Casultie of war.

[Gamling]

Nulinus set his head against the wall with a thud and let out a deep, tired, breath.He watched Sehron and Hano as they slept, thinking to himself. This was all his fault, it seemed. The messenger, the capture of the witch samantha, all lies.

It seemed like only moments ago that he was at exigo, telling Hano to follow him, for he was told to be descreet.Nulinus looks down at himself with a guilty expression. It was a trap... and Hano had to pay the price for his own foolishnes.

The hours passed, but Nulinus did not grow hungry nor thirsty, for he was disciplined in mind and body, he could go one for days, possibly weeks, but he worried about the others who had payed the price for his foolishness. There was a scratching at the door, then some talking.

Two familiar figures stoof in the door way, Karthus, the druid, and Elric.They traded words for a bit, upsetting Sehron and Hano with their taunts and their supposed truth. Nulinus stood, merely asking what they had plans for."In three days time, if Neradnal is not free, we will feed your souls to bane." Elric said with his sly grin. Nulinus, Hano, and Sehron, did not so much as flinch at these words.

"If we're to die in here, so be it." Sehron said. Nulinus assured him that it was too soon to give up, though Hano looked pale and lacking in his usual praise Torm attitude. Nulinus looks toward the two, sitting on the floor."They would seek to scare us, strike fear into us and our allies, but we know better. they know that we do not falter so easily." Hano slid down the wall, in a hopeless manner."We would not let such a man like Neradnal walk free again, even if it means my life, I dare not ask you two to take the same risks though...." A pause, Sehron, obviously peeved, kicks and screams at the door.

"You're right Nulinus." hano gripped the sword which materialized out of no where."We are not his pawns, if we are to be fed to bane to save Sundren, so be it." Nulinus laughed heartily with pride. Sehron, still angry."I already told you I would rather die than let that maniac walk free!" Nulinus nodded, smiling. "But please, let's not talk of death so soon, get some ecercise, stand up, it will warm you up." After they had finished their exercise they went to sleep, praying to their respective gods for guidance.

[cmosier]

"Karthus!" Sehron yelled "Karthus you crazy son of a bitch! I know you can hear me!" He heard no anwer, Hano and Nulinus just watched the elf yell and hit the door.

"I trusted you! She trusted you! I swear by all the Gods, Karthus, if you harm her, All the devils in all the Hells will not keep me from my vengence!"

Silence.

"I know you can hear me you son of a bitch! Answer me!"

Sehron fell into a violent fit of coughing. He felt the dwarf's hand on his shoulder. "These walls won't hold us forever, friend." Sehron looked to the dwarf and nodded.

[Landaren]

Neradnal sat in his cell, waiting, wondering. Waiting for his next meal, wondering when or if they would give him a trial.

He knew he had given a few of the exigo guard fatal wounds, had they of simply allowed him to say his peace he would have been on his way..

He feels the wound inflected on him by Tamryn, impressed with her skill he wonder if he would ever get to cross blades with her again...

He wonders if Lord Ditus will come for him, no or later. Or if his father has forsaken him, the coreties allowing him to be captured, was it all a part of some master plan?

And so he waits, an abides by his captures demands. Playing the part of the obedient prisoner.

[Lollercide]

To Break a Paladin...

The small room was cold and dank.. It had been silent now for a long time as the three adventurers laid there pondering their impending doom.

The betrayal...

Hano leaned against the cold wall shivering and pale. His eyes were bled of what passion he would normally have staring into the ceiling. The cold air forcing him to shiver. He was completely bare except for a loincloth. It was surprising at first for his two friends to see him without clothing or armor.. His face and neck were clean of scars and well kept, but... His body.

His body was frail - twisted and scarred from the many battles on Sundren. This indeed had become his darkest moment in his life. Recollecting what he could have been.. What he could have done. A peaceful life as a blacksmith.. He could have had a wife and kids to carry his name. In hindsight he left nothing behind for anyone to remember him. Wait... No.. He can remember clearly now.. Karthus.. Osclow. They both carried with them the last pieces of Hano's physical existence. His Holy Symbol that Karthus had palmed and the necklace he had given to Osclow.

"...no... NO!" He roars, breaking the silence and standing to his feet. "...I am a Tormite and nothing will change that! My convictions are stronger than a mountain of mithril!" His face regains color as he reinforces his spirit with sheer faith. He had nothing else but that, after all.

"...Bane... Our souls are to be fed to him?" Hano mutters with disgust, flexing his fingers in the air looking toward Nulinus who returned a confident smile. Sehron lied at the knees of Nulinus severely ill and weakened.. However even in his state was able to force out a smart-ass remark, smirking to himself as he laid motionless.

Shards of divine energy materialize from the air around Hano gathering themselves to his hand. "...If Bane will come for our soul... Then we will see him on the other side." He lifts his hand as the sword is completely materialized in his hand. "The True may be distant, but he can hear my words. Nothing will break my faith in you, Torm! Even if I am faced with Bane himself I will fight him for an eternity before he would claim my soul!" He turns to the door slamming his fist into it.

"Even when we are gone - When we cease to exist! Our spirits will live on within Sundren and her people! They will tear these walls down! I swear by my own blood and faith in Torm that this place will be purged, with, or without me! Bane! You hear me!? You can not break us!"

Hano backs of panting from the sudden outburst. The sword shined a brilliant light throughout the confined cell, but even sight could not give them might hope.

[sharringtonm]

Sitting quietly in the grove, Snow Hawk wonders what has happened to his friend Hano, and why he has not shown up at his usual time. Shrugging, he puts it out of his mind, as keeps punching the rock to alieviate his stress.

[Lollercide]

"So good to see you.. I've missed you so much." Hano states staring down at the blue-eyed girl with golden blond hair. The sun reflected from her as if she had stolen all of the sun's attention with her beauty. The girl tilts her head toward Hano pouting. Placing his hand on her head and speaking in a soft tone, "You thought that I had run away."

The girl pushes Hano's hand away from her head dashing off across the vast meadows. The meadows easily extended to the ends of Faerun, he thought. Hano smiles, pulling the strap of his sheath from around his shoulder and setting it down before dashing after her. The ground rippled with every beat of his step and slowly but surely was absorbing the color from himself. His boots were now turning gray and eventually transparent.

A worry only in the back of his mind as he continued his chase laughing heartedly. The girl twirls and spins around to eventually stop, glaring at Hano. Hano stops, skidding through the dirt and fumbling on his hands and knees. He now started to take on the color of the meadow.

Hano raises his brow looking toward a single hand now held high in the sky. "Alex would likely not let me be the hero of his play with a green mustache." He turns toward the girl asking for her opinion, "What do you think?" Smiling toward Hano the girl whispered the single most powerful word. The winds carried this word to Hano's ears and seemed to consume him.

Her smile then became a menacing grin that pierced through Hano and his being. Pierced through his colors and shape. Defying green, yellow, and he dare not think it, but, silver. Defying these laws the sun was blotted out seeking retribution. Hano knew what must be done now. He knew that the Sun would not be forgiving to the Child's ignorance.

He must now defend Faerun against the Sun. This had become clear to him now as he clutches the very sword his father had forged him, pulling it from his pocket. He roared his battlecry to the sun, but it was too late - From the sun fell a black gauntlet clutching onto the small child's head with the most intense pressure. She cried, screaming in pain as it's fingers started to burrow into her flesh.. The blood started to pour from her skull churning violently into the color of the meadow.

Obviously this made Hano's color red as well seeing as he had taken the meadows previously. However this made him unable to move. Try as he might, every motion he made seemed to leave him stationary.. He was not gaining or losing any distance. The fingers now dug in deeper releasing a sharp crack from what he could only assume to be her skull. Her eyes started to drift from their socket and onto her defor...

The loud grunts and splashing of Sehron vomiting wake Hano from his terrible nightmare. Beads of sweat roll down his face and onto his frail body covered in scars. He rubs his forehead trying to forget the dream. He easily recollects himself mumbling to Nulinus.

"It seems that in this place we are not only denied food or water, but are even unable to escape to the confines of our own mind." He wobbles as he stands to his feet to step over to Sehron.. "His condition isn't getting any better... The True... Please save us."

[cmosier]

He had finished explaing the odd scars carved into his uppper body to Nulinus and Hano, and why not, the three of them had little else to do but talk.

The paladins seemed resigned to their fate, and whith his health failing quickly and having lost so much blood, Sehron had begun to settle down as well. He shouted a few more elven curses at the door that kept them from their freedom.

"That's enough Sehron." Nulinus said calmly "Your going to need to save your strength."

The elf coughed violently a bit and began to heave. Their captors hadn't fed them and there was nothing left for him to throw up. He leaned against the stone wall, letting his head rest against the cool slab.

Sehron spoke very low and in elven, "Sehanine, is this my fate? I haven't been the best examples of one of your own until recently. I am not afraid to pass to Arvandor if that is your will."

He moans and repositions himself against the wall. His body beaten and plagued with whatever it is they injected into him, he would not find his Reverie tonight. "I've been around paladins too much." He chuckles. The elf closes his eyes, and for only the second time in his life, he slips into a deep sleep.

[Leaving Hope]

* Two dread guards open the door to the cell and toss in a large bowl. Within are three small, dead rats, warmed with their skin and hair intact. *

[ThePaganKing]

*Elric moves up to the door, alone and opens the door and smiles. He looks at Hano and winks and then pulls out some food from behind his back*

"I am no barbarian and I do not treat even the meanest street thug this way, not if they are in my care."

*Elric places a large platter in the middle of the room, a full chicken cooked and steaming in the middle, surrounded by potatoes and greens. He then places a large beaker of clean water and also a large bottle of wine.*

"You probably do not believe me, but the food has not been poisoned or tainted." *Elric picks up a leg and bites into it then takes a slug of water and wine.*

"What I told you last night was the truth and I am sure you realize this. Balthasar did flee, he fled from my blade and Kathus' magic, taking only Tamryn with him."

*Elric gazes at the three for a moment.* "I also spoke the truth about you and Neradnal. If Neradnal is not released in three days, I will personally feed your souls to Bane."

*With that, Elric again winks at Hano and then closes the door, locking and bolting it and then moving down the hall.*

[Gamling]

When Nulinus wasn't sleeping, he was talking, and when he wasn't talking, he was thinking. Thinking about Gorm, and how he had become weak from the mercy he had brought to the dwarves. Gorm had intervened in Nulinus's life more than once in his stay in sundren, but this killed him, knowing that it must have left him even more drained than before.

Nulinus took refuge in himself and Gorm, knowing that he would try anything to save his friends, even if it meant his own life. Nulinus remained positive, even with an impending doom looming over them, he kept his spirits alive by laughing with Sehron and Hano. The dwarf's optimism would only fail when he would think of Gorm, and how he will survive without dwarven champions to regain his honor.

When the dreadmaster threw the bowl of rats into the cell, Nulinus did not approach the bowl or even look it over."If you're hungry you two, eat, I still do not need to eat, yet." With that, Nulinus leaned up against the wall and began humming an almost happy tune to try and relieve some of the despair.

A short time after the bowl of rats had been placed in their room, Elric left the chicken and bottle of wine in the tiny cell. His words were relatively annoying, and he hoped it would not get to Hano or Sehron as he motioned for them to eat."I am unsure about that food, but maybe you should save it, drink some water now, don't touch the wine." Nulinus warned.

After taking a smal sip of water, he began walking up and down the small flight of stairs in their cell to keep himself colored in the face and to stave off the cold with exercise. The dwarf kept a smile on the outside for Hano and Sehron, but inside he was struggling with himself wondering when or if Gorm would be strong enough to answer his prayers.

[cmosier]

Freedom, but at what cost.

Seeing his friends free, getting cleaned up, and returning to the place he called home was all he wanted, but something wasn't right. His reverie was anything but peaceful and the words of the monster still echoed through his mind.

They wanted to make you three like me.

The elf opened his eyes, half expecting to see the cold stone walls and his two friends sleeping, still bloodied and bruised. He saw the figure at his side and the glow of the fire and breathed a sigh of relief.

I remember what it feels like to have compassion, but I do not feel compassion itself.

He remembered seeing the creature only once, as he was being forced through the portal. The look on its face wasn't of..... well anything. His expression never seemed to change. The tone of his voice was a constant drone.

There are fates far worse than death, elf.

The monster was correct. The thought that anybody could do such a thing to any living creature sickened the elf. There was much to do it seemed and he hoped he could at least maintain his sanity long enough to see it through.