"You want to carry the Portable Hole?" says Adaran, reaching into his cloak and taking out the folded up magical cloth. "Here - take it." He tosses it to Kahan. "I frankly don't care who carries it. What I care about is what we do with the items we've found. I own a share of that scepter, and that means I have a say in what we use it for. The only thing that concerns us now is getting off this planet and saving the world if we can. Everything else is secondary." He looks at each person in the group, finally setting his eyes on Grung. "Everything."

Borimer finds solace in the fact that they are able to argue in the temporary safety of Syrissa's home, but the immediacy of the task at hand holds him fast to the point.

"All other considerations are overshadowed by the need to save this world. It doesn't matter what any of us personally think about it."

"Agreed." says Adaran. "So let's get moving already. We've wasted enough time here as it is."

"Did you not hear what I said before? We would give him the scepter only after we are sure we are no longer in need of it." he stated, shaking his head a little as he stowed the portable hole away in his pouch. "But yes, we should get going. Grung, are you coming with us, or are you taking your leave?" he asks, tightening the straps of his haversack as he gets ready to go.

This message was deleted by the player at 21:46, Wed 02 May 2012.

Grung has pulled out the box holding Augmantium.  He sees Adaran throw the portable hole to Kahan and says, "You keep da scepter, but turn to invisible craven no more."  With that, he opens the front of the Augmantium box as it points directly at Adaran, intending to drain the magic completely.

Grung says, "I leave now."  He does not directly point the box at anyone else but holds it cautiously to point it at them if they try to interfere with his exit.

"Grung, we need Augmantium. Please give it to me. I do not wish any harm to come of this disagreement, and so help me if you use that on any of the rest of us, you will live to regret that decision." Kahan states, taking a cautious, but friendly step forward, weapon still sheathed and hands held up.

Grung snaps the box shut to show he does not have ill intentions.  He says, "You try, Kahan, but yer friends don't listen.

Instead of going through the group, Grung turns and runs up the stairs and through the top tunnel with Augmantium cradled in his arm.

Knowing the orc will easily outrun him, Kahan simply shakes his head and shoots a glare at Adaran before heading outside to the earthrocs.

Adaran, who has been standing next to Borimer, Kahan and Grizz, immediately darts behind them the instant he sees Grung preparing to open the box.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:24, Wed 02 May 2012.

Grung had been standing back while Kahan was tending to Adaran.  He had been pulling out the Augmantium box.  So it is a surprise when he turns Augmantium on you all.  (Despite the apparent timing, Grung's plan was hatched before the overnight rush of posts to make sure he could surprise you.)

A cone of anti-magic comes forth (which Grung with his limited intelligence probably didn't fully comprehend).  The anti-magic cone is directed on Adaran.

(Saving throws made...)

All of the following managed to evade the anti-magic cone:  Kahan and Flint.
The following failed to evade the anti-magic cone:  Borimer, Harak and Grizz.  These three have lost all magic to any magic items.  (Artifacts are not affected.)

All of Adaran's magic items are de-magicked.

Grung starts to leave up the stairs.  He is hobbling because of his broken foot, thanks to Borimer.  Even at half speed, he is still fairly quick, as he was the fastest of the group before.

Kahan begins to run through the lower tunnel to cut Grung off before he gets to the earthrocs. (Others follow, I presume.  Post, if so.)

<green>As this crazy situation begins to unwind, you hear Syrissa's voice from the hallway above cry out, "You must leave that here!"

Grung says something in Orcish that doesn't sound too nice.  A moment later, he cries out in pain, and then there is silence.

Kahan continues up the stairs even as he hears Grung's cries of pain. He wished it hadn't come to this, but the inevitable end was, well, inevitable, no matter how much he wished it had been preventable.

"Once an Orc always an Orc" Flint not interested in carrying on any sort of conversation about the moment, crushes something small between his fingers and points in Grungs direction
This message was last edited by the player at 03:03, Thu 03 May 2012.

Flint sends up more of the black tentacles he used previously to block Grung.  However, Grung evades them, having three directions to go, before he disappears down the hall above you, where he is out of sight.

It is his scream a moment later that sends you all running up the stairs.

Kahan reaches him first.

Syrissa is standing next to Grung, wrenching the Augmantium box from his hands.  Grung is not moving, and then you see why.  Grung is now a statue, just like the many statues that adorn the area below.

Syrissa hands the Augmantium box to Kahan.  A brooch is also around Grung's neck, and she removes it and gives it to Kahan too.  It is the other artifact from the Dwarf compound.  The rest of Grung and his equipment has turned to stone.

"I'm sorry," she says from behind her veiled mask.  "I heard the arguing and the fighting.  We need this artifact for the Ark, and I had no choice.  The sacrifice was necessary."



Edmure appears at the far end coming towards you, his ancient face and blind eyes searching as he walks down the hall.  "It is all right, my dear.  You have done well for so long, and this was the lesser of the evils."

"Grung's death was an inevitability. At least he didn't have to suffer a painful one." Kahan replies quietly, slipping the box back into his haversack and wondering what to do with the brooch. "Are you ready to depart? I believe we are now." he asks Syrissa and Edmure.

Borimer looks dispassionately at the stone corpse of the half-breed and tries to feel some satisfaction, but finds only the cold wasteland where his magic once used to be.

Syrissa says, "Actually, turning to stone is said to be more painful than death by fire."  She turns her gaze away from the statue.

"We are ready to go," she says, taking Edmure by the elbow.  "I can't believe I'm leaving all my priceless art behind," she says, "but I only kept it to remind me of a life I could never have.  Edmure," she says, "may I have the vials?"

Edmure digs two stoppered vials of a neon blue liquid from a sack that hangs at his waist.  They are connected to long chains.  Syrissa hangs one around her neck.  Edmure hangs the other around his.

She addresses the group.  "Should any of us fall...victim...to my sister, pouring one of these over the top of the head will turn the person back.  I'm sorry we do not have an extra to spare on your friend."  She indicates Grung.  "But I doubt he would appreciate it."

"He brought this on himself." says Adaran, looking coldly at Grung's statue. "He was a mindless brute and a savage who thought he could take whatever he wanted by force. He would have been an oppressive tyrant, just like his father. The world's a better place without either of them on the throne."

"Adaran, bite your tongue." the priest snaps at the rogue, slipping the necklace into his pouch before moving past the group and outside to the earthrocs.

"No." replies Adaran. "I don't take orders from you either."

"Then enjoy that gash in your stomach. May it be a reminder of your regrettable past." the priest remarks coldly.

"The only thing I regret," says Adaran, "is letting that brute get ahold of Augmantium in the first place - which was your doing, not mine. And if your healing's contingent on my doing whatever you tell me like some obedient lackey, then forget it."

Kahan simply continued through the hallway and didn't stop walking until he got outside, where he mounted an earthroc and silently waited for Syrissa to show him which way to fly.

Borimer nods to Syrissa and then climbs aboard his earthroc, eager to move forward and get to the sister planet.

Flint merely folded his arms.  Awaiting the outcome of the debate/argument.