Back to the Future II, Track II - No McFly's here Options

[fistandantilus4....]

It's a tense trip back to the village for Ralo and Alexander, not knowing what they'll find waiting for them. What they do find is the Elder Hommand and the guard Captain Bryce waiting for them upon their return with a small, and angry mob. A short battle ensues, viciously one sided with Alexander unwilling to hurt his neighbors, until Ralo spots the Shadows lurking in the shadows of the Elder and the guard captain. The Hounds are unleashed, and they tear into the shadows, somehow feeding off of their very essence until they are no more.

The Elder calls a stop to the battle, terrified and relieved at being released. He relays his story of being controlled by the demon lurking in his shadows, and reveals a few others within the Coel Council and guards. The Hounds make short work of the remaining Shadows. The Elder tells of the truth, of the boys Alexander is said to have killed as being raised as cadaver man. He says that the Shadow told him they targeted Alexander because of something he carried, the Emerald Eye of Truth. He also tells of a great danger, of an army of the undead marching on their village, coming to consume them all. They have only days to prepare or flee.

In the Hound's Gate Citadel, Morgana and Dr Holder talk much about the past/future and their roles in it. Holder learns much form the elf girl about how matrix works in the here and now, especially in the matter of spell matrices. As they talk, they wander the fortress, evading the few remaining honuds easily enough. Eventually, they stumble upon a hidden door, and a secret passage leading into the catacombs beneath the citadel it's self. A hidden sanctuary the creator of this place left long ago. Within it, they find a second defense, a massive crystal in the shape of a pyramid. It's mostly black like obsidian, with streaks of white and gold running through it. Working on studying the aura and pattern of the stone, they discover it's purpose. It absorbs ambient mana in a large area, rendering magical creatures, especially spirit based creatures, impotent. After a bad joke from Morgana about them not being able to reproduce anymore, they set out for the village of Coel to tell Ralo and Alexander of what they've found.

After conferring in Coel, Ralo, Morgana, Alexander, and Holder convince the Council of Elders to flee to the Hound's Gate Citadel, where they will have a better chance of defending the town's people. They can't withstand a long siege, but they'll have a better chance than standing their ground, or fleeing from an army that does not tire.

Inside the Hound's Gate, Morganna and Holder study the stone to learn it's pattern and how to master it. Ralo scouts the country side for signs of the approaching horde of undead, while Alexander sees to his people. It's toying with his emerald gemstone necklace, the only ting that could possibly be this "Emerald Eye of Truth" when he sees through a wall in the old Citadel Master's rooms. Inside, he finds a hidden text, trapped by wizard's spells and a riddle. Answering the riddle, he reads the book, and finds a codex on minor horrors and undead, as well as a large section in the second half of the book devising an adaptation of a Theran device called a "Locus Stone" to defend against these sorts of creatures. The wizard Athnen devised a lesser version that would serve the purposes he had, and created it from living crystal and orichalcum.

Taking the book to Morganna and Holder, they discover how to access and activate the Lesser Locus Stone, and now have a way to survive a horde of a few hundred undead. The battle it's self is still vicious and deadly, as the Locus stone is not fast to activate, or complete in it's power. The undead are slowly drained of their animating power, falling limp at the ground over the course of a few minutes. The few minor horrors and Shadows that attack are weakend as well. The gnashers still wreak havoc, tearing through the Citadel walls them selves in a few places, now that the wards are defunct. The battle takes a heavy toll in lives, but they survive.

A suprisingly weak wizard is found to be commanding the small horde. Ralo manages to wound him before he can escape, so that they can question him. From him, they learn that a man named Epsilon is controlling the shadows, using them to build his personal army. Holder knows the name, having heard it in the Cave. Epsilon, a member of Novatech's Black Omega, gone rogue in seeking the secrets of the cave that brought him here. Somehow, he apparently is doing this.

They travel to the northern villages, and find Epsilon in his own personal little wizard's tower, apparently newly, and badly constructed. He has a small horde of cadavermen with him still, making for a difficult battle. Making matters worst, Epsilon has no fear of casting raw magic, and uses t to powerful affect. Suprisingly, his greatest weakness is physical combat. Holder and Morganna engage him in a spell battle, enabling Ralo to pick his shots at him. Once the hounds and Alexander get through the pack of undead, the four make short work of the would be warlord. Once he falls, the remaining undead die as well.

[Grinder]

Hovering in the air above the corpse of the Wizard, Ralo still holds his bow ready. What are we gonna do now to make sure this guy doesn't come back as the puppet of a Horror? Or, maybe equally bad, someone else using the knowledge hidden in this tower to create another army of undeads agains?

[Callidus]

I would suggest decapitation and destruction of the body and head by fire, although I'm not certain whether that would stop a Horror from raising him.... Not certain anything could stop one, although my lore of Horrors and their powers is not very good so anyone know?

With that he looks around at the gathered adventurers to see if more information would be forthcoming about bodily destruction and then continues.

As for the tower, why don't Morganna and I have a search for anything useful from a wizardly point of view while you two search for anything else we can use and then we lock away anything harmful?

GM queries

[ Spoiler ]

Before anyone goes ahead with a destruction of Epsilon's body can Holder search him for any sixth world items he may have to make sure the others don't spot them (although to be honest his ability to hide them will be limited). Plus do I think cremation in, probably, a bonfire will destroy his cyberware from anyone discovering how it works? Must protect secrets of future from evil doers in past *8->

[fistandantilus4....]

[ Spoiler ]

he has no cyber or 6th world items. His perviosuly cyber arm became living crystal. :D

[Callidus]

So once we check the tower out do any of you have any plans for what to do next? Are you going to return to your village now it's free again Alexander?

Frag, I wonder if the 'runner came through time as well? If he did I really should try to find him, maybe he knows how to get back.... But how on Earth can I find one person in a medieval world?

[Grinder]

Well.... Ralo begins, but instantly pauses after he has spoken his first word. The windling flies to a nearby table and sits down.
After a while, he looks at the others. Originally, I was hired by a t'skrang merchant to ah, visit a village. Wonder if this is still important.

[Callidus]

Well, I guess I've delayed that mission, so I'll help if you'd like?