Forgotten Freedom:36
Terra: Hey, Kithle. While we're setting up, there's something I wanted to mention.
Kithle: Shoot.
Terra: I'm happy to see that you're encouraging independent thought among the new troops.
Kithle: That was fast...
Terra: New power, new means of intelligence gathering. Just to warn you, even those who appear to be most loyal can turn on you under the right conditions.
Kithle: I know that!
Terra: I thought I did too. It took two attempts on my life before I realized just how easy it was for that to happen.
Kithle: I almost forgot. You have experience with minion keeping...
Terra: Igor has far more than I do. I learned most of what I know from him. But I do have some advice that may help.
Kithle: What's that?
Terra: Jarlot may be a hopeless, drunken idiot most of the time, but he knows how to keep the loyalties of his crew. If you think about it, half the crew could easily overthrow him, but we don't. Why?
Kithle: Well...um...actually, I have no idea.
Terra: If you find out, let me know. I'm interested as well. Just do it WITHOUT eating his brain. The rest of the crew may mutiny.
Kithle: (putting down the longrange brainsucker) Awwww... Terra: Jarlot, why DO the crew not overthrow you.
Jarlot: You mean aside from Doog's Bugs Bunny like antics?
Terra: Yes.
- Jarlot moved aside as Doog failed to hit him with the anvil he had hoisted on the mass nearby*
Jarlot: I assume you aren't going to accept my epic levels...
Terra: You know those don't exist outside of fantasy games right?
Jarlot: Whatever puny mortal.
Terra: For your own safety, I'll forget you said that.
Jarlot: The answer is simply....MUD.
Terra: I'm going to ignore what my Druid mind thought initially. Mutually assured destruction?
Jarlot: Think about it Terra. Do you honestly think that the people who want an undead world will accept an Illithid one while the people who want a Demon ruled one will enjoy an undead one?
Terra: So you're in charge because they you're harmless?
Jarlot: They think I'm harmless but I'm going to rule the world.
Aerith: OH ELVIS!
Tifa: YOU! *****! I HAVE YOU AT LAST!
Jarlot: Oh hell!
- leaps off the side of the boat, hits the ground six feet under as the repairs are going...badly*
- poof Bob the Min Kuilicher demon show up on tifa shoulder, stops her from going after the Solor lover*
Bob You know I'm pretty sure it would be easier to kill the other women...
Tifa Shut Up Bob, they are not important!
Bob But what if one of them...
Tifa Look Bob I'm not going to go on a killing spree Just because you have nothing to do... get a gameboy for something.
Bob I don't think they have any of those on thos plane.
- a Group a Flayer walk by*
Bob Eh Law evil... what a joke. You know Back in my day we where Choatic and we Like It!
Tifa Look I don't need a your life story again!
- Jarlot starts singing*
Tife Do you really think that will work; She will not get rid of me that easyly
Bob You know he's not that bad its got a good beat and you can dance to it. Ketler : Hey, Elvis!
Jarlot : Sshh! Can't you see I'm hiding from my ex-wife?
Ketler : This is important. You just got your first bag of FAN-MAIL! Congratulations! You da King!
Erk and Muradin barely manage to drag a mail bag of a truly gargantuan size through the door. Both faint from overexertion when it's mostly through. It fully blocks any entry or exit from the cabin.
Jarlot : Khyber...
Ketler : So, you going to open it, or are you going to wait till Dol Dornmas?
Jarlot picks up a letter. He turns it over in his hands. Theres no return address, but his name is written in a sickly pink cursive that looks vaguely like a sixth grader's. It's wreathed in little hand-drawn pink hearts and stars. The stamp suggests that it might be from Thrane.
Jarlot : Huh. Who'dathunkit? A thanish fan. I thought they all had sticks up their *****es.
Ketler : Well, don't leave us hanging! The suspense is killing me!
Jarlot opens the letter, and unfolds it. A scrap of paper falls out. It's rectangular and about 5" by 7". Ketler picks it up. His jaw hits the floor, his tongue rolls out, his eyes bulge out of his skull, huge drops of sweat roll off his face, gouts of steam billow out of his nose, followed by several whistle blasts, and he finally falls over, twitching and making small grunting noises.
Somehow, Jarlot fails to notice the commotion.
Jarlot : Hey, this ones from Jaela! Huh- whats that paper on the floor there?
Jarlot picks up the paper that Ketler dropped. He looks at it once, and his eyes grow to the size of saucers, his feet and legs twist up and his face gets very red and he makes several wolf whistles and wolf calls, and falls on the floor gibbering.
Jarlot : Sweet Devourer, Jaela, does your mother know you sent that?
Later
Kanatash : *sobbing* That was horrible.
Silence : It's going to be okay, you'll be alright.
Kantash : I feel so dirty.
Silence : Look, uh, what happened? Well, I mean, if you can talk about it; it must be like, really painful for you.
Kanatash : No, no, it's alright. I need to get it out. I floated through the doorway of the captains room, which for some reason was blocked by a massive bag of letters. I hadn't seen him in several hours and figured that was a bad sign. And then... I saw it. *Kanatash is wracked by sobbing*
Silence : It's alright, I don't have to know...
Kanatash : I've stared down, Daelkyr, elder gods, horrors beyond imagination, I've mapped Xoriat and Dal Quor; I thought I plumbed the depths of madness, but never did I wish to see a vampiric half-dragon compulating with a wall! The captain and Ketler were on the ground with a small piece of paper, and... and... I can't talk about it. What Erk was doing doesn't bear mentioning. And Muradin... I...
Silence : It's alright. Everything will be alright. You hear me? Everything.
Silence kisses Kanatash where she thinks his forhead is, and turns to Terra.
Silence : Well, I guess we know where Sa'vor teleported to.
Silence has called an emergency meeting of the crew to deal with this new assault.
Silence : Alright, what we know is that someone sent an enchanted item to Jarlot, disgised as fan mail, and it's disabled, like, several of our heavy hitters. Jarlot'd door is blocked, and the only way we can get in is through teleportation, gaseous form, or incorporeality. Scrying in the area didn't work because of some safeguard that Jarlot, like, put there in case Ketler tried to view him while Marish was taking, like, dictation. Any questions?
Marish : Why don't you just send in Kanatash? He's probably immune to whatever the stupid thing is...
In the resulting quiet, a soft sobbing is heard. Everyone notices Kanatash's huddled form in the corner with a increasingly wet teddy bear. The teddy bear has seven eyes, four arms ending in things beyond desription, twenty-three tentacles emerging from various points around it's torso, and what looks like plush chitinous scales.
Marish : oh...
Kithle : Nose goes! *touches what could be an orifice for breathing*
Most of the Crew : Nose goes! *each one touches their orifice for breathing*
Klaz : Errr... what does that mean?
Later
Klaz : Alright, I'm out.
John : So, what caused my dad, the captain, Sa'vor, Erk, Muradin, and Kanatash to go bonkers?
Klaz : This.
Klaz holds up a small rolled up piece of paper. It's tied with a eye-shatteringly pink ribbon.
Terra : Oh... so uh... what is it?
Klaz : Apparently, Jaela sent them this. It's a lumograph of Jaela, doing something rather... inappropriate. I can look at it because my tastes don't run toword the humanoid, wink-wink, but anyone else would be driven to conniptions by the raw sexuality of the picture. I'm keeping it, mates. *Klaz walks off, whistling* Jarlot: I really appreciate you going through the rest of these letters, Igor.
Igor: I live to therve, mathter. Thith wouldn't be the firtht time I've had to deal with dangerouth mail.
Jarlot: Really?
Igor: Yeth. Everyone thinkth that vampireth creep people out. But they're irrethithtable to young women. For example, King Kaiuth—the current one—gets thouthandth of letterth every week from lovethick young girlth.
Jarlot: Kaius? You've got to be joking.
Igor: It'th tradithionel. Of courthe, in the patht they were inexthplicable drawn to a cathle or other lair. Thethe dayth it'th all long dithtanthe.
Jarlot suddenly has a bad thought.
Jarlot: ……Um……………did Kaius ever get anything from…………
Igor: Yeth.
Jarlot (trying very hard not to remember the picture): But their nations are mortal enemies!
Igor: That'th the power of charithma, mathter. One diplomatic encounter at Thronehold and the wath hooked. The even told her thpieth to look out for what Kaiuth liked.
Jarlot (drawn unwillingly ahead by the power of morbid curiousity): And what was that?
Igor (still talking in his completely oblivious tone): Torture devitheth.
Jarlot passes out. ( Sa'vor lies unconsious in his evil lair, Feal-Thas stands by him waiting for him to come round. Sa'vor stirs)
Sa'vor: ow my head ... what happened?
Feal-thas: i belive somthing overloaded your mind father
Sa'vor: Indeed... luckily whatever it was has been permenatly removed from my memory. thank kyber for back up systems. so, how goes the first generation ?
Feal-thas: due to Kithle's training the first twenty are quite capable of independent thought, they follow orders they belive to be sane or within peramiters. i ordered them to jump of the tower and they said *AHEM* " This order would be a waster of man power SIR!.
Sa'vor: Intresting. ( Kithle appears) Kithle: Ah, your awake at last. good. you've been out for hours
Sa'vor: my head feels like its being split in two, my regeneration is barely coping with the effort to repair my mind. but im fine. the casuer of whatever happened was utterly deleted from my mind. a backup system in case of an event like that. and then i was teleported back to my lair.
Kithle: How go the troops? oh and also, how long will it take to train all of them?
Sa'vor: at full speed to train all ten billion of them and ready them for a coup... about twenty years.
Kithle: that soon?
Sa'vor: each brood is programmed with specific battlefield roles: archer; scout and skirmisher; spellcasters; healers; artillary; engineers and so on. this knowledge is programmed into their minds and is eventualy awakened during the training process.
Kithle: intresting.. tell me, there appear to be some of them which are much different from the others, why would this be?
Sa'vor: ah, well, i have each of the dragon colours for each species. the species i have at the moment is known as the Spartan strain, other strains are developed for other tasks. though each strain has the following things; they require only two hours sleep maximum, they can last two months without food, almost a month without water. they can breath beneath water, immune to pestilance and venoms and are resistant to magic.
Kithle: these will be the perfect soldiers, but problem, why would they follow me if they belived me to be weak.
Feal-thas: for the survival of our species, and as long as your orders where sane and sensible we wouldnot see it fit to replace you.
Kithle: good, good. what are the chances of them turning traitor?
Sa'vor: none, they may not follow orders that make no sense or are a waste of resourses but they wont turn on you as long as they are seen as more than worthless soldiers
Kithle: what shall they be seen as?
Sa'vor: Allies, as brothers in arms. as their own free people whom serve out of thier own free will.
Kithle: what of the ones whom dont whant to serve me?
Sa'vor: they are content to train and build up the species. Volrath's dreams slow to the point where he is once again lucid. Volrath talking to himself : Why must the suffering continue. If I kill Thanes I am a hypocrite, but if I let them live more innocents will be killed. If I only kill the ones preforming the inquisitions, their families will morn and then come after me. ??? : Kill them all! Kill them all! Volrath : I know that you're trying to help, big bro, but I need to think about this alone. ??? : Kill, kill, kill (The psionic voice slurs into snarls. Then gradually fades away.) Volrath : Why is the world like this! WHY, WHY, WHY! An apparition of his father forms before Volrath. ??? : Because this world is not for you. Join those of your brothren that have found this. Volrath : Stop it! I belong here. There has to be a way for this world to be fixed! There has to! With that Volrath lashes out at his father, and yet again decends into dreams of horror, but this time they are of things that may yet come to pass.
As this is happening psionic waves erupt from the cocoon in Volrath's room. As everyone scrambles to stand up again Kanatash floats into the room, apparently having blocked out the memories of his recent past. Kanatash : I wasn't expecting this to happen, for another couple years. Kithle : You know what this little freak's is doing! Kanatash : Yes, you see when an elder god sires an offspring with a mortal any number of things can happen, but Volrath's father is rather orderly. The same thing happens with each child. They are born as a fairly normal child, albiet one that has an affinaty for aberrations. They age very slowly compared to any other race, and are only capable of forming the bond, you mortals call love, at a very early age. After that they become more and more detached from the world, as they lose those they love one by one. Once they become completely detached from this world they become a deranged lord. Volrath's human side appears to be resisting his transformation into a daelkyr, with every ounce of strength it has. Kithle : So you're saying, when he comes out of there he will be a daelkyr! Kanatash : No, these things happen in stages. He will be changed, but not a daelkyr, at least not yet. Terra: So far, each of Volrath's kin have eventually succumbed to the transformation. It seems my feelings for Lisa have hastened this stage.
Kithle: Why?
Terra: His mother is dead, his sister is in an insane asylum. I'm probably the closest thing to family he has left in this world. Due to his early experiences, he feels anyone associated with Thrane will do nothing but hurt him further.
Kithle: So he thinks Lisa is trying to take you away?
Terra: More or less. Unfortunately, I highly doubt that we'll be able to stop this phase of the transformation. It's already nearing completetion. NJ26 Sneaks into Klaz's room slits his throat, and destroys the JEala pic.
NJ26 - I need to have a talk with my little/big sister.
Sneaks out
later
NJ26 - Get your husband under control Tifa.
Tifa - I just gotta kill this Aerith *****...
NJ26 - Forget her a good liquid keelhauling with a solid whap to the head and a session with Kithle or Kanatash should work fine. If all else fails intimidation works just as well.
Kithle - Well dammit much as it goes against my better judgement you three are a lot of fun.
Terra - Huh?
Kithle - Satnak suppresion only.
Satnak - Awwwwwwww.
KIthle - I love magic immunity. (touches cocoon) (enters Volrath's mind)
Volrath - YOU
Kithle - Shut up and listen you little wimp. I have dueled with Sa'vor the Darkbane and Kanatash the World ripper. I forged Satnak, the dream breaker, the darkslayer, THE DEICIDE. I will rule this realm in the millienia to come. I will destroy those arrogant fools who thought to change me against my heart. I will break the prophesy of the dragons asunder. I will set my creation upon the great old ones, and the lords of dust, the quori, against the heavens themselves. I am Mortal Incarnate, I am the future despite all that would control me. the very least you can do is tell your pops to shove it where the darkness doesn't penetrate. Lisa is not going to take Terra away from you, think of it as gaining a sister or aunt. You still have your bunny, and Muradin is absolutly devoted to you. The Flame is not in itself evil, nor is lisa. People from the flame have hurt you yes, but like any other mortal you deal with a world not cut in cloth of black and white. Deal with it. I know the external part of this process is irreversible at this point, but don't let those bastards change who you are!!! Its your soul, your destiny forge them according to your vision. DO NOT LET THEM WIN!!!! Unless you want to be an arrogant heartless waste of power that is promptly fried by Satnak. Its up to you now Kid don't do anything to dissapoint Terra and Muradin. Besides if you go all dealkyr on us we might let the brain out to spite you. Terra: (listening in) Ouch, that was harsh. But it may do him some good.
Kanatash: True. I only hope he takes it the way it was meant. I'd hate to have to see him zorlched.
Satnak: You three are no fun at all...
Klaz lies in the infirmary, recovering from his encounter with the p***ed off Ninja Jaela.
Mickey: (downs the rest of his Vodka of Healing) I dunno what you did, but it must'a been a doosie.
Klaz: I was gonna destroy it, but the sheila got ta me first...
Mickey: Destroy what?
Klaz: Better if you don't know... Ninja star stabs Klaz's hand to wall note attached says : Should have said so, Sorry.
Klaz - I dunno whether to be vengeful, forgiving, or scared out of my mind. Obviously I'm in shock, got any Puji of Perfect Restoration?
Kithle - Ohh my head... oh... terra something i should be telling you... *whump*
Lisa - FLAME whats wrong in here. Kithle said i should get here whats happening.
Terra - Volrath is being changed against his will due to his fathers heratige. The physical aspect is inevitable at this point, but kithle just burned himself out trying to save Volrath's spirit.
Lisa - Our KIthle?
Terra - Yeah... he's not as bad as he would have us believe. Don't tell anyone though. *in squirrel* death paper probably better drag your dad back to his room and watch your claws.
Death paper - (Slips out of kithle's sweater) on it Terra.
Lisa - *common* what do I do?
Terra - Volrath is dealing with a lot of issues wright now. I think kithle wanted you here to show that the Church of the flame aren't all like the inquisitors that messed up his mother and sister. Volrath : That nun with tentacles really helped, but why did she sound so much like Kithle? Only one thing left to do.
A claw rips through the cocoon, tearing a long gash. From the rip spews a horrible bile, and the new Volrath. A tentacle now protrudes from each of his shoulders. Two insectoid legs come off of each side of his torso. As he opens his mouth to talk, his tongue is revealed to be several inches longer than it should be, and is now several stands of stinew wound together and ending in a bony barb.
Volrath : Hi everybody! Oh yeah, Kithle, no matter what you do the true mindflayer empire will not come until long after your dead. The only one of us that will live to see it is Sa'vor. The empires of aboleths will rise and push back the empire you are starting. The humans will then gain true dominion of the earth, by absorbing the other humaniod races. Finally after all of that the mindflayers will indeed rule supreme, because of all your efforts. You how ever will not living to see its completion. It will be ruled by your descendants. Kithle : You arrogant little *******. Volrath (completely ignoring Kithle) : Lisa, I would like to say that...well, I (drops his head and walks out). Jarlot: *bangs his broom from underneath the corridors* You know why Illithids, Beholders, and Aboleths will never real jack!? You guys are too god damned high ECL! It means you never get any decent mage or warrior levels! So yuck it up you gawd damned tentacly things!
Cool Cthultu: Captain that could be construed as harrassment.
Jarlot: What the hell are you doing back here?
Cool Cthultu: Aerith admitted she didn't have feelings for me entirely clear yet what with you and...
Jarlot: She dumped you! HA! In your face Squidhead!
Illithid Crew member: Hey! I resent that! Star Spawn and Illithids are two very distinct cultures and...
Jarlot: Talk to the Boomstick.
- Jarlot blows the head off the Illithid and a number of pieces land in the chilli*
Cool Cthultu: That wasn't very nice.
- door bursts open*
Tifa: I HAVE YOU NOW JARLOT AND I...wha...
Tifa: *drool*
Jarlot; You know, you and Terra I could forgive. Hell I'd even video tape but...WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ALL OF MY OLD GIRLFRIENDS!?
In the chamber of the Silver Flame, Jaela neals just before the fire pit, conducting a private ritual of penance.
Jaela: Great Flame, within which dwells all the spirits of the rightious, slayer of all those who posses the soul, cleanser of the heart, I…………well…I've done something very naughty—
Suddenly the flame grows until it nearly fills the chamber. Jaela feels herself being consumed by the fire, her very soul reduced to ash. She tries to gain control of the fire, to communicate with the spirit of Tira Maron, but she cannot even scream and flame pours from every orifice of her body.
As the silver fire leaves her it coalesces into a human shape, standing just before the pontiff. The conflagration in the chamber begins to die, a silver residue coating the room. As the flames lessen the figure takes on a more and more distinct shape, and soon Jaela can see that it is a human youth, probably about 17, strikingly handsome and not overly muscular, with silver hair that seems to ripple like flame.
The youth, now clothed in a silver jacket and pants of a cut Jaela has never seen before, squats down in front of her. His smile is condescending.
Silver Youth: You are the one the flame chose to lead its mission? Ha! Run along and play, little girl. Your services shall no longer be required. I shall purge the world of evil.
He seems to be staring into Jaela's mind, and an evil gleam comes to his eyes.
Silver Youth: And I know just the place to start.
With that, he vanishes quickly in a wisp of silver flame. Jaela looks into the sacred fire, but it is gone now.
Reading a book in the library, Cheese's left eye suddenly twitches.
Cheese (swearing): JAELA'S PICTURE…
He leaps off the book, passing the new Volrath as the librarian enters. Not quite familiar with Cheese yet, Volrath isn't sure what to make of the behavior. Yet something about the urgency with which Cheese is moving strikes a knot of curiousity—and perhaps even fear—within the abberration, and he tries to follow Cheese. This proves impossible, as Cheese makes use of secret passages that only the rats and Terra know about.
Cheese finally emerges in Kithle's lab, where the half-flayer is still nursing a headache from his contact with Volrath.
Cheese: KITHLE, I NEED YOU TO GET YOUR ÜBER FRIENDS TOGETHER—
Kithle: What have we told you abotu using that voice? Especially when my head—ooooooooo!
Cheese: Self-preservation instinct.
Kithle: Why? I saw you during that Haz'rack game. Every time you got stomped you appeared fully formed form the nearest shadow. And since you've started showing yourself more I've seen Marish eat you on more than seven separate events.
Cheese: That's not important at the moment. We need your über friends, plus Satnak and maybe Lisa. And if Jarlot isn't tied up with marital probelms…
Cheese has everyone relevant gather in the mess hall.
Kithle (now feeling better): Sa'vor, Kantash, myself, Feal-thas, Terra, Satnak, Norbaz, Igor. Jarlot's occupied at the moment, and Lisa didn't want to be disturbed. Said she wasn't feeling like herself.
Cheese: Then it's begun.
Kantash: The demon of the silver flame.
Cheese does not even react to people reading his mind. Long used to not having one as a rat, he doesn't really care what people do with it now.
Cheese: The demon that was sealed in the Silver Flame along with Tira Maron and the couatyl has been cleansed of all its evil and has emerged as a being of pure Law and Good.
Satnak: Than why do we care?
Igor: The world would be boring without evil. That may not make thenthe to you, but I have theen firtht hand what an important motivating forthe evil ith. If the world were thimply ruled by natural fortheth, there would be no need for either. But Good ith often too cothiouth about dethtructhion, which ith where evil thtepth in.
Cheese: And I said a being of pure Law and Good. Think of all the inquisitions that the church of the Silver Flame has done or is thinking about doing right now. Now imagine all that concentrated into a teenager.
Everyone shudders in fear. Even those like Sa'vor, who have seens terror beyond the dreams of über mortals winces once.
Norbaz: That doesn't sound so "Good" to me.
Cheese: That's because you see Good and Evil as a set of principles and not as actual forces. Maybe on another world Good/Evil would be more pronounced and you would understand.
Terra: In destroying Evil this thing would basically be destroying the only force balancing Good's inherant tendancy to try and preserve things, especially life. As a druid, I know how important death is to the natural cycle.
Cheese: Good and Evil aren't tied to the survival of the Material plane, which is why they are so often engaged in battle.
Kithle: So we basically have an über-hero with no mercy and the entire power of the Silver Flame behind it.
Satnak: Well, I'll just zortch it—
Cheese: We can't do that. We can't even kill it. Because if we do, every single person who even remotely worships the Silver Flame will have their souls sucked in and ground up along with it.
Just at the moment Volrath was about to enter the room. However, upon hearing what Cheese has just said, he ducks back out. Leaning against the wall he tries to make sense of the thoughts suddenly swirling through his mind. The power to destroy all the people of Thrane is now within sight. But he doesn't know if he wants it.
Kantash: So what do we do? [he says, sensing the turmoil in Volrath but deciding not to interfere.]
Cheese: If we can show the demon what evil has become on the Forgotten Freedom, perhaps we can introduce just enough corruption to turn it into your average zelous do-gooder.
Norbaz: So you're saying that for once the fate of the world rests on turning someone from Good to Evil?
