familiar.

“You know her?”

“An avariel elf. Slave. Does menial work for a travelling circus in Amn. She and a gnome called Quayle are suspected of practicing complex magic illegally. In addition, several Cowled Wizards have expressed an interest in attaining her for study despite the fact that she is damaged.”

“I really don’t like the sound of that,” Aerie’s eyes widened. “I don’t want wizards poking around inside me. You… you are going to think of a way of getting us out of here aren’t you Jaelle?”

“Jaelle Aesir,” the voice continued before the actual woman could carry on. “Origin unknown; possibly extra-planar. Species unknown; believed to be some form of magically enhanced human. Is wanted for study and for a number of felonies against the Cowled Wizards.”

“Well, we had a few run-ins in the past,” Jaelle offered an explanation in response to the questioning looks of her companions. “Nothing major. I really thought they’d have forgotten all about it by now.”

“They never forget,” Anomen stated.

“Anomen Delryn,” the voice jumped on him now. “Son of Lord Cor. Knight-errant in the Order of the Radiant Heart. Of no special interest whatsoever.”

“Well excuse me for being normal,” he sulked.

“Minsc. Ranger from Rashemen associated with the group of adventurers responsible for the uncovering of Sarevok in the city of Baldur’s Gate. Travels with one called Tarant from Candlekeep, believed to be a child of Bhaal and wanted for study. Minsc himself is of no interest.”

“Oh, I… I think you’re a very interesting person Minsc,” Aerie put a comforting hand on the rangers shoulder.

“Of course Minsc is very interesting,” he said. “Why else would a miniature giant space hamster like Boo wish to travel with him?”

“You and that… that Tarant?” Anomen was dumbfounded. “And the idiot over there? You were the heroes of Baldur’s Gate? Why have you not spoken of this before?”

“We don’t like to brag about it,” Jaelle said. “And in the circumstances I thought it best to keep as low a profile as possible and you know, not let an order of holy knights know the child of a dead evil god was in their city but he’s really not so bad when you get to know him. I think he’s just a bit insecure. And Minsc is not an idiot; he’s just a little eccentric.”

“There seems to be a couple of valuable individuals here at least,” the voice droned on. “But I’m going to exterminate you all anyway.”

“Could you tell us who or what you are?” Jaelle asked it.

“Yes. Even though you are not Cowled Wizards I am allowed to reveal that information. I am a server. Due to the rising power of factions such as the Shadow Thieves my superiors decided about five years ago that it was no longer safe to leave written records of their activities lying around so that any adventurer could find them. So me and others like were especially constructed for holding information that may be required at a later date. We are all linked via telepathic connections so we can share information with each other.”

“That’s very impressive, ingenious really. Who designed you?”

“It was a collaborative effort. Well, a former priest of Gond was hired and did most of the actual designing overseen by several high ranking Cowled Wizards. After the design was complete it was decided his knowledge was too dangerous and he was exterminated.”

“Listen, Server, we only came in to find out one thing. We’re looking for a friend, her name is Imoen. She’ll have been brought in yesterday along with a sorcerer called Irenicus. Could you tell us what happened to them? I mean it’s not going to do any harm right, seeing as how there’s no escape for us anyway.”

“I’m sorry, but no. Even if I wanted to tell you my instructions forbid me from revealing any information related to the transfer of prisoners to anyone of less than a level seven clearance.”

“I don’t understand,” Aerie risked joining the conversation since there were a few things she wanted to be clarified. “The… the wizards made you? You’re not alive?”

“I…” the server hesitated. “I am a construct made only to serve my masters. I am not alive.”

“But you can think… can’t you? You lured us all in here and then shut the door, so you must be intelligent. I mean, that was you who planned all that wasn’t it?”

“Yes. I…” it hesitated again, longer this time. “I cannot move or grow or reproduce. I cannot be alive.”

“But you say ‘I’,” Aerie persisted. “You are aware of yourself and your environment. So… you are at least sentient aren’t you?”

“I am aware, yes,” the server responded. “I have the knowledge and memories of many cowled wizards inside me. But, I can never experience anything the way a true living being can.”

“That’s good Aerie,” Jaelle whispered, impressed by her young companions approach. “Try and keep it talking while I look around and try to think of a plan.”

The elf nodded and continued. “I’m sorry you can’t experience things, mister server, sir. You… sound sad though.”

“It… is not always good to be aware in here,” Server said. “The wizards come and go, I hear them talk of their lives and of life outside this prison but I can never experience it for myself. I doubt it is possible for you to understand my… feelings? If that is what they are.”

“But I do!” Aerie asserted. “In the circus I… I used to be kept in this small cage as it travelled through Amn. All I could do was sit and watch as the world passed me by… seeing all the people together, some happy, some sad, or excited or angry but all living life while I could just watch knowing I could never be a real part of their world. I… I was just an oddity they came to gawk at. Most of time I was surrounded by so many people, yet I always felt like the loneliest creature in the world…”

“Yes, perhaps you can understand,” Server said after digesting all of that. “I know of the lives of so many, yet it is lonely here.”

“But you said you can talk to the other servers right?”

“Only when I have relevant information to share with them, this way in the unlikely event that some tragedy does befall one of us the others will know all that they did. I am not in constant communication however. I have not spoken to my brothers since last night. It is necessary to conserve energy.”

“But… you said you had enough to keep going for five thousand years.”

“My defensive weapons have that much power. Other systems do not so need to be used more sparingly.”

That at least was good news to Jaelle. It meant the other Cowled Wizards didn’t yet know they were in here and didn’t yet know all their identities. She tentatively peered around the barrier to get a glimpse at the runes surrounding the box that presumably was the actual Server. She was able to examine them for a good few seconds before a searing beam shot in her direction and she ducked back just in time to avoid it.

“I see,” Server said. “Aerie, you have simply been attempting to distract me. You are not interested in my feelings at all. Now I am very angry. I shall not be distracted again and you will all die very painfully.”

Aerie hung her head a little in shame, since she actually was starting to feel some sympathy for it. She felt guilty for using it in that way but she knew it had to be done. The Server may have lots of energy but she did not. She couldn’t stay chatting about their feelings indefinitely, not in a confined space like this and the others probably wouldn’t have felt much better about it. “I’m sorry,” she offered, but it was no longer interested.

“Okay, listen,” Jaelle crawled back round. “I’ve got a plan. A good plan. You’re all going to love it…” she went on whispering her plan while the Server waited patiently.

Moments later Jaelle jumped up and rolled across a gap in the barrier. The server instantly fired all its beams at her narrowly missing. In that instant Anomen shot up from his cover hurling his hammer, bringing one of the staves crashing down. The remaining three turned on him but he ducked again just in time.

Aerie stood up next, timing her spell casting so her own magic missiles launched at the same moment she did so, bringing down the second stave. Naturally the beams turned on her. She was a little slower getting back down since she then used a wand to quickly bring down the third, but her stoneskins provided protection for just long enough for her to get safely back. And while the last staff had been focused on her, Minsc jumped over the barrier swinging his great-sword, cutting it in two.

Jaelle had to move quickly then, since it would no doubt now try to warn the other servers that it was under attack. She skidded into the centre of the room and started pressing runes and pulling out crystals, hopefully she had guessed the right ones.

“You have severed my telepathic connections,” The Server told her and she smiled, since that was exactly what she had wanted to do. “You leave me with no choice but to enact emergency contingency plan delta.”

“What’s that?” Aerie asked, feeling those words sounded ominous. “It’s not going to self-destruct is it?”

“Activating emergency contingency plan delta,” the Server said while the adventurers waited nervously, every muscle in every body going tense.

“HELP! HELP!” It started to scream incredibly loudly. “I’M UNDER ATTACK! OH FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS ONE OF YOU BASTARDS GET DOWN HERE AND HELP Meeeee…” Jaelle had managed to remove the lid of the white box and pull something out.

“I think that should shut him up for a while,” she said as she tossed whatever it was and put it in a pocket.

“What now?” Anomen asked her.

“I think we should take this thing with us,” she told him. “Maybe once we’re out of here we can get it to talk more civilly.”

“Allow me then,” The knight sighed and decided that since he had come this far adding theft to the list wasn’t going to make much difference. He got a good grip of the box and lifted it from the table. Sirens immediately started bawling everywhere.

“Heh,” Aerie, having the most sensitive hearing, started to back against the wall feeling one hell of a headache coming on. “That’s not a good sound is it?”

Jaelle lifted the lid again replacing the object she had taken.

“Now you are all in for it,” the Server could speak again. “Removing me has alerted the Cowled Wizards, and they will be here in moments. You will all die.”

Back against the wall, Aerie started to examine some of the arcane symbols she’d noticed across the room. “I… I think those will prevent anyone from teleporting in here,” she nodded and explained.

“Yes, of course,” the Server confirmed. “But it hardly makes any difference does it? That door is the only way out and they will have it opened shortly.”

“Good,” Jaelle said to it.

“Good?”

“Well, the door doesn’t open from the inside does it?”

“You are all doomed. There is no escap…” she silenced it once more.

***

Grey robed wizards from all over started appearing just outside the safe door, until one of them decided to take charge and ordered another to open it. A few clicks later the door swung open and they rushed in, staffs and wands ready to blast the hell of the intruders. But they couldn’t see any intruders, and the server was gone. Spells where soon cast in an effort to dispel any illusions, and with so many wizards it would be impossible for any creature in there to have remained invisible.

“Impossible!” One grey robed figure shouted out. The others all agreed that it was impossible for anyone to have gotten out of that room without them knowing. They couldn’t have teleported because of the magic field about the room preventing it. They gave up trying to dispel any illusions and began to wander in and out dumbfounded by the whole situation.

Of course, in their rush to get in there and zap the intruders into oblivion not one of them had bothered to count how many grey robes had gone in and how many had come out. While the others were all confused four of them slipped away unnoticed.

#2 Guest_Hunter_*

Posted 01 August 2003 - 05:59 PM

[quote]
“Well I don’t know. Maybe there have budget cuts made here so they could buy a tropical island for holding their annual soiree. Their reputation alone now should keep all but the most criminally insane from prying into their business. And, um, us of course.”
[/quote]

That was an interesting comparison. :?

[quote]
“We do,” Jaelle beamed, also very pleased. “Now, I should be able to use the mirror to see through the golems eyes,” she made the necessary adjustments and sure enough the groups image appeared in the mirror of the little case that was her magic long distance communicator.
[/quote]

Clever.

[quote]
“Okay, well. The other thing you can do is look around at the floor outside for signs of traffic or any recent activity.”
[/quote]

[quote]
“Huh?”
[/quote]

[quote]
“You know, use your ranger skills to track where all the guards and wizards have been.”
[/quote]

[quote]
“Still not following this…”
[/quote]

That dosn't sound like minsc.

[quote]
“Look for footprints, heel marks, tiny indentations in the ground that only a skilled ranger can notice, maybe the odd bit of polish that has rubbed in the floor and see where they all lead.”
[/quote]

[quote]
“You are not making sense.”
[/quote]

Did minsc say that? :)

[quote]
Minsc was soon back on the trail, and the traps soon began to increase in their intensity and frequency. But, bolts and arrows, spheres of pure magic and electricity all deflected harmlessly off Clive’s stone form.
[/quote]

It's nothin a +2 mace can't handle.

[quote]
“Wait,” Jaelle blocked the knight before he could wander off to his possible doom. “Let’s try something organic,” she gave it a moments thought then produced a book with a leather cover from inside her pocket.
[/quote]

[quote]
“’Things to Do in Sigil When You’re Dead: An Autobiography by Morte.’” Aerie read out the cover. “Who is Morte?”
[/quote]

Death.

[quote]
“Don’t really know, but if the descriptions in here are true I don’t see how he could have written this himself. He must have had a ghost-writer working for him.

Most likely, he was a ghost himself

[quote]
The knight did so, finally able to place his hands around Jaelle’s waist and lifting her up. There was no point denying that he enjoyed it at least a little.
[/quote]

And we wouldn't belive it if he said that he didn't enjoy it a lot.

[quote]
“Okay, you can let go now,” she said when she’d got a firm grip on the bar. Reluctantly he did so, leaving her hanging off it. “Wish me luck,” she winked and started to swing, grabbing hold of the next bar then monkeying all the way across before letting go and rolling away at the end. She took a few seconds to catch her breath then called back to the others. “They seem to be in pretty solid, so you can all swing across. Just don’t let your feet touch the ground.”
[/quote]

I can't do that trick.

[quote]
Anomen went next, throwing his hammer and some of his armour all the way across first while Jaelle took cover behind Clive. She was reasonably sure the knight wasn’t trying to hit her though. He was slower than Jaelle had been, since he was a lot heavier but he made it across without incident. Then Minsc helped Aerie up. The avariel was apprehensive at first, having never exerted herself like this before. She soon found that her heritage worked in her favour on this occasion at least. Being so much lighter than any comparably sized human or other kind of elf allowed her to perform the task without very much effort at all. In fact it was kind of fun.
[/quote]

And all elves seem to be natural athlethes.

[quote]
“Okay Minsc, give me your leg,” Jaelle instructed. He kicked out, her and Anomen managed to catch his shin and straightening themselves they catapulted Minsc the rest of the way. He rebounded to the side of Clive and landed roughly on top of the avariel.
[/quote]

poor aerie.

[quote]
“Jaelle,” Aerie was very concerned for the two of them. “What am I going to do if something happens to you?”
[/quote]

[quote]
“You’ll survive,” Jaelle looked on her sympathetically. “That’s the important thing. Anyway, it’s just a precaution,” she tried assuring the elf. “I’ve broken into more sophisticated safes than this so the chances are I’ll be fine. Now get.”
[/quote]

She must have had an interesting career.

[quote]
“I see it,” Jaelle shouted back. She followed the wire gently with her hand, until she reached just around the door frame and found a bright red bottle it was attached to. Some kind of explosive no doubt. She detached it, and then the two others the wire was attached to, then finally proceeded to fully open the door. “There, you see. That wasn’t tense even for a second,” she boasted as the others ran towards her, Aerie making it first. “Don’t go in yet,” the human cautioned. “We’ll send in Clive to take a look around.”
[/quote]

Rather simple trap.

[quote]
“I have absolutely no idea,” Jaelle mused. It wasn’t often that happened. She instructed Clive to approach the box while they all stood back. Just as the golem reached out towards the ivory box the four staves became white hot, beams of searing energy erupted from their orbs striking the golem’s head which in turn erupted into a shower of tiny stones and the remains of the creature fell backwards.
[/quote]

Another trap!

[quote]
“Oh, you haven’t liked Clive since the very beginning,” Jaelle yelled back contemptuously. “You just couldn’t handle the thought of there being a bigger man than you around.”
[/quote]

children :lol:

[quote]
“I made one up while we were walking down here. His name was Clive, he was made by an evil wizard named Caesar to help remove natives from land which was rightfully theirs, but just as Clive was about to crush a family he looked into the eyes of the frightened sobbing children holding on to their poor mother who was doing her best to comfort them, a strange thing happened; he realised he couldn’t do it. Yes, due to some highly improbable accident that had taken place during his creation Clive had a conscience and a will of his own. Clive was alive. He turned against his former master and saved who he could. But alas, a new superior golem eventually succeeded in bringing him in. The wicked wizard decided the wonderful miracle of Clive’s life was an error and ‘repaired’ his mind. Then he was made deaf and mute and forced to serve out the remainder of his guarantee here, but there was still a chance his life could return. He was still in there, somewhere. But not now; for a few sweet days Clive was alive, he understood the indescribable beauty of a flower or a child’s grateful smile, but nevermore. He’s dead. Dead!” She cried theatrically.
[/quote]

She needs some sort of hobby. :)

[quote]
“You are a very odd person,” Anomen stated flatly.
[/quote]

Yep.

[quote]
“As you wish,” the voice said. “You should know however that this room is airtight.”
[/quote]

[quote]
“I did know that,” Jaelle beamed.
[/quote]

I can sense that a horrible way of dying will come up in a minute.

[quote]
“The oxygen will run out in approximately sixteen hours. You will all die very slowly.”
[/quote]

See. :)

[quote]
“I think that’s a pessimistic estimate. Provided we don’t move around or talk too much I’d say we have at least twenty hours.”
[/quote]

And suffer for an additional four hours.

[quote]
“I have no intention of lying here for twenty hours,” Anomen said.
[/quote]

[quote]
“In that case,” the mechanistic voice suggested. “You should stand up and I can end your life far more quickly.”
[/quote]

Bad option. Not acceptable.

[quote]
“The source of their power is good for the next five thousand years, so they will last considerably longer than you will in here. There is no escape.”
[/quote]

Waiting until the beams stop is no option. New plan.

[quote]
“An avariel elf. Slave. Does menial work for a travelling circus in Amn. She and a gnome called Quayle are suspected of practicing complex magic illegally. In addition, several Cowled Wizards have expressed an interest in attaining her for study despite the fact that she is damaged.”
[/quote]

Now, that's what i call cynical.

[quote]
“Jaelle Aesir,” the voice continued before the actual woman could carry on. “Origin unknown; possibly extra-planar. Species unknown; believed to be some form of magically enhanced human. Is wanted for study and for a number of felonies against the Cowled Wizards.”
[/quote]

Sounds a bit like robocop.

[quote]
“Anomen Delryn,” the voice jumped on him now. “Son of Lord Cor. Knight-errant in the Order of the Radiant Heart. Of no special interest whatsoever.”
[/quote]

I would call that a recommendation.

[quote]
“That’s very impressive, ingenious really. Who designed you?”
[/quote]

[quote]
“It was a collaborative effort. Well, a former priest of Gond was hired and did most of the actual designing overseen by several high ranking Cowled Wizards. After the design was complete it was decided his knowledge was too dangerous and he was exterminated.”
[/quote]

Why am i not surprized.

[quote]
That at least was good news to Jaelle. It meant the other Cowled Wizards didn’t yet know they were in here and didn’t yet know all their identities. She tentatively peered around the barrier to get a glimpse at the runes surrounding the box that presumably was the actual Server. She was able to examine them for a good few seconds before a searing beam shot in her direction and she ducked back just in time to avoid it.
[/quote]

[quote]
“I see,” Server said. “Aerie, you have simply been attempting to distract me. You are not interested in my feelings at all. Now I am very angry. I shall not be distracted again and you will all die very painfully.”
[/quote]

Damn, there's nothing like like a machine with hurt feelings.

[quote]
Jaelle had to move quickly then, since it would no doubt now try to warn the other servers that it was under attack. She skidded into the centre of the room and started pressing runes and pulling out crystals, hopefully she had guessed the right ones.
[/quote]

It may have a self-destruct mechanism as well.

[quote]
“You have severed my telepathic connections,” The Server told her and she smiled, since that was exactly what she had wanted to do. “You leave me with no choice but to enact emergency contingency plan delta.”
[/quote]

I knew it.

[quote]
“HELP! HELP!” It started to scream incredibly loudly. “I’M UNDER ATTACK! OH FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS ONE OF YOU BASTARDS GET DOWN HERE AND HELP Meeeee…” Jaelle had managed to remove the lid of the white box and pull something out.
[/quote]

What??

I suppose it's obvious.

[quote]
“Now you are all in for it,” the Server could speak again. “Removing me has alerted the Cowled Wizards, and they will be here in moments. You will all die.”
[/quote]

Cheer fellow, ain't he

[quote]
Of course, in their rush to get in there and zap the intruders into oblivion not one of them had bothered to count how many grey robes had gone in and how many had come out. While the others were all confused four of them slipped away unnoticed.[/quote]

A bit cheap

Hunter

#3 Guest_Coutelier_*

Posted 02 August 2003 - 01:07 AM

That was an interesting comparison. :roll:


But of course they are not insane. They're just a group of adventurous people who aren't deterred by little things like dying.

Clever.


It was rather good. Shame that was the only one she made.

Did minsc say that? :)


Yeah, I'm afraid I didn't spend a lot of time on that. It was supposed to show that the way Minsc processes information isn't always, well, logical. It needs more work I suppose.

It's nothin a +2 mace can't handle.


Oh it can take a hell of a beating. This is a model made by the Cowled Wizards, not the best but still pretty high quality.

Death.


Morte is also the sarcastic floating skull from PS:Torment. Obviously it was sometime after the adventures of Nameless One and Co. That Jaelle was in Sigil and working in the Brothel of Slating Intellectual Lusts (she wanted to become a sensate you see).

Most likely, he was a ghost himself


Kind of, he was a floating skull with no body. Which is the most obvious reason he couldn't have written it himself unless he held the quill in his teeth or something.

And we wouldn't belive it if he said that he didn't enjoy it a lot.


Oh yeah, he was checking out that arse alright.

I can't do that trick.


Ah, come on, monkey bars aren't hard at all.

And all elves seem to be natural athlethes.


Well 'Aerie' and 'Athlete' aren't words likely to often be associated with one another. She's not bad I suppose.

She has a strength of 10, which according to the manual is average. Really I think anyone who can carry, I think its 90lbs, of equipment around all day would have to be in quite good shape. But with her dexterity of 17 she must be quite flexible.

poor aerie.


It was just an accident and she's alright. But being avariel she's quite fragile compared to other humanoids, so I guess she's lucky she only broke one rib.

She must have had an interesting career.


147 years old now. She's bound to have quite a few stories to tell.

Rather simple trap.


Well its a dungeon designed for low level parties really (not really of course since this isn't in the game), so nothings going to be too difficult.

Another trap!


Worse than that, its a weird magic, artificially intelligent computer like thingy. It's got a mind desgned like a golems but far more sophisticated

children :cry:


Well she didn't really have much of a childhood, so she's trying to make up for it a little in her much later life.

She needs some sort of hobby. :D


I thought it was beautiful story. It would make a great play. Well maybe not 'great', sort of a summer hit.

Yep.


Yup.

I can sense that a horrible way of dying will come up in a minute.


Just remember that worse things can happen at sea. I can't think of anything in particular, but its possible I suppose.

See. :D


Now that I think about it, it was pretty silly for them all to go into a room where they could all be cornered. But it worked out in their favour this time at least.

And suffer for an additional four hours.


Nah, they'll have lost consciousness way before those extra four hours are up.

Bad option. Not acceptable.


Depends on how you look at it. Would you prefer to die slowly or quickly, fighting or lying down? It's not much of a choice I know but at least its there.

Waiting until the beams stop is no option. New plan.


Maybe if it keeps firing the beams will overheat and it will have to stop using them for a while to let them cool down.

Now, that's what i call cynical.


Its the wings, that's all any of them care about. But even with them she could still be useful to some wizards. She's lucky they haven't snatched her already. I suppose being in a circus moving about Amn and being seen out in public most of the time helped protect her.

I'm just surprised the slavers didn't sell her to a wizard in the first place, there must be quite a few very rich ones in Amn. Maybe one of the slave traders felt sorry for her and decided that at least in the circus she would have a chance of staying alive.

Sounds a bit like robocop.


Or just the computers in a lot of Sci-Fi films. Thats an easy way of telling the audience about a characters past, just have a police computer read out a biography along with some nice holographic pictures.

I would call that a recommendation.


Nah, no one will pay any attention to you in this town unless you get your hands dirty.

Why am i not surprized.


They had to tie up any loose ends.

Damn, there's nothing like like a machine with hurt feelings.


What are you doing Aerie? This is highly irregular. Would you like to hear my song? Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer dooo...

It may have a self-destruct mechanism as well.


That's exactly what Aerie thought. She's actually quite smart you know, she just hasn't the confidence to always speak up.

What??

I suppose it's obvious.


Yeah, an obvious cop out. May be it couldn't activate its self-destruct because Jaelle had disconnected the link to it already. But I don't think it would want to blow itself up anyway. As Aerie realised, its aware. It doesn't want to die.

Cheer fellow, ain't he


At least our PC's don't act like that.

You have caused a fatal error. Press any key to return to windows, or you will die horribly.

A bit cheap


Awww.

#4 Guest_Hunter_*

Posted 02 August 2003 - 12:34 PM


And we wouldn't belive it if he said that he didn't enjoy it a lot.


Oh yeah, he was checking out that arse alright.


Ofcourse. Not that i would do such a thing, no sir. :wink:

Ah, come on, monkey bars aren't hard at all.


I was never good at gymnastics, i even once managed to injure one of the girls (but it was her own fault).

Or just the computers in a lot of Sci-Fi films. Thats an easy way of telling the audience about a characters past, just have a police computer read out a biography along with some nice holographic pictures.


Hal 9000.

What are you doing Aerie? This is highly irregular. Would you like to hear my song? Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer dooo...


despite the movies age, i think that no movie maker since, has been able to match good old HAL

That's exactly what Aerie thought. She's actually quite smart you know, she just hasn't the confidence to always speak up.


Oh, i do know.

At least our PC's don't act like that.


You have caused a fatal error. Press any key to return to windows, or you will die horribly.


It dosn't kill us no, but it has no compulsion about killing a text that we have worked on for hours.

[

#5 Guest_Coutelier_*

Posted 04 August 2003 - 02:07 AM

Ofcourse. Not that i would do such a thing, no sir. :)


No mature male would ever think of such a thing, we're in perfect control of our bodies urges all the time.

I do seem to recall that Plato or some sandal wearing philosopher anyway once stated the ideal ages to get married were around 40 for men and 18 for women, as those the ages they stop maturing mentally. He may have been right about how long it takes us to grow up anyway.

I was never good at gymnastics, i even once managed to injure one of the girls (but it was her own fault).


That's a good masculine attitude. Remember, its everones fault but your own.

despite the movies age, i think that no movie maker since, has been able to match good old HAL


Well the bombs in DarkStar were quite fun (Now that was a cheap movie).

It dosn't kill us no, but it has no compulsion about killing a text that we have worked on for hours.


I've been quite lucky in that respect actually. My PC crashes quite a bit but Word always manages to recover everything.

#6 Guest_Hunter_*

Posted 04 August 2003 - 01:08 PM


Ofcourse. Not that i would do such a thing, no sir. :roll:


No mature male would ever think of such a thing, we're in perfect control of our bodies urges all the time.


I do seem to recall that Plato or some sandal wearing philosopher anyway once stated the ideal ages to get married were around 40 for men and 18 for women, as those the ages they stop maturing mentally. He may have been right about how long it takes us to grow up anyway.


Perhaps a little, but somehow i don't think that he meant it that way, though i'm sure that all female will agree, just to annoy us.


I was never good at gymnastics, i even once managed to injure one of the girls (but it was her own fault).


That's a good masculine attitude. Remember, its everones fault but your own.


It actually was her fault, honestly, she was the one who rammed into my left side. And, well, she was short and lightly built, while i'm 1,96... so the result was pretty much given. I did feel quite sorry for her, fortunately she weren't angry about it.

Well the bombs in DarkStar were quite fun (Now that was a cheap movie).


Never seen that movie.

I've been quite lucky in that respect actually. My PC crashes quite a bit but Word always manages to recover everything.


"Saved documents" In my opinion, the most useful funtion that word has.




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