A Bit of News

(The Provinces: 200 Uthmor 357)

Well seems I should tell some tales I have been thru and heard, since it seems the Prophesy has reared its head again. One was my meeting with the Bone Dancer.

This happened to me just as I was wandering in Crossing. I saw the Bone Dancer running by and followed him. He appeared to be lost (heh) so I offered to take him to where ever he wanted. He then asked where the ferry was so I took him and this is what happened.

I saw Bone Dancer Lasarhhtha Oshu’ehhrsk, a S’Kra Mur He has slitted clear colored eyes and speckled scales and is archaic for a S’Kra Mur. He was holding a withered deobar staff carved with strange sigils in his right hand. He was wearing an herbal pouch, some rough hewn wooden sandals, a black cloth tail band embroidered with tiny white scorpions, some burnt and scarred hunting leathers, a rough black leather sheath fastened by a dull scorpion clasp, a black sack painted with a grinning skull, a jadeite gwethdesuan and a scorpion talisman.

The ferry was drawing near to the dock.

Lasarhhtha said, "I have my bearings, now, yes," and chortled softly as if at some secret joke as he patted me on the back.

Lasarhhtha said, "Human you be, but fine person, yes." He pulled a twisted bronze ring etched with images of dancing S’kra from inside his herbal pouch, thanked me, and said, "Take. Remember.&quot He gave me the ring.

I told him, "a wonderful gift"

Lasarhhtha chortled, "Remember, when next we meet."

I assured him, "I will"

I got onto the Ferry at this time thinking he would but he never followed …and when I ran back to the docks he was gone and Death Spirits and other critters attacked the town.

To add to this I knew O’l Boney was up to experiments on controling a soul. What follows is a Scroll of Ol Boney meeting with some in Shard:

A breathless soul said, "I was here, in Shard… but it looks so different…"

A breathless soul said, "Why… why do I look so… faded…."

I peered quizzically at a breathless soul.

I asked, "What is that?"

Yvara asked, "Do you remember an Elven princess?"

A breathless soul said, "I remember …so very little…"

Yvara said, "You are lost soul, but we will help you find your way. We will try."

I said, "You look faded, love, because you are dead….."

It was your typical breathless soul. It was in good shape. It had nothing at this time.

A breathless soul exclaimed, "No, no. I’m not dead!"

A breathless soul asked, "I’m Elothean… Can’t you see?"

Yvara said, "You are only lost. A long time lost."

A breathless soul said, "I am lost, yes…and so confused…"

Stitch asked, "ye donna remember yer life?"

Barabbus asked, "Why do you say Dzree will be the ruin of you soul? were you a member of the dragon priests?"

A breathless soul said, "I remember walking these very streets… A Dragon Priest saw me…"

Yvara asked, "And you were afraid?" Yvara peers quizzically at a breathless soul.

A breathless soul said, "He …he..he raised his sword…"

Yvara nodded to a breathless soul.

Yvara said, "No Dragon Priest will hurt you again."

Yvara smiles warmly at the soul.

I said, "They are gone. They WILL NOT return."

Lafitus asked, "Weren’t the fanatics overrun?"

You nodded.

A breathless soul said, "They are moving north…"

Stitch asked, "thes th’las thing ye remember?"

Lafitus asked, "the young followers of the DPs?"

Yvara asked, "Towards Leth?"

Yvara peers quizzically at a breathless soul.

A breathless soul said, "They are moving north, don’t you see? We must warn Riverhaven…"

I said, "The Sh’kial….Riverhaven is well,"

A breathless soul said, "No, the Crossing has fallen…"

I said, "I was there yesterday."

Yvara nodded to a breathless soul.

I said, "Crossing has been rebuilt."

You smile.

Yvara said, "We have rebuilt it. The mage is no more."

A breathless soul said, "The Hounds of Rutilor have died…in defense of the Crossing…How can this be?"

Stitch said, "yer talkin bout things which ‘appened quite a while ago sir"

A breathless soul wept.

Yvara said, "You have been asleep for a long time, my friend."

I said, "It has been many hundreds of years, dear…"

A breathless soul said, "I’m… so confused… "

I said, "All is well, now…The Priests were defeated."

Yvara said, "That is why everything is so different now..Why you are lost."

A breathless soul said, "By all that’s holy… I do remember some…"

Rheyne said, "tell us what you remember"

A breathless soul said, "The Dragon Priest… he…raised his sword at me…

It hurt so bad when he hit me…then …"

A breathless soul sobs.

A breathless soul said, "Everything got so dark… I saw …stars…"

I quietly said, "The Starry Path…"

Someone was attacked and slain before our eyes. The soul reacted with a wailing howl.

A breathless soul sobbed.

A breathless soul said, "So much death… even now…"

A breathless soul sobbed.

I said, "You will be well…."

Rheyne said, "you have transended pain now"

Stitch said, "aye"

I said, "Nothing more can hurt you, love…"

A breathless soul said, "Wait…I …I…"

Barabbus said, "though times change, many things stay the same"

Stitch asked, "don ye magic types know some spell t’give ‘im a body er summat?"

A breathless soul said, "Things can hurt me… I felt it… I ..remember…"

Yvara said, "Some are still the Priest, but now, there is…Justice."

A breathless soul said, "The Webs… the Silver Webs…"

I asked, "Things can hurt you…. What things?"

Rheyne said, "dont let the past haunt you"

Rheyne said, "let go of your pain"

A breathless soul said, "I felt Webs… A S’kra voice speaking…A S’kra voice…like a Dragon Priest…!"

A breathless soul sobs uncontrollably.

Yvara said, "An elothean."

I said, "Not all S’Kra are Priests, dear…"

A breathless soul said, "Why? I remember Corik… and Dzree…"

A breathless soul weeps.

Stitch asked, "were they yer friends er yer enemies?"

Barabbus asked, "What did you do with Corik and Dzree soul?"

A breathless soul said, "I don’t know… I don’t… know…Corik fled, run off by Dzree’s armies…It just happened last year."

I said, "No, dear, it happened many years ago…"

A breathless soul said, "We are all lost, if the Dragon Priests make it to Riverhaven…"

I said, "What you speak of are tales mothers tell their children…"

Rheyne said, "haven will be safe"

Stitch said, "donna worry bout River’aven"

Yvara asked, "Were you trying to warn Riverhaven?"

Lafitus asked, "What is it in Haven they want?"

I said, "I have read about it in books. It is not now. It is not here."

A breathless soul said, "Save me from the Silver Webs…"

I said, "You are safe. The Silver Webs are not here"

A breathless soul said, "I can feel them coming for me, even now…"

A breathless soul gets a panicked look in its eye.

Lafitus asked, "Mages webs?"

I said, "We shall keep them away from you. I swear it…."

A breathless soul said, "No, the S’kra webs… He calls me…"

Barabbus asked, "Who calls you?"

Yvara said, "Focus on us, here, right here."

I says "He does not….."

Stitch said, "S’kra webs…"

A breathless soul said, "I was so close… I saw my father… and he’s been dead for so long…And he told me… to come to him… but the Silver Webs…"

A breathless soul screams!

Rheyne asked, "do you miss your father?"

Barabbus asked, "the silver webs keep you from your father?"

I said, "Join him now, love…. Join him…"

Lafitus asked, "Illusion? A Trap?"

I said, "The Webs are too weak now…"

Stitch asked, "somethin is ‘oldin ye back from th’starry path eh brother?"

A breathless soul weeps, tears hitting the ground and bursting into sparkling light.

Yvara asked, "Your father tried to warn Riverhaven as well?"

A breathless soul said, "The Webs pulled me away from my father… I miss him so…"

I said, "The Webs are weak, dear… You can go to him…"

A breathless soul said, "I can go to him…yes…"

A breathless soul sniffled.

Lafitus asked, "who is your father?"

I said, "Go to him…"

A breathless soul said, "I must… before the S’kra with the Webs captures me…"

I said, "He misses you," and smiled at it. "We will keep the Webs away."

A breathless soul said, "I…feel…"

Rheyne said, "its where you belong . . .with him"

I said, "Go to him……"

Barabbus asked, "Do you know who the s’kra with the webs is soul?"

A breathless soul said, "I will."

A breathless soul said, "Thank you, I can see him now…"

We smiled at the breathless soul, touched at the moment.

A breathless soul exclaims, "Father!"

A breathless soul flickers and wavers, and then disappears.

Stitch said, "der ye go"

The faint, transparent image of a large gold eye wavers in the sky above.

Zelnaga asked, "what is a breathless soul?"

I said, "How wonderful…."

Then look who shows up……………………..

Bone Dancer Lasarhhtha.

Lasarhhtha narrows his eyes and searched around for a moment, then chortled to himself.

Rheyne asked, "what are you searching for?"

Lasarhhtha chortled, "Not that one. That one who hides in the magic fields."

Lasarhhtha said, "I seek something else."

Lafitus asked, "Is what you looking for tangible?"

Lasarhhtha said, "Tangible? Yes, yes. To me."

Lasarhhtha searched around for a moment and said, "Not here."

Lasarhhtha grumbled.

Lasarhhtha said, "Seek, seek."

Lasarhhtha searches around for a moment.

Stitch asked, "ye lookin fer th’soul?"

Stitch searched around for a moment.

Lasarhhtha exclaims, "What!?!"

Lasarhhtha stared at Stitch. Stitch blinked.

Lafitus asked, "Can you describe your "pet"?"

I said, "The soul Walked…" and smiled

Lasarhhtha harshly asked, "How do you know of souls…?"

Stitch said, " et lied t’us"

Stitch said, "et ‘was ‘idin"

Lasarhhtha pondered and then exclaimed, "Yes!" "Evil things."

{Now, it was about this time that I realized this S’Kra must be the one the Soul was afraid of….}

Lasarhhtha said, "I am here to capture the evil thing."

I hissed

Lafitus said, "That soul seemed nice"

Rheyne said, "the soul is in a safe place"

Stitch asked, "tis evil?"

Lasarhhtha said, "You WILL take me there."

Lafitus said, "it disappeared"

I said, "You have the Silver Webs…" and hissed again, displaying my fangs, prominently, I hoped.

Stitch said, "dinna seem evil"

Lasarhhtha glared and grumbled.

You glared back at Lasarhhtha.

Lasarhhtha said, "Enough, enough."

Lasarhhtha rummages through a black sack painted with a grinning skull.

I asked, "Why do you want to hurt him?" with a hiss.

Lafitus asked, "what is it the sould did to you?"

Rheyne asked, "and what redemption do you seek? it cannot harm you"

Lasarhhtha said, "The soul is a cowardly beast, tricking all around." He chortled softly at some secret joke. "It shall be your downfall, it and all its kind."

Rheyne asked, "and what is the truth of it?"

Stitch asked, "whys thet?"

I said, "And why are you still here? Dzree is gone," I hissed.

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

Rheyne asked, "tell us what it hides?"

Lafitus asked, "It spoke of silver webs. You know anything abou this?"

Lasarhhtha said, "Dzree is long dead, yes. Silver Webs. It lies!!"

Lasarhhtha sniffs and looks huffy.

Lasarhhtha begins screaming at himself. and yelled, "It will not escape me!"

Lafitus said, "It said the silver webs held it back from it’s father"

Lasarhhtha glanced at Lafitus.

Lasarhhtha said, "Yes, yes."

I said, "It has escaped you."

Lasarhhtha exclaimed, "It has not!"

I displayed my fangs and he grumbled at me.

Lafitus asked, "Do you know what the silver webs are?"

I said, "It has. You will not find it."

Rheyne said, "we will not allow you to harm it"

Lasarhhtha said, "You are S’kra."

You nod.

I said, "I am."

Lasarhhtha grumbled.

Lasarhhtha said, "I know of many things…"

Lasarhhtha hisses.

{I decided to stop with the hissing, as it was giving me a headache. <g> Figured it would be better to learn what he knew.}

I said, "Tell me of them."

Lasarhhtha screamed!

I lashed your tail in agitation.

Lasarhhtha yelled, "It is the task! It will not escape!"

I asked, "What is wrong?" with a hiss. "Whose task?"

Lasarhhtha yelled, "It is that which brings me what I ask!" Lasarhhtha began screaming at himself.

I asked, "Who gives you what you ask?"

Lasarhhtha clears his throat.

Lafitus said, "The soul said the Dragon Priests were going to overrun Haven"

Lasarhhtha scoffs at Lafitus.

Lasarhhtha said, "You live in the past."

I said, "The Fourth Province."

Lasarhhtha asked, "Qi’Reshalia?"

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

You nod.

I said, "Aye."

Lasarhhtha said, "Far away from here. No, no."

Lasarhhtha uttered a few harsh words in a guttural tongue!

I said, "Tell me what your task is."

Lasarhhtha exclaimed, "It will not escape!"

Lasarhhtha gestured.

Lasarhhtha said, My task is to protect that which rightfully holds Shard."

I said, "We can help. You are S’Kra. I will help."

Lasarhhtha said, "Yes, yes."

Stitch asked, "which is?"

Lafitus said, "The soul spoke of a mean S’kra"

Lasarhhtha said, "I am descendant of many those with pride."

Lasarhhtha said, "I am direct descendent of those that rightfully own Shard, and all the lands beneath the sun."

Lasarhhtha searches around for a moment.

Lasarhhtha grumbles.

I asked, "And who are those?"

Lasarhhtha flails his arms about.

I asked, "Who owns Shard?"

Lasarhhtha yelled, "Soul!!"

I asked, "And all Elantia?"

Stitch said, "ah’m sensein weird stuff e’erywhere"

Lasarhhtha said, "The Dragon Priests. Of course."

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

You smiled and nodded.

Lasarhhtha yelled, "Soul!"

Lasarhhtha said, "Soul, soul, soul..&qu
t;

I asked, "Who will le
d the Dragon Priests?"

Lasarhhtha said, "My experiment shall be failure, yes, yes."

Stitch said, "th’dragon priests was driven outta ‘ere a while ago…"

Lasarhhtha exclaimed, "Blasphemy!"

Lasarhhtha glared at Stitch.

I said, "Dzree is gone…She was incompetent…"

Stitch asked, "they comin back t’take their rightful place?"

Lasarhhtha said, "They are merely… waiting."

Stitch nodded to Lasarhhtha.

Stitch said, "aye"

Lasarhhtha straightened himself up.

{Lasarhhtha looked at a familiar that had come into the area, and licked his lips… I was amused.}

Lafitus asked, "How do you know that the Dragon Priests will take over?"

I asked, "Who will lead us?"

Lasarhhtha glanced at Lafitus.

Lasarhhtha said, "Those that were once our creations…Those that served us."

Lafitus said, "The Gorbesh attacked in great numbers and with great force yet we defeated them and reclaimed our cities"

Lasarhhtha said, "They shall serve us again. Gorbesh are weaklings. Those in the Wood."

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

Lafitus asked, "compared to the Dragon Priests?"

>Rheyne asked, "the empire?"

Lasarhhtha said, "Those in the Wood shall be our servants again…In time, in time. Yes."

Slikk asked, "adan’?"

I asked, "When will we find them?"

Lasarhhtha glanced at Slikk.

I asked, "Will they come to us?"

Slikk glanced at Lasarhhtha.

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

Lasarhhtha asked, "You hunt the Adan’f Warriors… The Mages..?"

Lafitus nods.

Lasarhhtha said, "Ahehehe." They are weak now. They shall return to power."

Slikk asked, "does this have anything to do with the L’karn?"

Lasarhhtha said, "Who? Little children, these L’karm." Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke. "Elves…"

Lasarhhtha said, "My power is strong."

Rheyne asked, "and the powers? will they not stand in your way?"

Lasarhhtha yelled, "Soul!"

Bone Dancer Lasarhhtha just went west. We followed.

Lasarhhtha said, "You will realize, yes, you will."

Lafitus asked, "Lasarhhtha….are you referring to the mutated Fae things frozen near Adanf?"

Lasarhhtha shakes his head at Lafitus.

Lasarhhtha said, "You are blind to the forest for the trees."

I chuckled and Rheyne grinned.

Stitch asked, "ye talkin bout everythin which was in th’dragon army afore, aye?"

Lasarhhtha nodded to Stitch and applauded.

Stitch said, "all th’nasty beasts in all th’woods"

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

Lasarhhtha angled the tip of his tail toward the ground.

Lelibu asked, "What does this have to do with the soul?"

Lasarhhtha said, "The soul is escaped."

I asked, "From who?" "Whose soul?"

Lafitus asked, "Does the soul know something that you don’t want to get out?"

Lasarhhtha said, "It escapes, and my experiment falls back." Lasarhhtha mutters cryptically to himself. "Feh."

Stitch asked, "whas yer experiment?"

I ask, "The Webs….Do they work?"

Lasarhhtha narrowed his eyes.

Lasarhhtha yelled, "Soul!!"

Lasarhhtha searched around for a moment, grumbled, and searched some more.

Lasarhhtha said, "My experiments are mine, my own."

Lasarhhtha got a massive leather bound tome cornered in tarnished silver from inside his large sack. He opened up the massive tome.

Lasarhhtha glanced at something inside a massive leather bound tome cornered in tarnished silver.

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

I said, "I am sorry to have asked."

Stitch said, "ooooh"

Stitch asked, "cn ah see thet?"

Lasarhhtha utters a few harsh words in a guttural tongue!

Lafitus asked, "What did you use to refrain your subject from escaping the experiments?"

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke and closed his massive tome, putting it away.

Lasarhhtha said, "Mine, is all mine."

Lasarhhtha gestured and a shimmering shield surrounded him. He chortled again.

Stitch asked, "so th’soul is a result o yer experiments?"

Lasarhhtha shook his head at Stitch.

Lasarhhtha said, "The soul feeds my experiments…"

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

Stitch said, "ahh"

Slikk asked, "So who are these powerful creatures?"

I asked, "What if you can have another soul?"

Lasarhhtha scoffed.

I asked, "To replace it?"

Lasarhhtha darkly said, "I shall take one."

Lasarhhtha laughed at himself.

I asked, "From who? And when?"

Lasarhhtha said, "I shall tear a soul from a body like a child plucks a flower from a field…"

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

Lafitus asked, "why not just take some other soul?"

Stitch asked, "where ye keep yer experiments?"

Lasarhhtha exclaimed, "I am above the law!"

{FYI: Tier is my husband, Trill is our son…}

Geoff asked, "You vile creature why would you do such terrible deeds?"

Tierus exclaimed, "Take Trillian’s soul!" with a grin

Trillian exclaims, "NO!!!!!!"

Lasarhhtha gazed at Tierus.

Trillian kicked Tierus!

I glared at Tierus.

Lasarhhtha ponders.

Trillian kicked Tierus!

I said, "He is my son. And yours.Don’t even think on it."

Tierus grinned while I glared at Lasarhhtha.

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

Lasarhhtha said, "You will give me one of your souls."

Trillian exclaimed, "excuse me?!?!?!"

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

I said, "I will give mine,If it is necessary."

Lafitus shook his head at you.

Tierus exclaimed, "sssh!"

Tierus placed his hand over my mouth.

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke. "You soul is too pure."

Lasarhhtha said, "I shall return."

Lasarhhtha exclaimed, "When I do, you people of Shard shall give me a soul!"

Lafitus asked, "A dark knight so to speak?"

Lasarhhtha laughs quietly to himself, an odd gleam in his eye.

Lasarhhtha asked, "Who?"

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

Laneia asked, "and why would we give it to you?"

Lasarhhtha darkly said, "You have little choice."

Lasarhhtha chortled softly at some secret joke.

An inky black shadow formed around Lasarhhtha, embracing him like an long lost lover. He vanished into the deep folds of the darkness.

The black shadow faded like ice beneath a summer sun.

And he came for a body…..(names deleted)

Dancer Lasarhhtha showed up in Adan’f looking for some help to find a grave. We took him into Adan’f and protected him while he looked for it. When he found it, he dug for awhile and found a coffin. After a bit of a mess getting it drug to the north gate, we finally got it there, and then he chanted a few times, tapped his staff to the ground a few times, and it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

He said he was seeking retribution.

Could this be the 3rd Deciever bringing back the one who opened the Prophecy with the Mirror Wraith?………….you decide