+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | The Olympia Times Sunsear year 10 | | June 22, 2015 | | | | turn 76, 124 players olympia@shadowlandgames.com | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Questions, comments, to play: http://www.shadowlandgames.com/olympia Olympia PBEM * * * * * * =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Player-contributed press =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A tyrant is a tyrant is a tyrant. -- Gizmos [ka9] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Now that we're able to head to a city which is safe. -- Brotherhood of Blue [lk8] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Rumors =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Revenge is a dish best served cold Vale Hotzenpoltz =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Chapter 1. Oleg Securing the library is a straightforward task. Oleg has a solid routine down which is good. His current rage and weakening health would deter and distract him otherwise. These damned students with their last minute returns. Thereb s a misconception going around the current batch that if they return their damaged and overdue scrolls that heb ll forget by the time he rises again and their fines will be forgiven. They are wrong. Oleg never forgets. They really pushed him this time though. He needed them to clear out by noon, but he was still shoving them out the door as others were crowding in well later. He goes from window to window closing shutters. Occasionally pausing to catch his breath or steady himself. This purposeful winding down of his health to build aura is never easy. Once the decision is made thereb s no turning back if he needs more time. By 30% he needs to be headed to bed and by 25% he will be unconscious. When he arises is less certain. His health will fall to five percent and only after it has risen back to 25% will he regain consciousness. If all goes well, he wakes in two weeks. Itb s worth it. For all the aura he can build and harvest. For all those ghost warriors he can summon. For all the battles he will win and the lands he will conquer with those warriors. Still, the library of the Unseen University which he holds as the center of his power must be secured. There is too much of value here for it to remain open while he is out. Even his closest adviser Osswid cannot be trusted with these ancient scrolls during that time. He stops in front of the largest window that looks out over the spires of the university. He leans one hand on the sill and thinks about the latest acquisitions to the library. He would have preferred to catalog them more thoroughly before winding down, but there is no time. The demands of this latest campaign necessitated b He whips his head back to the stacks. Was that the rustling of robes? He braces himself against the sudden dizziness. He knows the students have left. He cleared the room hours ago. He walks over to his desk and lights a candle. With most of the shutters closed as the day is waning, shadows are filling the room. The rustling b does he hear it again? He walks slowly down the end of the stacks and sees no one. Of course he doesn't. No one is there. And there is no time for a seeking spell, he is so tired. He returns to the windows and shutters the last ones. He goes back to his desk and pulls out his key ring. Itb s so late in the process. The keys are heavy. So many. He walks slowly to the chest of in-progress work and locks the locks. He moves next to the door and double checks the bar. He throws multiple deadbolts and turns several locks on the door. He goes next to the slot where scrolls and letters can be deposited while heb s out. The box at its base is clear but he knows it wonb t be when he arises. Damn students. He goes back to his desk to put away the keys. He slides them into a drawer, a clever compartment that will not be visible to anyone once closed. He rests for a couple moments, but knows he has very little time left. He must finish his duties at hand. He moves next to the stacks. He double checks the cabinets are locked and the shelves are tidy. He is confident they are, he would tolerate no less. The stacks are empty. He knows they are. At the back of the stacks, he opens the door to his private quarters. He is so tired. He has no energy. His health is so low. He moves to his bed and double checks his side table. The water, wine, food, what heb ll need when he arises is there. He lifts the wineskin b is it light? It canb t be. He just filled it a couple hours earlier. He is so tired. He walks slowly, so slowly around the room closing the shutters. He bolts the door that leads back to the library. He pulls off his robe, and drops his linens. Does he hear a gasp? It must have been his clothes hitting the floor. He sinks to his bed. What is that smell? Could it be orange blossoms? Is it cloves? He is so tired. He grasps the covers but they fall from his hands. As his vision greys out, he sees a woman leaning over him. She smiles. He tries to lunge up but he cannot. His health is too low. He feels the slight breeze of covers lifting up and then settling over his body as he fades from consciousness. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ?Why is the warrior important? !She knows she will die; she has accepted her fate and she awaits her enemies! !She is seated in the middle of the room; she has two swords strapped to her back -she has 2 daggers to hand. Her breathing is barely perceptible, her eyes are open -but unfocused and there is the beginnings of a smile on her face! ?A smile?? !The door has been jimmied shut by forcing 2 gold coins between the door and the frame -by sharpened pieces of chair; she has booby-trapped the door and the 6 ways to -enter the window with sharpened pieces of furniture! ?? !Oh my! !She has defecated on the stakes and on her blades; she will not die alone! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=