From alt.pub.dragons-inn Mon Feb 7 15:46:07 1994 Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!sdd.hp.com!think.com!hsdndev!cfanews!cfatrw.harvard.edu!rudnick From: rudnick@cfatrw.harvard.edu (Bret Rudnick) Subject: [VampQ] It's Your Funeral Message-ID: Sender: news@cfanews.harvard.edu Organization: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL0] Date: Mon, 7 Feb 1994 15:34:12 GMT Lines: 205 ============================================================ [VAMPQ] It's Your Funeral Admin [The cast of characters for the [VampQ] thread: Character Created/Managed by --------------------------------------------------------- Ja'nis arsmith@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Alan Smith) Bluestar Dreamer (in absentia) Gemini (Feline familiar of Bluestar Dreamer) Moria Runecaster Master Hawk Rathan Barbar Morning Reaper Ah (Blood spider created by Rathan) Turion "Mr. Sinister..." a salamander (Turion's Travelling Companion) Billy the Torch JGE103@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Matte Kudasai Matt Hebert Tomonobu Fujiwara rudnick@cfatrw.harvard.edu (Bret R. Rudnick) Synopsis: After retrieving specimens of the Vampire Orchid, the object of their quest, the group are forced to journey through Hell to get to the Gate back to Generica. This is part 2 of Tomonobu's tale.] Admin [As always, comments/questions welcome.] ============================================================ > Tomonobu found himself running into a huge open > hall, reminiscent of some fantastic ballroom. The unseen > roof of the vast chamber was supported by a number of gothic > pillars, the tops of which were lost to sight in the eery > light. > In the chamber a number of spirits, ghosts, demons, > devils, and other dead and undead things danced a frenetic > and grotesque waltz upon the marble floor, the music played > by an orchestra of unseen musicians. > The music stopped suddenly, as Tomonobu padded to a > halt as quickly as he could. Their dance stopped just > as quickly, and they all turned their icy gaze as one > upon him. The silence that followed seemed much longer than it actually was. Tomonobu quickly took in his surroundings and made a mental note of the position of each creature in the room should combat become necessary. He didn't make a move for his swords yet, but rather slowly composed himself to a standing position and gradually moved to an area of the room that was sparsely populated. The eyes of the now motionless dancers followed. Then, suddenly, a voice boomed out from the far end of the room, directly opposite the door he entered from. "Fujiwara-no-Tomonobu, welcome! It is the first time." A hideous three-horned daemon, nearly seven feet tall, stepped from the shadows. Its musculature and cloven-hoofed legs suggested it was more than a small part bull, and its prodigious quantity of fangs and other teeth warped its speech a bit. Tomonobu did not recognise this creature, but he knew its kind. As it stepped forward the other monsters noticeably stepped back and bowed as they did so. "I called in many favours and was forced to grant many more to get you here," it said. "I'm flattered," Tomonobu replied as he turned to face the speaker and subtly adjusted his stance for combat. "I am the Chief of my people," the creature introduced itself. "I represent them and look out for their interests." It pointed a long-nailed finger at Tomonobu, or rather, at his swords. "You have something that belongs to us." Tomonobu moved his left hand to the hilt of his katana. "Your desire for my blades is no secret. I have returned many of your kind to Hell for trying to take them. These swords were given to me by their maker. You have no claim to them." The creature momentarily lost its composure. "The material these swords are made from was stolen from this realm!" The Chief quickly returned to his calm, falsely polite demeanour. "Surely you don't wish to risk further damnation by keeping stolen property?" "Further damnation?" The Chief laughed softly. "Your road to this place has been paved with the blood of many. Behold!" At his command, a light came up in another portion of the cavernous hall. There stood no less than seven score and ten figures, some human, many not. Tomonobu recognised many instantly, and knew what the Chief was getting at before he spoke. "Here are the souls you yourself have sent here," the Chief explained. The figures merely stood, a vacant look in their eyes and weary expressions on their faces (those that had them) as they stared straight ahead at nothing, their spirits broken long ago. "You killed them," the Chief continued. "They cry out to me for vengeance and justice." Tomonobu was unmoved. "None of them can truthfully say they were slain unjustly. Some of them died honourably in duels or in time of war. Many others, especially those of your kind, sought to destroy me while I slept or in some other cowardly fashion. Strange, but I do not see the souls of _their_ victims here. Perhaps because they are in another place?" The Chief could see Tomonobu was getting agitated and smiled to himself, letting the warrior continue. "You speak of justice! Your twisted kind knows nothing of what is just. You prey upon the innocent, or the weak. You cowards cannot best me in honourable combat, so you resort to deceit and trickery. Long ago I set out on the road to Meifumado! I make no apologies for my actions. I submit myself to whatever judgement awaits." The Chief smiled an evil smile. "But you are here. This _is_ Meifumado. Your journey is at an end, but your mission is unaccomplished." Tomonobu did not have an immediate reply to this. The Chief was right. "But I am merciful," the Chief continued. "I can allow you to return to your friends and even guarantee you success in your ultimate goal -- vengeance upon the one you so hate. And all I ask is the return of what is rightfully mine." The Chief held out his hand to accept the swords. Tomonobu hesitated for a moment while he regarded the room. As his eyes had adjusted to the light, he could see the walls far to the left and right, each containing dozens doors. On the wall at the far end of the room, directly behind the Chief and in front of Tomonobu, there was but one door. Which one could it be? Move forward, Matte said, always move forward. The Chief noticed Tomonobu eye the room. "You will never find the way out of here alone. There is but one way from this place. All others lead to excruciating tortures, and will eventually return you here." Tomonobu quickly drew his sword and stood ready for combat. There was a gasp from the others in the room as they took a step backward. "Your blades have no power here," the Chief said quietly. Tomonobu knew this was true. Before, when he had drawn his swords, any creature from the daemon-world would be outlined clearly, and he always knew the blade would bite them deeply. That feeling did not exist here. "Still," Tomonobu smiled, "a sword is a sword. I know how to use mine. Care to try yourself?" The Chief backed away a little, keeping a careful eye on the warrior. "You think you can win against such odds?" The other creatures got the idea and took a menacing step forward. Tomonobu slid over to one of the doors on the far right side of the room, near the opposite end. The Chief laughed and the other creatures did not follow. "Try your luck, by all means. The odds are overwhelmingly against you, and we will still be here waiting for you." "Perhaps," Tomonobu answered, as he quickly leapt toward the one door that was previously behind the Chief. That was the only one that qualified as being "forward" from his initial entry into the room, and his feint to another door had left the path open for him. The Chief cursed, and ordered his creatures to attack but it was too late. Tomonobu was already through the door and gone. -- |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | Who makes the rules? Someone else! -- Oingo Boingo | |--------------------------------------------------------------------|