Session Start: Tue Apr 09 16:59:40 2002 *** GMAmy changes topic to 'Grandia: New Horizons | Chapter 24.4: Dylan Lude | Location: Tenkali Village, evening, July 4 | Lude Start' ==Session Start== Darkness is falling and Dylan has returned from a hearty dinner. Dill sits on the edge of his bed, belly full, and beginning to snore lightly. At least someone isn't worrying.. * Dylan smiles, and stretches Dill puffs happily and burrows into the blankets. The rain falls steadily outside. I hope we all have such pleasent dreams.. we may need all the rest we can.. tomorrow.. * Dylan leans on the windowsill, staring out at the night sky... The village is mostly silent except for the rain. A few lights shine in other windows of tree cottages, but for the most part all is still. Most likely his friends have gone to bed now. Hmm. No stars.. damn weather.. * Dylan shrugs, changes into pjs and slips into bed. Dill is asleep by the time Dylan gets into bed. Sleep comes quickly on this night, the darkness enfolding him. His sleep is restful for a while, but after a time awareness and wakefulness return, fuzzily. It's dark outside, but Dylan hears Dill fluttering and puffing uneasily. * Dylan looks around... The mirror hung on the wall seems to be glowing faintly. Dill is flapping at it pointedly. * Dylan pats Dill on the head.. Calm down.. what are you excited about? * Dylan walks over to the mirror. Images flicker in the mirror. Dill jabs a wing at it. * Dylan peers into the mirror.. Looking in the mirror, Dylan can see what looks almost like a map, floating in the silvery depths. As he peers, it becomes more defined, more real...almost like he's looking at the land from high above. He recognizes it as the continent of Jesora, his homeland... Hmmm? I wonder how home is.. * Dylan taps on the mirror.. The view zooms in on the mountain village of Laine. As his view gets closer, Dylan sees smoke rising from the village...running figures. The Rainbow Springs are filled with dirt and muck and are beginning to evaporate; the Spirits have disappeared from them. Children are crying as they run past the once clear waters, hurrying for safety. Such images.. why does it show them.. Suddenly the sound of crying becomes louder and nearer. It seems to be coming from...outside? The image in the mirror vanishes. * Dylan frowns and turns round to open the door.. A cruel trick of illusion.. but who would know of Laine enough to perform it.. Outside, large numbers of villagers are running across the ground, or scampering down the trees, most carrying prized possessions or small children. A crashing sound can be heard from the jungle not far away... A monster? Attacking a village? * Dylan dashes back inside the room to grab his axe.. Hmm. I wonder where the others are.. Dill follows, puffing anxiously. Looking around outside, Dylan can see his friends in a little group, huddled against the trunk of a large tree, facing the oncoming noise, weapons in hand. * Dylan runs over to them.. Guys! Do we know what it is? Feray waves. "Hey Dylan...you know that thing that might be in the ruins? This could be it." Nathan nods; he looks fearful, and sweat pours down his face. Indeed, but why the shaking? I'm sure we can defeat it. I mean, our stars have far yet to go, right Ms. Jalanda? «ooc: Jalanda: Actually...I discovered that my crystal ball is defective...sorry.... » Jalanda stands nearby. She shakes her head uneasily. "I see nothing. It is almost as if...the threads of our fate stop. Perhaps it is yet to be determined...or perhaps..." She leaves the sentence hanging. * Dylan stamps on the ground. Right! Our success must be earnt through hard work! These people are depending on us to save the village! The crashing sound grows closer. Mitsuo nods. "Right." He looks uneasy, however...they all do. Of course, if this thing proves too tough, we'll have to regroup. Try to meet back at the last town we were at... Suddenly a huge shape bursts from the trees. Almost plantlike, it is huge and dark green, with writhing tentacles and huge teeth in a what is barely recognizable as a face. It swings its head around almost blindly, searching, sniffing the air. The others nod, then go into guard stance as the thing bursts from the trees. * Dylan starts casting a defensive spell.. Feray growls. "C'mon, ugly! Come and show us what you're made of!" At her suggestion, the thing lumbers toward them, turning its attention away from the fleeing villagers.... Erellisae charges a spell and hurls it at the plant monster, but to no effect! The magic scatters harmlessly over its thick hide. It looks vaguely irritated, then continues to come. Erellisae whimpers and stamps her foot in irritation. What? Strange.. * Dylan lets his earth charm disapate.. Hmm. Time for old fashioned methods.. * Dylan charges the plant creature, intent on hacking it to bits.. Jalanda pulls out her pack of cards, and Mitsuo produces his rings... Dylan reaches a huge, tree-like leg, ready to hack at it. However, his axe bounces off as if it were nothing! The creature looks down, blinking irritably at Dylan. It begins to reach down with a vine-like tentacle. * Dylan swings his axe at the tentacle, backing off.. Guys.. looks like we'll have to retreat.. Suddenly a the tentacle reaches for Dylan with shocking swiftness. Jalanda gasps. "Dylan, look out!" She jumps forward as the tentacle sweeps for him. * Dylan blinks, and tries to leap to the side.. The tentacle knocks him over with powerful force. Jalanda leaps between him and the appendage on its next swing; it curls around her and lifts her into the air, squeezing tightly, and she yells in pain. Jalanda! * Dylan growls.. Everyone! Get going, I'll try and save Jalanda! Or at least slow it down! Cassidy shakes her head, taking up a defensive stance. "No, we're standing with you!" The others nod, backing Dylan up. Jalanda continues to scream, the monster slowing squeezing the breath out of her. * Dylan slams the axe against the plant with all his strength! Dammit! Let her go! Dylan hacks away, making a few small dents in the plant, but it seems to take no notice. Giving Jalanda's body a final twisting, squeezing, wrench, it throws her limply to the ground next to Dylan. * Dylan kneels by her, checking for a pulse.. There is none, and her breathing has stopped. The others hang back, staring in shock. She's... * Dylan shakes, tears starting to drip down his face.. * Dylan picks up the body in his arms gently.. Mikari stomps her foot angrily. "Awright, ya green beast, yer goin' DOWN!" She charges at the thing; the others follow, howling in rage. * Dylan looks at them.. Nooo! It'll just do the same to you! They don't listen, however. The monster begins to swing its tentacles into them, knocking them back. Cassidy and Feray both hit tree trunks with a sickening crack and fall to the ground, unmoving. The others pick themselves up out of the muddy dirt and hunt for their weapons hurriedly. * Dylan looks at the scene, stunned... The group makes a second rush. This time Mikari yells as the thing lets loose a spray of thorns, impaling her. She falls backwards into the mud, dropping her dagger. You fools... why... * Dylan weeps openly.. This continues for several very quick minutes. It seems over almost before it started, and then the monster is advancing on Dylan... Sorry everyone.. I can't beat it.. * Dylan turns and runs.. A tentacle sweeps out and catches Dylan's legs, knocking him over. Suddenly he's falling, flailing through the air...but he doesn't hit the ground, only continues to fall. He can't see anything; everything is black. Then there's a hard thud, and he has hit stone, not muddy forest floor... Ugh! What the hell? * Dylan picks himself off the floor, and tries to look around... His head feels funny, and he becomes aware of a strong feeling of unreality that has suddenly faded. Something's different; the darkness around him seems much more real. In one direction he can see the faint, pale gray light of the twilight before dawn, reaching through a crack in the darkness. Grrr. I hate tricks.. but where am I.. * Dylan staggers towards the light.. The light is a long, thin crack in a stone wall. The light illuminates faded, eroded markings and carvings, the outlines of ancient stone blocks, layered in ages of dust and jungle vines and moss. Ruins? A fair distance for a sleepwalk.. hmm.. There's a sound of footsteps some yards away.... Hello! Is someone there? Dylan goes to investigate the sound deeper in the ruins... ==Session End== *** GMAmy changes topic to 'Grandia: New Horizons | Chapter 24.4: Dylan Lude | Location: Tenkali Village, evening, July 4 | Lude End' Session Close: Tue Apr 09 18:03:35 2002