The Gambit & The Reckonning

[TetNak]

There is no sign of any other survivors. Many bodies of the dead do remain upon the beach, some bloated already, while others seem to have deadly wounds that would not be unlike what the crab would have done.

Damascus simply seats himself, allowing the rest of the group to look over the dead.

Many have died here, at least a hundred, perhaps more. The reason as to why cannot be known in any type of certainty. Lastly, scouring the beach, Daru and Aethalion find a giant sword, half covered in sand, that once belonged to the companion they had known as Grez.

[Vardaen]

Aethalion stoops and takes up the Greatsword, "The last remains of a friend. One of us should bare it in memory." The Sea Elf looks around at the carnage, and the dead, and there is grief there in his angery heart. "Curse the Tower! Curse its lies and deciet!" Kicking the sand with a foot he moves back to Damascus, "What do you know of this? Speak!" Aethalion throws his hands into the air as he curses and points a finger at the creature known as Damascus.

[Brennor]

Datu stands off to the side an watches for the reply Damascus will give.

Right now he is not interfering, though he might in the future.

[TetNak]

Damascus is quite docile even at the outburst by the Sea Elf. The lycenthrope lifts his head and stares at Aethalion.

"I have no idea," he says simply, "Probably just as much as you." He looks around, "That /Sea Elf/ certainly had some issues. Wrecked our ship, the crew, the captain, and apparantly some of our companions."

The hairy halfling shrugs, "We probably should head back to the Tower to report what happened. Considering your displeasure with them you should probably stay away a bit, considering I am relatively sure you probably used magic in your plight against that crab."

[Vardaen]

Aethalions shakes his head, "I'm not going back to the liars and criminals in the Tower Damascus." He stands there holding Grez's blade, the tip down into the sand, the handle used to lean against with one hand. "The Tower is responsible for this clearly." He hoists the sword up over hsi shoulder and begins to move inland.

He stops at Damascus' last statement, "Magic is not the sole domain at the Tower any longer. They can preach and fuss all they like about the use of my magic, but they have no power over me any longer. Yeor must be a free island in all regards or we are little better than prisoners jailed without a roof. Tell your Tower that The Forsaken will not abondon the people of this land, even if they have." He eyes the werewolf but turns and begins to stalk north up the coast.

[Brennor]

Datu looks back and forth between the Halfling and the Sea Elf, definitely shaken by this latest turn of events and the choice he knows he will soon make.

"What are you planning on doing, Aethalion? Where are you going?"

He looks at his departing friend and then back at the werewolf. "I agree. This treachory definitely needs to be reported. However, the Tower has set a task before me and I aim to attempt to complete it. Will you return to the Tower and report the murder of the Tower's people?"

He waits for Damascus' response, bu this eyes again drift to the figure heading north.

[TetNak]

"They already know," Damascus says. "The birds, the wind, everything belongs to the Tower. They know what happened, they know who lives, dies, and the words being spoken right now."

"Did you actually believe the Tower would not watch for you Aethalion. They knew you would meet up with the others and travel north with the group. The legless halfling and Ola left, why?"

He shrugs, "I cannot say, but the Tower knows what you've done Aethalion. You have followed the path of the Covern. The Witches' Way. You have used power that you are not governed to use any longer." His eyes move to Datu, "It is your duty as a wizard of the Tower to kill Aethalion, immediately."

Damascus stands, crossing his arms, and watches.

[Vardaen]

Stops and turns, he plants Grez's blade deep into the sand, letting it stand on its own like some steel gravemarker. His voice is hard, on edge, and filled with malice, "Ah, yes of course the Tower knows what has happened, they did plan it after all. Didn't they Damascus? The Sea Elf Summoner was sent by them, hand picked because of his abilities to conjur up the sea and its beasts to slaughter us." He steps forward toward the werewolf, "I know of their plans, of their lies, I am not alone in this. There are others that know the Tower is the cause for the magical reefs and barriers that lock us from the outside world. Never have they desired to escape, but to imprison. Their power is all encompassing isn't it? They tell who and when and where. They pass judgement and sentance against any that might learn the truth, or use the Magic of Yeor because such a wielder will learn the truth in time." He opens his arms wide and smiles, speaking to Datu. "Come friend Datu. Come and slay me, be one of their mindless toadies, be their mask, their cloak of lies." He lowers his arms slowly knowing that the Dwarf will not. "Or turn your back on the Tower of Jailors and walk with me in the new way, the way of the Forsaken. He names me Witch, but my heart is what guides me, not Baal, not the Tower, not anyone save for Yeor itself and the Truth that must be exposed before we are all doomed." He shakes his head in disgust, "It is a shame that so many good men and women have died already to preserve Their Veil." Aethalion stands there, waiting for Datu's choice.

[Brennor]

Datu stands there, seemingly stuck as he ponders his choices.

Several times he raises his arms as if to attack, and even seems to be mumbling some things sometimes, but no attack ever manifests itself.

His mouth works several times and he looks back and forth between Damascus and Aethalion.

Finally he turns towards the Lycanthrope. "I cannot. I cannot outright kill a friend who has saved my life and done nothing wrong."

He takes a deep breath. "If that goes against the tenets of the Tower, then so be it."

He turns towards Damascus, waiting to hear the halfling's response. A murmur crosses his lips as he waits.

[Vardaen]

"I am glad you are a friend Datu. Come let us go, there is a village to the north, where we might rest and resupply. From there, who knows where Yeor might take us." Aethalion grabs Grez's blade from the sand and hoists the large weapon over his shoulder. He turns his back on Damascus and begins to move off up the coast, the first of the Forsaken, but certainly not the last, already his numbers have doubled! (Thanks Datu)