Re: INTERACTIVE STORY #2
Posted: 10 Dec 2003, 19:13
The Gruagach observed them from his Pool Of Veracity with annoyance and contempt.
"They should not be here," it spat. Their presence was indeed causing the Regression to collapse. More and more of them were winking back into existance.
The Gruagach set to work once more on his tiles. Faster and faster moved his hands until they were no more than a blur. It began to cackle.
"What is that doing here?" muttered Hordriss.
"I hunger for knowledge," rumbled the Brollochan once again.
Suddenly, the Brollochan's hideous laughter began to rattle around the ruins they were standing in.
"What's that?" asked Elita nervously. Hordriss did not reply, however. His face was frozen in fear.
The Brollochan finished rearranging the tiles. It gazed at the new pattern and chuckled.
"I should have known the Golden Ratio would be in it," it muttered to itself. It waved its hand over the tiles to activate the magic.
The wavefront spread out from the centre of the tiles. It expanded rapidly, encapsulating the entire Dungeon. Hordriss tried to spellcast but wasn't quick enough. Elita screamed as they were enveloped by it.
In less than a minute, the magic had done its work. The Dungeon had regressed. It had regressed so far back that, for all intents and purposes, Treguard had never mastered it. He had never killed the Gruagach.
The Dungeon stood empty and dark. Knightmare Castle, too, stood barren. The Gruagach, wearing a sinister grin, materialised in what might have become known as Treguard's antechamber, along with his board of tiles and Pool Of Veracity.
"That's better," it whispered to itself before breaking out into peals of hysterical laughter.
The Gruagach cast his eye over the Dungeon - every room, every corridor and every cavern. There was nothing. It was as if it had never been away.
In fact, there remained one person. He had been hidden inside an Existential Shield and, as such, was immune to the changes and totally undetectable. The Shield collapsed in on itself, as was intended, and Lord Fear emerged. He looked around in confusion.
"Dragon's Breath," he muttered.
The Gruagach, still making his Pool Of Veracity sweep of the Dungeon, sensed Fear's presence and brought his image up.
"What must one do to eliminate these pests?" it screamed.
Lord Fear's expression changed from one of confusion to amazement when the Gruagach's voice rang out across the cave he stood in.
"You are unwelcome in my Dungeon, technomancer," it spat.
"Who are you?" he called out.
"I am your worst nightmare," it chuckled menacingly.
"I see," replied Fear, non-chalant. "Well, I don't take kindly to people evicting me from my own tower, old thing, so kindly buzz off."
The Gruagach's scream of anger caused even Lord Fear to wince. In that moment, he realised what the Gruagach must be and was genuinely afraid. He knew that he had to get out fast. Away from the Dungeon and away from Knightmare Castle.
The Gruagach, shaking with rage, once again began to arrange a fresh pattern with its tiles.
"When I have finished with you," it growled, "you will be begging me to kill you."
"They should not be here," it spat. Their presence was indeed causing the Regression to collapse. More and more of them were winking back into existance.
The Gruagach set to work once more on his tiles. Faster and faster moved his hands until they were no more than a blur. It began to cackle.
"What is that doing here?" muttered Hordriss.
"I hunger for knowledge," rumbled the Brollochan once again.
Suddenly, the Brollochan's hideous laughter began to rattle around the ruins they were standing in.
"What's that?" asked Elita nervously. Hordriss did not reply, however. His face was frozen in fear.
The Brollochan finished rearranging the tiles. It gazed at the new pattern and chuckled.
"I should have known the Golden Ratio would be in it," it muttered to itself. It waved its hand over the tiles to activate the magic.
The wavefront spread out from the centre of the tiles. It expanded rapidly, encapsulating the entire Dungeon. Hordriss tried to spellcast but wasn't quick enough. Elita screamed as they were enveloped by it.
In less than a minute, the magic had done its work. The Dungeon had regressed. It had regressed so far back that, for all intents and purposes, Treguard had never mastered it. He had never killed the Gruagach.
The Dungeon stood empty and dark. Knightmare Castle, too, stood barren. The Gruagach, wearing a sinister grin, materialised in what might have become known as Treguard's antechamber, along with his board of tiles and Pool Of Veracity.
"That's better," it whispered to itself before breaking out into peals of hysterical laughter.
The Gruagach cast his eye over the Dungeon - every room, every corridor and every cavern. There was nothing. It was as if it had never been away.
In fact, there remained one person. He had been hidden inside an Existential Shield and, as such, was immune to the changes and totally undetectable. The Shield collapsed in on itself, as was intended, and Lord Fear emerged. He looked around in confusion.
"Dragon's Breath," he muttered.
The Gruagach, still making his Pool Of Veracity sweep of the Dungeon, sensed Fear's presence and brought his image up.
"What must one do to eliminate these pests?" it screamed.
Lord Fear's expression changed from one of confusion to amazement when the Gruagach's voice rang out across the cave he stood in.
"You are unwelcome in my Dungeon, technomancer," it spat.
"Who are you?" he called out.
"I am your worst nightmare," it chuckled menacingly.
"I see," replied Fear, non-chalant. "Well, I don't take kindly to people evicting me from my own tower, old thing, so kindly buzz off."
The Gruagach's scream of anger caused even Lord Fear to wince. In that moment, he realised what the Gruagach must be and was genuinely afraid. He knew that he had to get out fast. Away from the Dungeon and away from Knightmare Castle.
The Gruagach, shaking with rage, once again began to arrange a fresh pattern with its tiles.
"When I have finished with you," it growled, "you will be begging me to kill you."