Orlan and the Archmage Werewolf Game

[Tanuchan]

While gazing down from his high tower, Orlan, The Sexy, Sexy Man of Terra, Elder of Bards and all things Chocolate, notices some activity at the outskirts of the forest near the Pen Castle. A group of people sit in a rough circle, and seem to debate something. Rapier catches his questioning look, and swiflty flies to do a bit of investigation.

 

Some time later, the Fallen Dominion tells of what she has heard.

 

"They are discussing some roleplay activity, Sir. They are mostly those who congregate at the Conservatory for what they call the Werewolf Game."

 

"Hmmm... things have been too calm lately, Rapier. Almost too boring. I may have some ideas to help them... "

 

 

Playing with the leaves of a bush, Tanny shakes her head at what Katzaniel suggests. "Sorry Katz... it won't work like this... we need something a bit more real... I mean..."

 

"Reality in a roleplay activity, wolf-lady?"

 

They all look sharply in the direction of the voice. A tall, lean man wearing a big black cloak smiles down at her, and she blinks in surprise recognizing The Sexy, Sexy Man of Terra.

 

"I meant... we need things making sense... it's roleplay but we cannot just start doing things our characters wouldn't be able to. Like... don't know, men sprouting wings and flying."

 

Orlan joins the circle of werewolf players, attracting the wondering gazes of the women and some grunts from the men. Flashing his charming grin around, he lays out a plan that had come to his mind not long ago - in truth, it had been created in a second of bright inspiration when Rapier told him the content of the overheard conversation.

 

"Ah, but what is real in a roleplay? Maybe you need to experiment a bit with that." He waves off some flinching faces, including Tanny's. "And you need a good moderator for that. I'll offer you my services... wolf-lady."

 

There's a hypnotic quality to his soft voice and laughing stare that makes Tanny nod without thinking twice, followed by Katzaniel. Lady Celes raises an eybrow, but agrees with a smile. The men look at each other, some shrugging and others just rising eyes to the sky.

 

* * * * *

 

The circle of players nods, listening to the setting of the game and also receiving the small envelopes with their roles.

 

"You're all Mages from the same Guild. However, there are two spies from a rival Guild. A Hero can protect some of you, and there's one who secretly possesses a Scrying Mirror. I've already briefed you about the schools of magic... no questions? Good, so... let's play."

 

Orlan gestures, and all of a sudden they're standing in the middle of a big hall, decorated with pictures of several Archmages of the past and tapestries depicting glorious battles. The biggest one, covering half of a wall, shows Gyrfalcon with Redemptio drawn, looking grimly at a horizon where a bright flame expands. Wondering, the group of players notice also that they're all dressed in long robes, the colors showing their allegiance. Tanny glances at a mirrow, smiling at seeing herself exactly as she had described when preparing her character.

 

* * * * *

 

"Cryptomancer's dead."

 

The scene changes into the garden of the Guild, and there's a body all wrapped in vines. Strong, thorny, and involving specially his throat. The Mages look at each other, suspicious.

 

"Verdant?" mutters a Mage. "Where have you been?" he turns, pointing aggressively at another one.

 

"Overseeing my army. But I think you could well deal with this simple spell... don't you? I 've heard comments about you not being happy..."

 

Others join the discussion, and a hand points towards Tanuchan. Orlan checks quickly who's the owner of that hand, and suddenly a dark cloud comes to life. Tumbling backwards in complete surprise, Tanny reflexively shimmers into her wolf form and jumps aside, turning too quickly and rushing into a pair of legs. Degenero yelps in surprise at the impact, stepping back to avoid stumbling over and at the same time grabbing Tanny~wolf, throwing her forcefuly away from him.

 

*Noooo...* she changes into a tanuki just in time to avoid a hurtful hit into a bench, diving neatly under it.

 

"You cannot change into a wolf, Tanny! You are a Phantasm, not a shapechanger!" shouts Orlan, weaving another illusion. "And meanwhile Vahktang has been hit..."

 

Vahk cries in fear as a huge slab falls over him... and blinks when it passes through his body harmlessly. But something trips him, at the same time as Orlan hisses "Fall down!". The mage quickly makes a show of falling, moaning as if hit by an elephant.

 

* * * * *

 

"It's Night Phase. You're in your rooms. Sleeping." Following a flicker of Orlan's fingers, the players look around themselves surprised once more at their rooms. Oddly enough, at each night phase their rooms seemed to shift places and even universes, as the sight from the windows once showed three big green moons hanging on the sky.

 

A sudden cry makes Degenero rush for the door, but Orlan steps in.

 

"What..."

 

"Nothing. Celes decided to summon some... creatures... to guard her sleep, and didn't find their countenances to her liking, I'm afraid... " he chuckles, before going on, "Now, your Seeing?"

 

"Katzaniel."

 

Orlan nods. Degenero reaches for the Scrying Mirror, but all of a sudden he finds himself gazing at Katz from an odd perspective -- a very high one. Surprised for a fraction of a second, he makes a movement and hits his arm violently against the unnoticed wall, shattering it. His momentum carries him with it, and he falls down on the top of the debris of the wall.

 

Repressing a sigh, Orlan looks at Katz to be sure that she hasn't noticed the small flicker on the wall as his illusion takes hold again.

 

Degenero stands up, brushing some dust off. "Orlan, what..."

 

"Scrying Mirrors are no fun. No reality."

 

Noticing Katzaniel leaving the room, Degenero tries to follow her -- being instantly transported into a corridor, again hovering above Katz and seeing her in front of a door. As she takes a guarding stance, he understands.

 

"The Baner?"

 

He senses Orlan's nod.

 

A veil of blackness suddenly falls around them, leaving visible just Katz' figure.

 

"Hey!"

 

"Shh. Your Seeing is Katzaniel, not another one. See."

 

Katz looks around her, sensing something slightly amiss. As she moves her head, she notices what seems a distortion field around her. She hisses, grasping her spear and ready for fighting.

 

On the other side of the distortion field, two mages see just a door.

 

As she gazes intently into what seems to be the center of that funny field, Katz is suddenly blinded by a white flare. Reacting in fury, she morphs into a big white tiger, slashing with both fangs and claws around her. There's a muffled cry when her left paw connects heavily with a rib, but her triumphant growl turns into a yowling of pain as a bright flame sears her fur.

 

"No no no!" Orlan creates a strong gale that buffets both unknown mages away from Katz, while drenching the tiger with what seems a portable waterwall. One would notice that, oddly, the water dousing the tiger's fury disappears as soon as it touches the floor.

 

Unfortunately, the gale also entangles Degenero, who's sent hurtling towards the ceiling. He catches himself deftly before hitting, landing on the floor gracefully while Orlan deals with a cursing tigertaur and an unknown mage's fury.

 

 

Some time later, Merelas curses and mutters while asking from news about whoever he had burnt. Orlan waves his questions away, nonchalant. "That one is perferctly alright now, fire-elf. But see if you control yourself."

 

"It's easy when it's not you who's hit by... something with a blade," mutters him angrily, touching his still tender flesh where he had been hit.

 

 

 

Peredhil looks at Tanny dubiously, as she reassures him, "No, it was an accident, Pered... ehm... you know... it's the first time we try... this... hm... eh... "

 

"Live Action?" he completes, helpful. Tanny nods, sighing softly. But as the smiling figure of Orlan joins them, talking cheerfully about how exciting all this experience is, his voice numbs again her doubts and she agrees, turning again to thank Peredhil for lending his Healing skills.

 

"You are welcome, Tanuchan... but be careful, please? Kat..." Orlan arches an eyebrow, and Peredhil swallows the name, "Kat-*cough*... *cough*... erm... well, they will all be fine in a little while."

 

"Yes, yes, thanks for your help." Talking, Orlan leads Peredhil back to the Pen Castle.

 

* * * * *

 

Orlan observes the scene with a grin, enjoying the sparring between Merelas and Katzaniel and the confused look on Tanny's face, who hesitates in accusing either of them.

 

"It's over. You are a spy and I know it!" accuses Katzaniel, whirling at Merelas.

 

"The Seer is dead. You can't possibly know anything, Katz... unless you are the spy. Was it you who tried to kill Tanny yesterday?"

 

"I am the one who protected her by guarding your door, spy! So that you couldn't leave to make one more victim in our guild!"

 

Katzaniel points at Merelas, and her words are punctuated by a small lighting that jumps from her fingers. Merelas jumps back raising his hands in automatic defense, and an invisible shield deflects the lightning. Both Merelas and Katz look at each other and at Tanny, who shrugs, taking some seconds before going back to their accusations. Tanny looks sideways to where she knows Orlan must be, and feels a gust of wind pushing her towards the other two players.

 

"Okay, okay, no OOC thinking..." mutters her, getting her attention back to the others. "How does any of you know I'm not a spy either?"

 

"We are the last three. I guarded your door two nights ago, and we still lost Celes. I guarded his door last night, and nothing happened." Katz glares, bristling.

 

Merelas just smiles at Tanny, "She knows because she is the spy. She tried to kill you but I guarded you these last two nights."

 

All three stumble at once when the earth shakes not very gently, Orlan's reminder that their time for voting is near its end. Katz glances at Merelas, "I hope he gives us a bit more time... yesterday Dean twisted his ankle in the last earthquake".

 

"Yes, and Phil D. Cat clawed me thinking I had pushed him," sighs Tanny. "Okay, then... Degenero once protected Katz, and he was the Seer. Sorry, Mer... down you go."

 

Having got used to Orlan's tricks, Tanny extends her hand towards Merelas, hoping this time nothing like Celes' hordes of Psychic Wisps appear.

 

 

 

They shouldn't have been surprised, but they are nonetheless. They look around themselves, at the plains and distant mountains, and a very fierce glow in the lower horizon. There's a strong ozone smell in the air, and smoke rises from several directions, marking burning towns and farms. Distant yells and thundering noises make them realize there are battles raging somewhere. There's a heavy feeling all around them, and they can't avoid shuddering.

 

Orlan, observing the effects of his illusion, smiles in satisfaction.

 

"Where...?"

 

Merelas gasps in surprise. "Terra... we are in Terra!"

 

"Terra? It has been lost long ago!" Katz turns around, a little shaky.

 

Tanny looks at one and then the other, quite lost herself. Terra may have been lost, but this wolf here doesn't like that glow there...

 

There's an earthquake, and a Dominion floats over them.

 

"One of you is a spy, a traitor of you Guild. One of you shall fall today, as all in Terra shall fall. For Armageddon is near, and there's no escape should you fail."

 

Flapping its wings, the bright Dominion leaves.

 

Another rumbling, another quake, and they are on their knees.

 

"Your fault, Tanny," mumbles Katz, "You let Orlan be the mod..."

 

"Mine? Since when I choose mods? We all agreed to that, and you no less than others."

 

"Sure that Orlan seems to have an hypnotic effect on women..." chuckles Merelas, standing up and lending a hand to Tanny, who glares at him.

 

"Well, if you are a spy, it seems we have to get rid of you if we want to be in a ... safer... place... Sorry, Mer." Grinning, Tanny whispers something and Orlan answers by quickly producing a blinding flash that, unfortunately, affects also Katz.

 

Not again! Holding her reflex change in time, she just whispers, "Creeping Vines."

 

Merelas, blinded and attacked suddenly by thorny vines, reacts automatically calling flames and spraying liquid fire from his fingertips in a wide circle around him.

 

The spray of fire triggers a reflexive defense on Tanny, who tumbles and rolls aside, finding earth's flow in a flash to create a shield around her and manipulating it to reflect the flames back. Katz's surprised yell at being burned registers, and she reaches for water energy to douse the flames.

 

The sudden outpour of water, caused by both Tanny's manipulation and Orlan's interference, just enrages Merelas, who doesn't listen to the warning whisper from the Moderator, "Merelas, you're a Verdant! No fire magic of your own!"

 

Calling to his inner fire, he hurls a fireball in the direction of his attackers.

 

Stumbling out of its path, Katz trips on Tanny, breaking her concentration and making her change into her wolf form in reflex against the unknown attacker. All of a sudden, the tigertaur finds herself fighting a very angry pair of clawed paws and sharp fangs that snap too close to her eyes. She changes into a black panther, trying to free herself from the wolf. Tanny closes her jaws on Katz' throat, and lets go with a painful howl as lighting sears her fur.

 

The scene blurs, and all three find themselves back into the forest near the Pen, hurting from several wounds and burns. Orlan looks down at them, his frown and annoyed voice framing eyes that twinkle in amusement.

 

"You are terrible players. You accused Merelas and end up fighting among yourselves. You don't seem to grasp the concept of the game; Merelas, you're a Verdant and can't access fireballs; Tanny, you're a Phantasm and can't shapechange into a wolf; Katz, you're Ascendant and can't shapechange into a cat. And do you call yourselves roleplayers? Hah! I must start this game again."

 

As a bright flame encompasses Merelas and he disappears into it, a wolf and a cat dart away into the forest, in opposite directions.

 

Orlan laughs.

 

"Well, Rapier, this was fun. I wonder if they are calling their friends for another game, or if they learned to stop complaining about lack of reality..."