From alt.pub.dragons-inn Wed Dec 8 11:22:14 1993 Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!uunet!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!news.intercon.com!psinntp!isc-newsserver!ritvax.isc.rit.edu!SWV3752 From: swv3752@ritvax.isc.rit.edu (Morning Reaper) Subject: [VampQ]Mental Exploration Message-ID: <1993Dec7.204723.892@ultb.isc.rit.edu> Sender: news@ultb.isc.rit.edu (USENET News System) Nntp-Posting-Host: vaxd-eth.isc.rit.edu Reply-To: swv3752@ritvax.isc.rit.edu Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1993 20:47:23 GMT Lines: 124 [VAMPQ] Mental Explorations Character Managed by Rathan Barbar Morning Reaper Synopsis: Rathan does a bit of astral exploring in the castle of Pericles. "I think I'll get some sleep. I'll meet you for dinner," the demonic surfer replied to his companions. Feigning a yawn Rathan retired to his room. 'Now is a good time to do some exploring.' An image of Rathan walks over to the bed to lay down while the real one remains standing by the door, invisible to most forms of sight. The demon-spawn pricks his finger with his clawed nails drawing a tiny drop of blood. The drop of blood shrank in size while growing legs. Next came fangs, then eyes. The small creature remained a deep red color during its transformation into a spider from a drop of blood. 'Ah, my blood spider, you must wake me should any enter this room. I have important work to do.' "Aye, aye, captain," quipped Ah, while saluting. 'You must not betray your presence with any noise.' 'Sorry.' The heir to the Barbars becomes translucent while his body melts into a pool of organic sludge. The former demon-spawn now resembles a slime if one could see him. The blood spider watched as Rathan astrally climbed out of his body. It was all the spider could do to keep from laughing when Rathan fell through the wall. Rathan was leaning on one of the walls while thinking on how to open the door with out being observed. Fortunately, the walls were not barriered to psyche, so Rathan's astral form went through. 'Well, it looks like only fifteen minutes have past, how fortunate. Good thing that this castle isn't exactly like Grandad's. We may actually survive.' A smile appears in the astral surfer's face. 'Might as well see if there is a "bat cave". Rathan descends through the floors paying no heed to the use of such mundane items such as stairs. The design of the floors changes from a typical medieval castle, to a darker gothic style. Traveling quickly downward the _Barbar_ian surfer noticed Tomonobu sitting at a strange telescope. Deciding that the samurai would resent help, Rathan continued to the bottom floor. The area Rathan entered resembled a large cave, with many stalactites and stalagmites protruding from the floor and ceiling. The arrangment prevented one from seeing more than twenty feet in any direction. Deciding that while a bit late it would be a good idea to check for traps in the immediate vicinity. Bringing forth his great will, Rathan Barbar summoned the Sign of Chaos to mind. Nearly losing his grip on sanity, after being weakend from the strain of maintaining a mental illusion and fragmenting his mind to send forth an astral form, The Barbarian forced the Sign to act as a magical scrying lens. There were no traps in evidence yet one area was cleared of stalagmites. On closer inspection it resembled a large laboratory, with the usual collection of vials, beakers, cages, and potions. The one exception to most laboratories Rathan had seen was the large mechanical oracle instead of the usual bank of computers. To one corner of the lab was a skeleton strapped to a gurney, with a red and black orchid intwined with the bones. The skeleton seemed to be in immense pain, and both the plant and the undead were in very poor health. Before Rathan could inspect the sight further, there was a sharp pain through his mind, obliterating all thought. When Rathan next could think, he found himself in a chitinous body, with a familiar spear point inches from his chest. Next Rathan noticed that he was still under the bed with a pair of feet to the left. Summoning forth a strength born of desperation and fear (plus a little telekinesis), the Heir of the Barbars grasped the spear with one claw and the bed with the other three and tossed the whole assembly against the person standing to the left. When the dust (and pieces of bed) cleared it revealed a figure in armour with the butt end of a spear through its chest. "Use MY weapon against me! Hah!" "Hah yourself, thief! Do you think that even if you are the master's grandson, you can just take Mindslayer and parade it about under his nose?" With that said the armour removed the spear from his chest and advanced menacingly on the once surfer, now a large insectoid resembling a thri-kreen with wings, elbow spikes, a head spike, and without a abdomen tail section. "You know, you could poke someone's eye out with the way you're carrying that." The armour lunged foward, grazing the insectoids side. Rathan dropped to his knees in intense pain. With intense concentration, the shapeshifter willed himself across the room.Rathan opened three small dimensional portals, then stuck three of his claws through them. One claw grasped the spear while two others pried open the armour's hand. When the armour realized what was happening, it punched the shapeshifter's claw, sending the spear flying across the room. Rathan withdrew his claws and stood silently while the armour advanced on the insectoid. When the armour was in range, Rathan leaped kicked the armour in the chest. As the kick landed the armour shattered into many tiny pieces. "Fool, when metal freezes it gets very brittle. Now Ah, why did you let that creature in?" "Uh, it was already in the room, boss." "Don't give me that. I made you smarter than to be dumbstruck by things not covered in your orders." "Mmm, boss, some creature stuck their head in the room and yelled at you to get up. It seemed very disgusted that you remained sleeping." "By the Ancestors! They have already gone off to dinner. Come Ah, we must warn them they are going into a trap." -Morning Reaper _________________________________________________________________ |Under renovation| This Advertising Space for sale | |Should be done | Send contributions to: | |By late Oct. or | SWV3752@ritvax.isc.rit.edu | |May of '95 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------