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January 7, 2001
A plea for help!
Her breath came in short bursts as she ran across the open field. She could see her breath in the cold night's air. Looking behind her, she saw the mist was still moving through the trees, and she heard the moans of the risen sent to hunt her.
"This way Opal, run this way," came that voice again. She had noticed it that night in Khaldun when she had stepped up to the sarcophagus. A voice, kind and reassuring, yet insistant. "Fetch Arwyn" it had said as she peered down at Na-Krul's remains. Though she disobeyed the voice that night, tonight she did as it said.
Opal ran on through the night, paying no heed to where she was going, simply listening to the voice that had saved her from vengeful undead since leaving Khaldun.
"Here Opal, leave the bones with someone here, they cannot hurt you then, it will all be over. And others will not be hurt."
Opal looked up from where she was catching her breath. The Dark Tower loomed over her.
"No!" she shouted into the night.
At the sound of her voice a dozen undead began clawing their way out of the ground at her feet, and howls of spirits were heard echoing from within the Tower walls - The Well of Souls. She stumbled backwards, and tripped over a zombie, half climbed out of it's unholy grave.
Scrambling to stand up and escape the grasping undead, Opal felt the cold grips of the undead on her. Skeletons scratched her flesh where it could be found, the zombies left poisonous trails of their coagulated blood across her armor, then she heard something that caused her heart to freeze.
"Ahha ha ha ha" The ground in front of the steps to the Dark Tower split open and a corpse rose forth. Opal recognized it. The ancient lich! Ignoring all other things she was feeling at that moment, Opal turned and ran. She knew she could not defeat him alone, and she would not try such a foolish thing.
Fumbling with her runebook as she ran she found the rune she thought. 'Oh please, keepers of everything good, do not let the ether fail me now' She spoke the words of power.
And she was standing in front of the Temple of Virtues on Ocllo.
"Opal not here. Find Arwyn. Return the remains to him, and all this can end. No more suffering for the innocent, no more running for you. All will be well when the remains are returned to the Dark Tower."
Opal shook her head, trying to ignore the voice. It reminded her of the suffering of the innocent as the undead plagued the lands hunting for her. It did not taunt her, but reassured her again and again that if she were to hand the remains over to Arwyn of the Dark Tower, all would be well.
Opal quietly opened the doors to the Temple and made her way to the table where pen and paper were at for the use of the Knights.
By the light of a single candle, she scrawled a message, the same message again and again on multiple sheets:
Please, I need help. I have the remains of Na-Krul in my possession and each day since I have had them, I have been plagued by undead. While I can avoid members of the Dark Tower, I cannot avoid the vengeful beings from beyond, who spring from the very ground I walk over. Innocents are being hurt while those beasts search for me.Going to the pigeon coup, she fastened the notes to multiple birds and set them off out the windows, hoping she could survive until then.
I do not know what to do, so I send this missive to all whom my faithful pigeons can reach. Please help me. I fear for my very soul in this. I need to meet with any who can make it to the Kingdom of Dawn's Mage Tower at 8pm PST on the night of Friday, the 12th. I send my apologies now to those of Dawn, but tis one of the few places I feel safer.
Opalescense
Quest Knight of Compassion
Posted by Keith at January 7, 2001 12:48 AM