muldran

A few days previously... Taggart's Point of View

Lord Taggart read the note again, their going to recover one of the boxes. Hmm he thought to himself while rubbing his chin. I haven't had much luck in finding the others who held the boxes perhaps I can meet them on this trip or at least see what was done with the Trinsic box. Remember the last few weeks creatures had been hunting him down that had been blackrock infected even when with others they would always run right for him. Not 2 days ago while on a trip to Ice dungeon he had been attacked by 3 different creatures infected by blackrock.

Getting my hands on a second box may allow me to see if the boxes are making me a target to this creatures or if their helping me fight them off.

Calling on Lord Manderville they made their way to Trinsic's Moongate to aid in the search for the "missing box" When they met the others who where searching for the box he was disappointed to see or not the others who held their boxes. But I least Lord Taggart thought their won't be others trying to take *his* box or try to make a grab for the other one. As those from the shadow court led him back to the place he got the first box he began to ponder on what he should do about the box if they found it.

Lord Taggart was lost in his own thoughts while blue performed her ritual to find the missing box which lead them to an evil tavern near the shrine of Honour. As Lord Manderville let the rag tag party there, Taggart sensed something powerful as they got closer.

AS they entered the tavern a pure white moongate dominated the room it was throwing off a huge amount of magical energy was this what he sensed? As Blue ran off to search the tavern he followed her scared if she located the box she would keep it from him, out in the open air on a table their it was a black box and this one was even really Black! Lord Taggart couldn't keep his excitement bottled up and he ran over to the box to examine it.

His whole world seemed to shrink to just be about this second box he had to protect it from those that would abuse its power but he didn't have the man power with him here to keep it safe. His only option would be to take it far from the others until he could summon more of the order to help protect it and secure the others. Without missing a beat he grabbed the box and pushing Blue out of the way as he ran out of the tavern as fast as he could leaving everyone else bewildered as to what happened as he shot off into the woods.

__________________

Decardo Imier

An excerpt from the shadow court pages


For the full story attached to this post click here

__________________

Life is the Dance and Honor,
the Dance is Death to those we oppose,
Honor is our salvation.
Without Honor the Dance is meaningless
forms and we are nothing.

So said by Sai-Renya Killandra - Sword Elder of the Renshai

muldran

Everything was quiet.

Muldran sat in the room in the Shadow Order building. He stared out of the window, after writing his report.

Following Taggart's disappearance, the Court had arrested Muldran - arrested him! - and placed him under isolation in a room, commanding him to write a report and leave nothing out, about his part in this black-box trouble.

As he wrote, Muldran reaslised that there were many things that he'd just not thought to tell his friends and confidants - and how things had become completely out of control.

The presence within the boxes - the thing from outside - had been shattered when the boxes were split... But then something else - something unexpected - had found its way inside, and had started to influence those posesssing the boxes, making them want, need and desire to reunite the boxes.

Out of all of them, Taggart seemed the most affected, although why this was, Muldran didn't know. Something in his past, perhaps? If one was going to gather all the boxes - it would be him...

Muldran looked down at the newspaper in his hands, reading the report of something being built in Moonglow and...

What? A Blackrock detector? The Ruling Council were taking him seriously! Letting out a whoop of glee, Muldran rocked backwards in the chair, nearly tipping himself into the fire. Balancing himself by wheeling his arms in the air, he chuckled.

There was a way! Now he had to work out how to get all those who had a box to the location of the Blackrock Detector... And then work out how to use the Detector to...

There was a knock at the door. Muldran stood up as the Court filed into the room, to pass judgement on him... He hoped he'd still be able to fix this problem!

__________________

muldran

Blue sat at the table, next to Muldran. She pointed to the plan of the city.

"I see..." said Muldran. He drew a line from the construction site to the corner of the park. "And if the line of power works like *that*..."

Blue interrupted, "You would have to check that with Cherry. She is the one that understands the ley..."

Muldran nodded, "Quite. Of course. But that's what we'll need to do. With the Blackrock Detector being built, there'll be a confluence of..."

Blue had lost interest. "Saturday, you say?" Muldran nodded.

"That should give you enough time to find out what happened with the broken box... The one the Dark Lord shattered."

Muldran gulped.

__________________

muldran

The Court had inspected the box the Dark Lord had drained. They stood in the snowy, treelined cove, and looked out to sea.

"There's no one for miles around - and no ways to climb up here. Just the enterance back from..." Decardo said.

Cherry nodded, cutting him off, "Then it's the perfect location." She drew her cloak around her and looked over to Gorthyn, Bertrand at his side, as they emerged from the trees.

Gorthyn nodded gruffly, "This is the place then. It can be kept here, and the Order will guard it, to make sure that nothing else happens to it." He shot a look at Muldran who was shivering in the snow storm.

"Well - I thought this place would do. Although why the Court insists on these cold, snowy climbs, I have no idea." Mul's teeth chattered as he spoke, causing the sentence to go on for far too long.

Bertrand looked around the clearing. "So, the plan? We are all sure of it? Muldran, at 8 of the clock tomorrow, you will collect the Control Box from the Reliquary? I'll make sure that there is at least one other there to guard you."

Muldran nodded. "And from there... the box must be transported to Moonglow. I've paid the workers there to vacate the site, so that I can have the prototype device pull things in to the box..."

"Paid? Bribes? Skully, what did we..." started Decardo, his sense of honour stepping to the fore. Cherry laid a hand on his shoulder to calm him. Decardo gritted his teeth.

Bertrand picked up the rest of the plan, "Then, Muldran will perform the ritual that he used to activate the boxes, drawing the energy from the remaining boxes into the Control Box. And then one of us will have to bring it here...."

Muldran piped up, "And that will be that. Finished. And safe." He smiled at the rest of the Court.

Gorthyn studied him carefully. "And this will work."

"Yes!" Muldran replied, positively beaming.

"Skully, do you have your fingers crossed behind your back?" asked Decardo.

Muldran strode towards the sparkling gate, and left the wooded glade, followed by the Courtiers.

__________________

muldran

In hindsight, any plan that Muldran comes up with - no matter how well thought out, planned, drawn, predicted or just muddled through - well, it was bound to fail.

At first, things started well. The Control Box was collected from the Reliquary in Rhovanion, and transported by Muldran, Cherry, Gorthyn, Bertrand and new recruit Xorthaul.

Hayt waited by the Moonglow moongate, and ushered the group through. It was then that Muldran started to complain; the box was becoming warm to the touch - and as the group moved towards the Blackrock Detector in Moonglow, Muldran announced that the Control Box knew where it was...

It seemed like the Box had also called for help - for standing in the Beergarden was Lady Flame. She wasn't entirely certain why she was there - she just knew that she had to be present. The Box had called to her - and she immediately tried to get in the way of Muldran's ritual. Cherry moved her to one side, and tried to speak with her, as Muldran placed the box into the pool of water, and started to draw power from the boxes.


He succesfully managed to drain the power from the box that Lann'al had taken - the power came sluggishly, unwillingly, as if something was holding it in place a long way away.

As he started on the second drawing, things started to get a bit more troublesome. The box starting spitting and hissing (from heat or something else?) and the water in the pool rose in great clouds. As the clouds cleared, it the Courtiers saw that Taggart and two of his Knights (Falcon and Sir Calador) had approached the Detector.

A heated battle of words begun on two fronts. Muldran successfully drew power from the box that Flame held, and she looked around in shock and horror, seeing the Blackrock infection on her hands for the first time. but understandly - instead of being relieved at the change, she realised this had been Muldran's fault all along, and shouted at it "What have you done?!"


As the boxes that Taggart held started to be affected, Taggart attempted to imobilise Muldran. The Court quickly tried to explain what had happened, and what they were doing - but Taggart would not listen - and the Knights tried to remove Muldran from his position by the Control Box.

And then, someone picked up the Control Box... And a fight broke out. Spells were flung, arrows launched, and Gorthyn moved forward with his blade. Xorthaul ducked out of the way and watched as his new guildmates tried to prise the box back from the Knights.

But to no avail - Cherry, Muldran, Gorthyn Hayt, and Bertrand became greviously injured, until a pause was called. But in the battle, Taggart had also been badly wounded.

At that moment, while people were occpied in fighting, Flame nipped forward, still feeling some compulsion, and lifted one of the two boxes that Taggart posessed from his body. It's doubtful that the Knights saw this, as they comanded their Grandmaster's body be carried back to Beaufort - with the Control Box as their victiorious prize. Of coutrse - they believed that they had stopped Muldran making a big mistake by continuing the ritual, but... Ah, such plans.


As the Court recuperated around the Detector, it was noticed that Flame was nowhere to be seen. And it seemed that Taggart now had all the boxes. The Court returned to the Reliquary where Mul tried to cast for the location of the boxes - and although he couldn't pinpoint where they were - he knew who they were with. Salazar arrived in time to give them moral support. And help dress their wounds, more importantly.

The Dark Lord's box had been destroyed sometime previously. Lann'al's box was now drained of energy and inert. Flame's box had suffered the same fate.

The Control Box was active, and so was one on Taggart's body. But the second of Taggart's boxes; that was now with Flame!

The Court were hopeful - the boxes were not all together; if they could get to Flame, and persuade her to help them (and providing this other box didn't infect her before they found her!) they still had a route to the Control Box and a way to deactivate the boxes for good - but would their second plan be successful where their first had given them a bloody nose?

__________________

Taggart

The day had started so well Lord Rhailto had return to active service and while re-equipping him I felt a tug at my very being pulling me to Moonglow asking Lord Falcon and Sir Calador to accompany me. When we arrived at what was once the beer garden we saw members of the Shadow Court in side a fenced off area and Lady Flame trying to get some answers from Muldran.

As soon as Flame saw me she turn and claimed I had something of hers where it was quite clear that it was down to the Knights Templar to protect the boxes and stop them from being used for evil. When confronted Muldran even admitted he was playing with forces he didn't understand although he did claim he know understood them. But the risk was too great to allow him to perform a ritual that could go wrong. While I tried to stop him from continuing his spell it was too late as the box in the pool started to drain something from Flame which caused her to become very distressed then the box started to target me. Sir Calador must off seen the danger the box would of done to me if it was allowed to drain me he ran up and removed the box, for his trouble the Shadow court started to let loose their spells on him but both I and Lord Falcon kept him alive and turned to defend our selves from their unprovoked attack. Alas I fell in battle and using this to her advance Flame loot one of the boxes and fled, but my Knights took the box that Muldran was using against me and we where able to keep it safe and from being misused.

__________________

muldran

From Gorthyn

Gorthyn sat upon his chair within his private chambers, smoking a long clay pipe full of his favourite leaf tobacco. He rarely used it though he found it to be helpful in dulling the pains from battle and, just as importantly, calming his mood. As the heavy, aromatic blue wreaths of smoke spiralled around him, he reflected on the earlier fracas in Moonglow.

It would be all too easy to blame their failure on yet another of Muldrans plans going badly awry, yet he knew this was far from the whole story. In truth they had been badly prepared to fend off any intervention such as transpired when Taggart and his men attacked.

As soon as the Templars arrived, Gorthyn was acutely aware of the disadvantage the Courtiers found themselves in. They were hemmed in with their backs to the half complete blackrock contraption and as tensions rose the Lord Cardinal glanced round at them each in turn. Muldran was in the middle of his incantations and vulnerable, Bertrand had his bow but was unarmoured. Alongside him Hayt, though prepared and valiant to a fault was not a warrior by inclination or training. The newcomer Xorthaul was edging his way away from the press of those around him. He glanced at Cherry , her hands crackling with uncast energies and he knew her to be ready for whatever happened next. But she like Muldran was too close to the Templars, losing the mages advantage of range and vulnerable to the blades of their foe. The rest of them had failed to keep the enemy at a distance.

When the fighting began they all aquitted themselves well individually and for a while it looked as if they may prevail as Taggart went down from a flurry of blows dealt to him. But his men regrouped and their greater experience and superior training began to tell. When it came, defeat was sudden and bitter to take

The smoke from Gorthyns pipe increased as he recalled that defeat and his ire briefly flared again. No matter, they could improve their fighting skills and they would have to were they to defend themselves against those who looked to destroy the Balance or who were affected by the Greater Darkness.

At that moment Gorthyn swore to himself that they would do just that.

__________________

muldran

From Cherry

On the morning after the disastrous night before Cherry stood alone in Muldran's office and placed a report on his desk, a report on how she recalled the previous nights events.

__________________

muldran

From Flame

Flame sat up in her bed not knowing if she had really slept or not. She sat there a while trying to piece together a strange dream concerning Muldran and the Black Box of all things. With so much still going on around the land with the Book of Truth still missing and Blackrock Elementals every where she was surprised to have had such a dream. As she rose from her bed she felt a pain in her shoulder and a memory flashed in her mind from the dream of someone grabbing her shoulder, followed quickly by another memory of her being held back by her cloak. She froze to the spot, it could not be it was just a dream, it could not have happened. But the possibility that it had been real filled her with horror and she had to know immediately. She thought back more to her dream and could remember Muldran threatening…. No deactivating the Black Box she held. She could also remember seeing Taggart’s body unconscious on the ground and searching his pockets. Yes that was it she had stolen one of Taggart’s Black Boxes, if it was only a dream she would hold only the one box.
Flame forced herself to enter the next room where she had left the box, even this was strange as of late it never left her possecion. As she forced herself to look on her writing desk she saw her Black Box and she gasped as beside it sat another. With thoughts starting to race through her mind Flame forced herself to be calm and think things through, Mord’s teaching were needed more now that ever. Should she call the Guard? No she thought as they were needed to find the Book of Truth still. As its was Muldran’s doing he was going to have to undo it without delay. Flame immediately picked up her quill and set to writing a letter to Muldran.


A letter arrives to Muldran Skully

To Muldran Skully

I will not waste time and get straight to the point. I have in my possession 2 Black Boxes that you must inactivate, destroy whatever needs doing to protect our lands from the dangers you have wrought. I will return them to you tomorrow eve at 8pm at a meeting place to be arranged by you.

Lady Flame

__________________

muldran

Muldran's Response to Flame:

Dear Lady Flame,

I thank you for contacting us. Of course, words cannot express the sorrow of the upset caused.

I would suggest a neutral meeting ground. In the City of Britain, there is the Theatre that resides roughly in the centre, a stone's throw from the Castles, and a short walk from the Conservatory of Musical Arts.

Let us meet at 8:30pm this night (rather than 8pm), at the Theatre.

Yours,

__________________

muldran

Muldran paced nervously about the Theatre as Salazar and Bertrand completed their checks.

"There's no one nearby, Muldran." murmured Salazar. A call from Bertrand alerted the pair to Flame's arrival. She strode into the building and looked around, both apprehension and anger clouding her eyes.

Muldran stared at her and tried to see that strange infection the boxes had wrought; but it seemed to have disapated; her hands no longer had that sheen of blackrock about them.

Flame walked forward and greeted Muldran. Bert came back in, and noted there were no others nearby.


Flame wasted no time, as her letter indicated. She berated Muldran for putting her in the position he had, but she quickly handed over the drained box - and the still active one she had taken from Taggart. Bertrand took the boxes from Muldran, stating that Cherry had expressly requested that Bertrand, not Muldran be left in control of an active box.

Muldran thanked her, and hoped that not too much distress had been caused. At this, Flame looked like she'd loose her temper, but quickly reeled her passion in, and replied that, in future, Muldran should be fully away of the actions he was taking. Embarassed, Muldran agreed, and told her of the restrictions the Court had placed upon him. As Flame commented that it was good that, "Someone was finally taking charge of you, Muldran." That, at least, raised a grim smile from both Bertrand and Salazar.

Flame reminded the group that it was Taggart now who needed the Court's help; she noted that the Boxes exerted a subtle control over the holder, and that they actually felt aware of what was happening around them - and the quicker Taggart could be persuaded to surrender the boxes, the better.

The group parted amicabley; all in all Muldran had gotten off lightly on this occasion.

__________________

muldran

From Flame's View

Flame left the Guards Rest with the 2 Black Box’s safely tucked away on her. Soon she could start putting all this trouble behind her. She tried not to think on it too hard as she needed to keep her emotions under control. Wasting no time she ported herself to the safety of Castle British and then made her way on to the threaten where she hoped Muldran would be waiting. Also in truth she was hoping that he would have an escort too on case Taggart turned up. Entering the theatre she was please to see that Muldran had indeed arranged for a small escort, although she wondered on whether it would be enough. With this pressing on her mind her thoughts were to give the Box’s to Muldran as quickly as possible and see him away with them before more trouble could follow.

Trying to keep things as short as possible she told Muldran that he had no right to use others in his experiments, especially as they involved such strong magic. He fidgeted uncomfortable before her as he muttered how he had hope she had not suffered too much distress. Distress! A thought flashed in her mind of smashing the box’s over his head. With great effort she told him to be more responsible for his actions in the future. He glanced at Bertrand and mumbled about the Court placing restrictions on him and a few other things that she hardly heard. She knew the Court was going to have there work cut out if they were going to be able to control this mess and any future mess he was going to create. She looked at him standing uncomfortable before her, looking deep into his eyes knowing that he had not intended for things to be this way. He obviously had knowledge of things way above most people including her, but he was so thoughtless in his planning.

The conversation then turned to the last active box and the control box, which were both held by Taggart. She explained as best she could how the box had alerted her and drawn her to Moonglow when he had threatened the control box with deactivation. How much more was Taggart being manipulated by the boxes, he had already been moved to draw swords and encourage other to do so. She urged Muldran to get this sorted at a mater of urgency. But with the thought of Taggart on her mind she also wanted Muldran and the boxes, which were now in Bertrand’s safe keeping out of there and as far away from Britannia as soon as possible. So with this pressing on her thoughts she said her fare wells, with a final insistence on Muldran to keep her informed on the situation she left.

Flame then went though her duties checking on the castle, Commander Jurrels Office and home, the crystals, the Book of Truth collectors, the list was long but she managed to get through it with nothing noteworthy changing. But with the recent events still going through her minds she decided to take a ride. It was not long before she was racing through the countryside with the wind sweeping through her hair. The ground rushed by beneath them as they charged forward jumping anything that presented itself. She could not help but smile and by the time they returned to the Guards Rest she was feeling better than she had done in a very long time.

As she handed the reins of her horse to a guard she promised herself that she would do that again soon. With a last look at the latest notes she prepared for bed knowing sleep would soon follow. Still smiling she rested her head on the pillow and as her eyes closed a thought came drifting to her, your free but what about Taggart.

__________________

muldran

Open Letter to Taggart and his Templars,

Templars, you cannot have but noticed that Taggart has been acting strangely; some of the more magically inclined may have seen the strange creeping blackness across his skin.

I have been working to lift this curse that I - inadvertently - caused for you to suffer from. You must know that the powers of the Box have grown since I have deactivated three of them; please return to me the Control Box and the other box you hold.

Flame has seen sense; she has returned to me the box she retrieved from the Moonglow Beer Garden, and although she will not easily forgive me for what I did, she understands that the best chance to destroy the boxes - and fix what I broke - lies with me.

Taggart, Templars, I implore you. Please return the two boxes that you hold to me.

I will, quite happily, travel to your grounds on the Saturday evening. Failing that, I am certain that a meeting in the peaceful environment of the Empath Abbey will not be amiss.

I will ensure that I am present in the Abbey at 8pm on Saturday, unless I should hear otherwise from you.

I thank you,

Muldran Skully.

__________________

muldran

Muldran sealed the book in front of him, and pushed it across the table.

"Finished!" he announced with satisfaction. And then a brief look of worry passed his face, as he recalled the events of the previous night.

The meeting at Yew could not have gone worse. Far from being a neutral location, Muldran had managed to 'forget' that, perhaps, the Yewish might not take to kindly to someone going on about magical boxes on their doorstep. Publishing the letter in the Poste might have been the quickest way to gain attention - but also a great problem for letting others know...

Muldran arrived at the doorway to Empath Abbey to find the stronghold of Love blocked by two surly Yewmen - who, let us be plain probably didn't have love in their hearts. Their lips curled as they spied Muldran's vivid hair, and Mul quickly remembered why he'd kept a hat with him...

Taggart was there, with the Knight Rhialto. Both spoke to Muldran, and soon enough, Gorthyn and Hayt also showed up. Mul tried pleading with Taggart, apologising for the hardship, but letting him know that Flame was well again. Unfortunately, without her to back that up, Taggart was not going to believe him...

Muldran told Taggart that the minor boxes were leaking, and causing contamination; but Taggart was blind to the effect on his hands - and presumably more of his body. Because a magical effort was needed to see such a stain, the Knight with him would not believe that the affliction was there as well. Taggart had been able to choose well how to hide the contamination.... But that was the boxes doing, wasn't it? But Taggart seemed a lot more composed...

Taggart demanded the return of the box that was stolen from him; Muldran repeated the same request of Taggart, since they his men had taken the Control Box from Moonglow. At this stand off, a discussion followed, with the Yewish guards getting increasingly irate; they seemed to be spoiling for a fight - and after the disaster of the battle the previous night, Muldran was not eager to incur Gorthyn's wrath by suggesting they take the boxes back by force.

The night nearly descended into even more bloodshed when Xorthaul turned up. The elf quickly shed his robe, provoking an unpleasant response from the two Yewish guards. Muldran tried to cover up the faux pas, but Xorthaul brushed him off, smirking insolently at the Guards and standing alongside the Court.

Taggart was not going to hand over the boxes; that much was plain. But Muldran couldn't conduct the ritual through the 'minor' box - it just would not work. So... It was decided - by default, and lack of options - that Muldran would hand his notes on the ritual to Taggart.

The Court turned and left, and discussed further ways to proceed - but were followed by the Yewmen. Using discretion as the better part of valour (and Muldran nearly getting arrested for treating a Guard like a messenger) the Court headed back through to Rhovanion.

In the Library, they discussed what might happen. Taggart could, conceivably, cast the ritual. After all, it wasn't a 'magical' ritual that involved years of study, it was more like a learnt pattern that the Control Box would respond to, so there was little chance of disaster. Once started, the ritual would continue... and the two minor boxes would add their power to the Control Box.

And then, all that would remain, would be to lock the Control Box away. The Control Box wouldn't - couldn't - be accessed at that point of time, but it would still need to be sent away.

Xorthaul pointed something out; Taggart was contaminated, would him casting the ritual to summon the energy into the Control Box have any other side effects? Muldran looked a little abashed, and said that he had not hoped to encounter that particular situation - but he was positive it would have no bad effects.

Gorthyn looked to Hayt, and suggested that, not for the first time, there should be some way to stop Muldran's optimistic view on life.

__________________