Session 4 - 2/2/03


In the morning twilight, as we stare west, the thick and long line of the ape army winds its way across the terrain towards the forest.

Kaleb has moved outside to a higher point, to act as lookout.
For some reason, Malcolm returns inside the cave, and dives back into the water tunnel.

Wilhelm, with Miranda and Kianna, agree to move the humans further into the forest … as it is suicide to face the ape army as we stand.

Kianna notices that Malcolm has not returned, and feels compelled to go looking for him. She dives into the water tunnel, to find him huddled at the bottom in a foetal position … and a large eel in the darkness about him.
Through observation and mental impressions, she attains that he is intent on not moving. Through mental impressions, she convinces him that they cannot stay at the bottom of the water forever, and that they must make a getaway soon. They make a rush for the surface. The eel attacks Kianna, but with Malcolm's help they make it to the surface and out of the water.
Seeing that Miranda and Wilhelm are moving out with the humans, they quickly catch up.

John, then William, head out through the forest towards the plains … along which the ape army is now moving towards us.
As William stays hidden in trees and magic, John moves out onto the battlefield. After dispatching a small contingent of apes with his sword and magical effects (some of them apparently from Mornblade … but actually for our hidden hero, William), John trumpets a battlesound from his Horn. As Argath and 50 Demons erupt into being around him, a dread voice (that of William) echoes across the plains. "Apes, return to your city, or be destroyed".
The apes split into three formations and charge.

As the humans head deeper into the forests for protection, Kianna gets the strange impression that things are changing. At first she cannot identify these changes, but feels something nonetheless. After she 'feels' a few more 'changes', she notices that the forest is drying quicker than one would expect, and that the trees are slowly changing into that of a different variety quicker than would be expected.
It is at that point that Wilhelm and Miranda start noticing the changes also.
And at that point that they all become deathly aware of the howling that reverberates through these changing woods.

On the plains, 50 Demons face off against 100's of Apes. With John and Argath taking the command point.
Blood flowed over the fields that day.
Mornblade in hand, John met this force with indignant might. If his own presence was a force to be contended with, it was only made stronger.
Mornblade, moaning and groaning in pleasure, drew blood from any that came into reach.
And a strange spectral sword appeared, dancing around John and cutting down adversaries before they reached him.
Lightning arced down from the heavens, smiting John's enemies by the dozen.
Boulders flew, as did broken bodies.

John seemed as a god on that battlefield, Mornblade glinting in his hand. Little did he realise that he owed much to William … his silent and hidden benefactor during this fight … without whom John would not have had the benefit of Lightning and the Spectral Sword.
Unfortunately, the time came that John realised a need to retreat, and at least regroup. As Argath called the command to do so, the apes also fell back to do the same.
Both sides had taken significant losses. While the apes still outnumbered the demons by at leas 3 to 1, it was the demons moral that held the highest.

Deep in the woods, Wilhelm prepares the humans to avoid an area of obvious ambush … onto to discover that the only person waiting there for them is Kaleb. It appears that Kaleb has somehow (maybe by traveling back to earth) outfitted himself with a few new weapons. As Kaleb joins the group, he tosses Wilhelm a pump action shotgun … he keeps for himself the SMG and small hand cannons.

Miranda, interested in making some decisions, brings those present to a discussion regarding out intent and destination. Wilhelm admits that, without knowing the area, he only intends to get the humans out of harms way. He intends then to decide what the next step should be.

Out on the plains, outnumbered still, John has made the decision to push the attack. But this time, as well as wholesale slaughter, he sought a new tactic … to break the ape's morale by killing their leader. The leader of the apes seems to be a huge Gorilla on the other side of the battlefield.
With enemy on all sides, thundering down upon them, John and the last of his loyal demon troops make a desperate rush into their midst.
Like a fighting wedge of gridiron players, they forge through a small section of the ape lines. As his demons flank and cover him, John makes a determined charge for the Gorilla.
Demons and apes collide, and spectral swords fly.
As John closes the last few meters upon the gorilla, he realises how big that flukking thing is, and wonders at the sanity of the decision he made … but with Mornblade in hand, and conviction in his black heart, he joins in personal battle with the massive beast.
With blood, and sword and brute strength, the fight is finally won by John … whom, with a almighty battle cry, breaks the apes' morale and sends them running in fear from this god and his demons.

Far into the woods, the battle cry cannot be heard … but he vicious baying and howling can. As Wilhelm hustles everyone into the tree's … the monsters attack.
Huge Wolven foes, with sharpened tusks and whom move with lightning speed and agility, appear from various directions.
As Malcolm, Wilhelm and Kaleb lay down covering fire with their heavy firearms, everyone else scrambles for the safety of the trees.
Miranda is gored in the leg as she ascends, and blood flows freely from the wound.
Eventually, the attack is driven off, having killed many of the wolven creatures … but leaving Miranda and several humans in a bad way.

As John and his remaining demons make their way back to meet with the others, they to are set upon my these woven creatures.
The demons quickly deal with the threat … but then start to fade, leaving John alone in the woods to face another possible incursion of wolves.
John feels it is time to move quicker towards his siblings.
At this point, a meteor is seen searing through the heavens … and eventually collides with the Ape City. Soon afterwards, another will be seen. Its destination is the cave complex we left. Checking from afar, it will appear to us that both locations are destroyed by the celestial fireballs.

When John, still be shadowed by an invisible William, eventually catches up with the rest of the group, he finds them under attack.
Kaleb, Malcolm and Wilhelm are still laying down coverfire, while Kianna is dealing with Miranda's wounds.
With Spectral Sword and Mornblade, John leaps in to assist in the defense … till eventually, the wolves fall back to regroup, giving us time to do so also.

Once Miranda's wounds are tended to, Kianna turns her attention to those of Malcolm. Malcolm had taken wounds from the eel back in the cave, and these still had not been dealt with.

As Wilhelm remains on the ground, maintaining watch for the wolves and scouting the perimeter, Kaleb makes his way high into the trees in an effort to confirm and watch the local area. Kaleb also take the time to clean and oil up the guns that need it.

Wilhelm shares with everyone that the wolves seem to be intent on our group … and that the only humans that have been affected were as collateral damage. The humans decide to take Wilhelm's advice, and split from our group.

Before we go, though, Vic talks with Wilhelm. She says that while she knows John is essentially evil, she likes him nonetheless, and asks Wilhelm to promise that when he kills John, he does it quickly.

Several hours later, we leave them in the trees as we head off through the forest … with the wolves following. Wilhelm calculates that there are about 30 wolves left.
One and ½ hours later, the wolves attack again. As most everyone scuttles for the trees, John and Wilhelm remain on the ground to deal with the wolves.
About ½ of the remaining wolves are killed however.
In the ensuing battle, John is grievously wounded. It takes Wilhelm to render him unconscious, and Kianna to clean and cauterise his wound (using a shotgun shell and Wilhelm's Zippo).
While this is going on, William (still invisible) goes out to scout the local area.
Everything remains calm for a while, as the remaining wolves circle about the encampment.

During this time, Miranda, inquisitive as ever, helps herself to Johns Horn of Demon Summoning. She gives it a blow, but is disappointed to find that no demons come to her aid.

There is discussion about what to do next. Kaleb pushes for a return to earth, while Wilhelm refuses to leave this spot until William has returned. Kianna feels that while John is stable, he needs immediate medical attention.

Suddenly, trees outside the encampment start to explode, and wolves can be heard yelping as if in pain. Dragons sore above us, igniting the wolves and, apparently, driving them away.

One of the Dragon Riders descends from their mount. Wilhelm refuses to stand down from his defensive stance. While others seem willing to trust these new comers, he does not. Due to his overdefensive posture, the Dragon Rider chooses to leave rather than stay and talk. She ascends the rope back up to his dragon. As she leaves, though, Miranda utters a name.

William, now returned and still invisible, decides to follow the Rider up the rope. For one reason or another, the Dragon is aware of this, and kicks him off. He suffers some serious injuries upon landing. Kianna and Miranda rush to his aid, while Wilhelm stands over him … sniper rifle ready to defend against any attack.

An arrow is fired near Wilhelm, which he catches. It has a message attached, and Wilhelm hands it to Miranda to read.
While she cannot read the language, she feels that its contents are a message of peace, and an offer for help. On Miranda gesturing that she wishes this help, she discovers a strange 2-dimensional person is already with us. Wilhelm, gun in defensive position, moves to cover this new man also.

Miranda talks with the man for a while. Wilhelm is unwilling to stand down from his defensive posture, whilst everyone else wishes him to so that the visitors will feel more welcome. Wilhelm becomes annoyed at their requests, and leaves them with the visitors. He heads off into the wilderness himself.
The other Dragon Riders descend, bringing with them a technological device that they use to scan Johns wounds. In turn, they also check Williams and Malcolm's wounds also.
The Rider speaking with Miranda indicates that they have come because she summoned them by blowing the horn. They also reveal that they came from across shadows to summon the call, and could not remain long.
The Riders explain that the devise they brought not only scans wounds, but also starts them healing on an accelerated rate. They give the devise to Miranda and tell her there are two more uses in it.
They also ask Miranda "How many are with you?" They seem somewhat unconvinced by her answer, as she counts the 7 of us out.
Then they leave.

The group then settles themselves down to rest and recuperate … but change their minds and head off to find Wilhelm.

Wilhelm, meanwhile, has traveled off into the forests further. After many hours of travel, as the sun begin to set, he locates a primitive lean-to that he can use for shelter and rest for the night. However, noticing that something else stalks the forest, he decides to go out and discover what it is.
He discovers his siblings following his trail.
Wilhelm decides to elude them, covering his tracks, and double back to where the Dragon Rider meeting had taken place. There he spends the night.
The group eventually finds the lean-to after dark, and decide to stay there the night. They place watches for defense during the evening.
Next morning, they prepare for the coming day … hunting, cooking, eating, worshipping Satan (well, William does anyway).
(Note: when I say he worships Satan, this does not mean John).
They come to an agreement that for the next 24 hours, they will work together. Their first order of business is to find Wilhelm, they decide.
After those 24 hours, they will all do as they please. It seems many of them are inclined to try and find Theofrayeden.
As the group heads off to follow Wilhelm again, Miranda starts drawing one of her special cards.

Meanwhile, Wilhelm has decided to find whoever is hunting the group.
Shortly, Miranda Trumps him with her new card. He agrees to let them find him, and has lunch cooking for them.

An hour or so later, the group comes across him sitting at a campfire with a young silver/blonde woman named Nyssa. He offers them to help themselves to the food prepared, but prevents John from helping himself to Nyssa.
Eventually, we all end up sitting around the fire talking with Nyssa. She tells us all about:
Paths, Ancestors, Time Flows, Pattern, Trump, Shadow, Destiny, Shadows of Destiny, Path Markers and some other stuff.
Nyssa also shares that she is related to our family, in a fashion, as she is descended from a common ancestor we share with her. Apparently, they are "Xyland" and "Riamori".
Unfortunately, John does not hang around for most of it, storming off feeling like he is not welcome at the campfire.

John summons Argath, and discovers that Argath and the other demons have limited time in the shadow … which is why the vanished earlier.
Argath also explains to John that he is in a 'bordered shadow', and that is why John cannot get out yet, and why Argath's demons have so much trouble getting in. Argath also explains that he cannot take John out of this shadow for the very same reason … or is it because Argath's master has forbidden him to do so? John discovers that Argath's 'master' is a being known as "Serenity".
John, in due course, discovers that reaming the mind of the demon does no good, as there are very dangerous protective measures placed upon the demons mind.
With Argath's time here almost up, again … John instructs Argath to go find him a Trump card, which he can use to get himself out of this shadow. Argath agrees to go and do this. Then vanishes.