[Story Thread] The Black Boxes

[muldran]

This thread is for IC stories relating to the Black Boxes event. Muldran will post storyline affecting changes here - but feel free to make IC notes based on what people witness going on...

Check the rule thread for any Out of Character Information. Stories here will also refer to the rule thread if anything has significantly changes.

[muldran]

Standing in the cold stone ritual room of the Reliquary, Muldran placed the crystal box on the floor, in the centre of the ritual circle. He opened the box, and carefully reseated the chunk of Blackrock, and the shattered crystal beside each other, then sealed the box once more. Stepping out of the circle, he looked to his audience.

"The original black box," he said out loud, "protected the dagger that was within. The box itself stopped people from sensing the dagger, using properties inherent in Blackrock to effectively block transmission and possession from the dagger."

His audience stared at him, impassively. He coughed slightly.

"That is, the original box blocked Blackrock from affecting people. The box itself may have had other properties, I don't know, but it did seem to exert an influence on its possessor to make them covet the box above all else."

He looked at the audience, wondering to himself what he had to do to get some reaction from them.

"Well, I have solved that problem; I have made multiple boxes, dividing the essence that the original box shared. Well, that is I assume the original is somewhere out there but lost, not that this matters, these boxes are built *my* way, using the knowledge from D... From previously."

Muldran gestured to the crystal box.

"This control box was one I completed before the expedition to the Wisp Dungeon and then the Void Chamber. The control box was the box from which the others came." He shuffled his feet for a brief moment, and looked vaguely embarrassed, "From necessity, it was important that others did not know about this; it was a risk but I did need to make sure that the control box was already growing the hybrid crystal\blackrock, so it could spawn the others. It is also why I was not too... distraught when that demon lord stole the box I held. Of course, I'd prefer one I trusted to hold it, but with the control box I can... Well, at any rate, I should be able to remove boxes from the grasp of those less trustworthy."

The audience still said nothing.

"Anyway, as I was saying, the purpose was to take the aspects of Blackrock - it's control and effects on magic - and the shielding power of the Blackbox to form devices that would protect others from malign influences. You may have heard that people have begun to hear voices from the void? Well, I am aiming to have those totally blocked, when I hatch the hybrid crystals within the control box, and activate the remote boxes."

By now, he had begun to ignore those who watched him.

"This will create five devices that will provide personal protection from Blackrock effects. When combined with the control box, it could protect an area such as a town. So you can see - powerful items indeed. Of course, the boxes needed time to attune to people; as part of the sentient imbument from the Chamber, I needed to ensure that the boxes had time to acclimatise themselves to their users. But now, that process is done."

Muldran held his hand in the air, and six brightly coloured stones started to orbit his hand. He cast the elemental stones forward with a gesture, and they began to orbit the ritual circle, pulsing in time with the control box. The box's crystalline appearance was turning translucent; and inside the blackrock and crystal seemed to flow together and join...

...and then the world seemed to squeeze inside out. An impartial observer might say it felt like the world *sneezed*... And as it took a deep breath to do so, something crept in...

...Muldran looked around. The room was empty. The crystalline control box rested in the centre of the ritual circle. Cracks ran in the floor from the box to the walls. Muldran looked around at the Reliquary, seeing how crystal had infused the building, turning it into something almost sinister.

A nagging feeling of worry filled him, as he catalogued the steps he had taken in his mind. Had he forgotten something vital when creating the boxes? Was there something that he'd missed out? He ran through the steps of construction in his mind, absent-mindedly gesturing to the elemental stones, which flew back to his pocket.

He looked at the box that lay in the centre of the ritual circle, suddenly uneasy. Still, nothing more seemed to have happened. He'd send a letter to those who held the boxes, and just inform them that everything had gone to plan... Yes, that's right. He turned and left the ritual room.

Behind him, the crystalline box shimmered momentarily, and the lid opened. The blackrock\crystal hybrid rock inside seemed to shimmer for a moment - and the box slammed shut with a peal of thunder that could be heard across the valley of Rhovanion.

[muldran]

Spying is a most dishonourable pastime. However, Snaeval thought to himself, it is a wonderful way to find out how to drip your opponents up. The alchemist checked that his mask was fixed firmly in place, and pressed himself into the corner of the room, as Muldran, Roxanne and Bertrand entered the much changed Reliquary building...

Muldran Skully: *chuckles*
Muldran Skully: Erm... yes...
Muldran Skully: There was a wee accident.
Bertrand: hmm dangerous stairs
Muldran Skully: *points at the box*
Roxanne: *backs into corner*
Muldran Skully: I was doing a ritual..
Muldran Skully: And the box kind of...
Muldran Skully: Affected the rest of the building.
Muldran Skully: And boom!
Muldran Skully: Blackrock infected building.
Bertrand: bit of an understatement
Muldran Skully: Yes...
Roxanne: but this is not THE control box
Muldran Skully: Erm...
Muldran Skully: Ah...
Muldran Skully: It is *my* control box...
Muldran Skully: But it's not the original box.
Roxanne: hmm
Bertrand: who has the control box??
Muldran Skully: Me!
Muldran Skully: *points to it*
Roxanne: so this is a replica?
Roxanne: surely the main one is too dangerous for display
Muldran Skully: The original 'real' box... disappaeared.
Muldran Skully: I merely replicated its qualities.
Muldran Skully: And then made five other minor versions.
Roxanne: ah
Muldran Skully: The main one is lost.
Muldran Skully: I hope.
Muldran Skully: This is my attempt to make one.
Muldran Skully: And I then made 5 other ones.
Muldran Skully: Those are the ones I shared with some other people.
Bertrand: the one the Dark Lord has ?
Roxanne: *makes notes*
Bertrand: his minion Lurtz has it
Muldran Skully: Well, you see, I did this ritual to try and charge up the boxes.
Muldran Skully: Erm, yes.,
Muldran Skully: *looks worried*
Muldran Skully: So..
Muldran Skully: .I'm thinking..
Muldran Skully: .That the boxes...
Roxanne: Ohh my
Roxanne: I just looked inside
Roxanne: bad move
Muldran Skully: Ah.
Muldran Skully: Erm, yes.
Roxanne: *waits for something bad to happen*
Roxanne: hmm
Roxanne: is it inactive?
Muldran Skully: Well, it's not... that bad.
Muldran Skully: But as a side effect...
Muldran Skully: This place seems quite open.
Muldran Skully: All my wards have fallen.
Muldran Skully: Look, I'll show you the hidden chamber
Muldran Skully: Some powerful and dangerous items up here...
Muldran Skully: I've sealed them away...

The footsteps faded away, and doors banged as the Courtiers went to explore the rest of the Reliquary. Powerful items on show for all and sundry? Snaeval shook his head. Muldran's really out-done himself this time. And that explanation to his so called 'friends'? Perhaps Muldran is a better actor than people give him credit for...

[muldran]

A few hours later, Snaeval was still tucked in his hiding place. Muldran had made it ridiculously easy to hide in this new place. A few strange whispering noises, and the creaking of the crystals as they expanded and contracted (almost like they were breathing) but it really wasn't so bad a place.

And that's when Snaeval listened in on another conversation...

Gorthyn: By the Virtues what is going on ?
Muldran Skully: Well..
Muldran Skully: I tried to craft a new Black Box...
Muldran Skully: To steal its properties to deaden the effects of blackrock.
Gorthyn: *shoots Mul a disbelieving glance*
Muldran Skully: Since people were being greatly affected by the voices and everything...
Muldran Skully: The original is... who knows where.
Muldran Skully: But!
Muldran Skully: I created this control box...
Gorthyn: Hmm
Gorthyn: *looks worryingly at the box*
Gorthyn: That one there ?
Muldran Skully: *nods*
Muldran Skully: I then thought that creating one box that mimics would be daft.
Muldran Skully: So, I split its power into five others.
Muldran Skully: A month or so ago, we went and I charged them with exotic energy.
Muldran Skully: And then some people decided to look after them.
Muldran Skully: So...
Muldran Skully: I was hoping those boxes would protect people individually...
Muldran Skully: And I could then combine the fields to protect *everyone* from blackrock!
Muldran Skully: *looks enthusastic*
Gorthyn: *clenches his jaw as he listens*
Muldran Skully: So I activated the control box last night.
Muldran Skully: But...
Muldran Skully: Don't worry.
Muldran Skully: Nothing happened.
Muldran Skully: Well, apart from this.
Muldran Skully: I must have made a flaw in the boxes.
Muldran Skully: *shrugs*
Gorthyn: Nothing ? You call this nothing
Gorthyn: *looks around himself, at the strangely altered building, aghast*
Muldran Skully: Well, this is a manifestation of the energy that got out of control.
Muldran Skully: But it didn't get any further than here.
Muldran Skully: With the wards and all..
Gorthyn: The wards are intact ?
Muldran Skully: Well, that is, I suppose the wards held when this happened...
Muldran Skully: Well.. Not any more.
Muldran Skully: The elemental stones need time to recharge before I raise the wards once more.
Muldran Skully: But if this effect had reached much further...
Muldran Skully: There would have been repercussions by now, surely.
Gorthyn: And you are confident that you would have noticed any such repercussions no doubt ?
Gorthyn: *snorts angrily*
Muldran Skully: Well..
Muldran Skully: I'm sure someone would have noticed.
Muldran Skully: *crosses fingers*
Muldran Skully: I should track down the people who took the boxes.
Muldran Skully: tell them that they don't work.
Muldran Skully: At least the one the Dark Lord stole won't trouble us anymore!
Gorthyn: *glowers*
Gorthyn: Ye think so eh ?
Muldran Skully: Ahem.
Muldran Skully: Well, I was worried a little bit by that...
Muldran Skully: But he's crawled off to his lair, and we have seen hide nor hair of it.
Muldran Skully: *looks back to the control box*
Gorthyn: *rubs his temples trying to remain calm*
Gorthyn: When ...exactly was the decision taken to undertake this...folly ?
Muldran Skully: Oh!
Muldran Skully: *beams*
Muldran Skully: I've been working on it for ages!
Muldran Skully: Let me see.
Muldran Skully: *thinks back*
Muldran Skully: A couple of months back was when I build the control box...
Muldran Skully: And then a week after that, we gathered the five minor boxes...
Muldran Skully: I needed to give them time to acclimatise, so it was always my plan to activate them around now!
Gorthyn: *Goes pale*
Gorthyn: Ye didnt see fit to consult with the Cardianls on such an undertaking ?
Muldran Skully: Eh?
Muldran Skully: Oh no, it was a personal project!
Muldran Skully: It wouldn't have affected the Corut!
Muldran Skully: Well.
Muldran Skully: it did this building.
Muldran Skully: But I'm sure there's been no harm done!
Muldran Skully: Back to the drawing board!
Muldran Skully: I'll have to find some other wya to help people
Muldran Skully: avoid the effects of blackrock
Gorthyn: *looks at Mul in stunned disbelief*
Gorthyn: I can think of plenty of effects this may have on the Court
Muldran Skully: Really?
Muldran Skully: *looks curious*
Muldran Skully: I can't think of any way this has affected us...
Muldran Skully: *frowns*
Gorthyn: Starting at the very least with the breach of security in this building
Gorthyn: Could bring the virtues know what to Rhovanion
Muldran Skully: Oh.
Muldran Skully: Oh yes.
Muldran Skully: Well...
Muldran Skully: *ponders*
Muldran Skully: Well, I'm fairly sure that...
Muldran Skully: I see your point.
Gorthyn: *fairly* sure ?
Muldran Skully: I didn't consider it would shatter the wards.
Muldran Skully: *nods*
Muldran Skully: With all due haste I'll work at repairing them.
Muldran Skully: It would be easier if Samba wasn't possessed by evil, but...
Muldran Skully: I can manage it in a few days.
Muldran Skully: We'll just have to... keep an eye on the place.
Gorthyn: Aye that we will.....
Muldran Skully: But yes, no other effects , though, you must agree.
Muldran Skully: But I'm just so confused as to why it hasn't made the voices stop!
Gorthyn: Erm Voices ?
Muldran Skully: Yes, you know.
Muldran Skully: The voices!
Muldran Skully: The ones that say "Hello Muldran!"
Muldran Skully: And "Kill them all."
Muldran Skully: *looks back at the box again*
Gorthyn: *nods slightly*
Gorthyn: Right....
Muldran Skully: But that's just the blackrock talking.
Gorthyn: *stares at the box*
Muldran Skully: *sighs*
Muldran Skully: Us mages...
Muldran Skully: Who grabbed blackrock when it began appearing...
Muldran Skully: Many of us are... affected.
Muldran Skully: Roxanne hears the voices to.
Muldran Skully: As do many others.
Muldran Skully: *sighs*
Muldran Skully: I've got to stop them, gorthyn.
Muldran Skully: They'll drive others mad.
Gorthyn: That I can believe
Gorthyn: *looks askance at you*
Gorthyn: These voices...affects only mages ye say ?
Muldran Skully: Yes, I beleive.
Muldran Skully: Although.. people who have handled blackrock may be at risk...
Gorthyn: Risk ?
Muldran Skully: *nods*
Gorthyn: *looks thoughtfully at the box*

Snaeval moved back against the wall and could barely cover his smile. Muldran had told two distinct versions of the story - and his fears - two different people. All it would take is a hint here and there to splinter the Court. And perhaps he could get a word to those who held the Boxes - and tell them that they were not all they appeared to be?

[Gorthyn]

Gorthyn strode away from the Reliquary and his alarming discussion with Muldran in a foul mood.

Yet more muddle headed dabbling by a mage had put the Balance at risk and worse still, as far as the enraged Shadowknight could discern, potentially put the security of the Reliquary and its artifacts in doubt. And that meant in turn that the safety of the Court was equally threatened.

The Lord Cardinal had long fought a private internal battle within himself endeavouring to subdue his natural distrust of mages. He had for many years felt that, however good their intentions, they were overly prone to meddle in things they barely comprehended either through inquisitiveness or simple vanity. When things went wrong it was invariably others who suffered the consequences, while the magic users themselves sailed on through their blinkered existence oblivious to the woes of the victims.

For much of the time it was a struggle that he prevailed in, but the increasingly erratic behaviour of Muldran was stretching that self control to breaking point.

He paused in his stride as he reached the steps of the Shadow Keep and looked up at its dark battlements silhouetted against the snow laden clouds above. The sight of the mighty fortress helped to both crystalize his resolve and confirm his intentions. The Order would have to intervene if matters worsened further and the Shadow King could not be disuaded from his current course of action.

His mind made up, Gorthyn made his way inside, sat himself before the hearth in his private chambers and began to plan his next move.

[muldran]

A Page from the Diary of Lady Flame

Had the most vivid dream last night, all was going well until a strange female figure stood in the audience of a play I was appearing in, she had a captivating presence. All was well once again when I managed to speak and she vanished, strangely though I held a box in the dream. Hmm properly nothing but it brought to mind the box Muldran Skully had asked me to take care of. He said it might stop the voices the Blackrock had caused people to experience. I wonder if there is something in this as I have never heard these voices myself and I no longer feel the coldness I did when he first created it. I will have to look into it.

[muldran]

Muldran raised his hands in the air, and the six elemental stones danced around the ritual circle. He concentrated on expanding the field of power to seal the Reliquary once more - after enduring the harsh words from Gorthyn and the inevitable letter of disquiet from Cherry. Flinging his left hand towards the North, Muldran sent the stones flying through the wall to describe a path around the building.

The meeting in Trinsic had not gone as well as planned. Muldran had hoped to quickly let those who held the boxes know that his ritual had failed, and the boxes were not active, and could not protect against Blackrock.

Taggart had not turned up - there was no sign of him.
Lann'al said that she had let someone else examine her box, and didn't have it with her.
Lady Flame had the box under guard in her home.
The Dark Lord obviously wasn't a fan of Lola's issue of the Poste and had not seen the meeting notice - fortunately.
Kaelyn had disturbing news; she had let John examine the box, and believed he was going to carry out some experiments on it - and then vanished.

Irvyn immediately suggested that the two events were linked, which Muldran disagreed with. If something had happened to one, it would happen to all - and no one had noticed anything odd, or strange happenings since Muldran had activated the boxes. Lann'al did state that the person who was looking after her box (and she'd not reveal the name) was seeming a bit more clumsy...

Muldran frowned, and cast his arm to the right, moving the elemental stones around the outside of the building, carefully casting for any imperfections in the stones that signalled any damage to the building.

Of course, accusations about Muldran's magic and 'yet another failure' persisted. Garrison Darker and a strange man in black also arrived. Cherry and Taliesin alternatively stuck up for and berated Muldran as he either gave 'too much away' or too little.

Flame persisted in questioning Muldran about his failure to activate the boxes, drawing another truth out of him - he had a sixth box; a control box that he had created some time before, from which he divided the essence to create the five other boxes that he had hoped to link together to totally protect the entire land from Blackrock infection. Flame wondered if Muldran had accidentally activated that box.

From Mul's initial denials, the group decided it would be best to travel to Rhovanion so Muldran could enact a ritual to 'deactivate' the boxes. Muldran assured them it was not necessary, but they insisted.

The stones moved round the building another circuit. Muldran's nose itched, but he refused to scratch it. One doesn't get to become a powerful mage by being distracted by such transitory effects. Gesturing with his left hand again, the stones continued weaving the wards around the Reliquary.

Rhovanion was more snow-swept than usual. Muldran ushered the visitors into the Reliquary, through to the ritual room, where the crystal box lay. Several of the visitors expressed their worry at the crystal-encrusted walls. Muldran revealed that the reason why everyone could enter at the moment was that the wards had fallen when the ritual to activate the boxes was cast.

Once more a bit of unease flickered through those present, although Muldran still went ahead with the deactivation ritual. A simple gesture, using two of the elemental stones and...

...the control box seemed to writhe and a wave of energy swept forward, through everyone in the room, searching further and further away to see if it could find the... ah... got them...

...Flame staggered, a chilly feeling rushing through her. Irvyn asked if she was all right; but none of the others had seen or felt anything odd. Deciding that it must be lack of food, over excitement, or the fact that the black-clad-mage next to her might have had a few too many chunks of blackrock on him, the group slowly peeled away, their job done.

Gorthyn and Salazar from the Court were waiting downstairs, Gorthyn surprised to see 'outsiders' in the secure Reliquary. When Muldran mentioned that the wards were not intact, Gorthyn icily asked him to put that right. It was then that Garrison and Irvyn informed Muldran of an odd finding; a chunk of Blackrock sitting outside the Reliquary that had not been there before... A mild panic ensued as Muldran asked Gorthyn (as perhaps the least magically active) to lift it to the steps.

The group then went their separate ways, and everything was done. Boxes deactivated. Threat over. Not that there was a threat at all.

Muldran's nose was itching mightly by the time the stones conducted their third circuit of the Reliquary. He wiggled his nose trying hard to ignore the itching. Moving his head to oneside, he tried to scratch his nose with the lapel of his shirt. With a sigh, he gestured with his right hand, suspending one of the stones, and scratched his nose.

He sighed in pleasure and... in the corner of his eye he saw it. A small, shining gap in the Reliquary wall. Right where Flame had been standing. All the time.

The elemental stones dropped to the floor, two sonerous 'gongs' sounding as they struck the stone floor. A gap. In the walls. And in the wards. Something had got out when Muldran activated the boxes. And now he'd deactivated the boxes, he had no way to see what had moved from the control box to the others.

[Lady Flame (DrR)]

Lady Flame found herself standing in the Guards Rest looking down at the Black Box Muldran Skully had given her. How she had got there was a bit of a haze as she did not remember much after the deactivation ritual that Muldran had cast. She ran her fingers across the top of the box and smiled slightly. Then taking a careful look around she took the Black Box in here hands and gently placed it in her backpack for safe keeping. After all Muldran had said it was safe and it was a useful box.

[Vierna]

Vierna lay in her luxurious bed, in her hidden home, known only to a few. Reflecting once again on her journey into the Abyss, the new challenges she must meet and relationship she has with SD. Then something else came into her thoughts……the box Lanni had given to her. Coming out of her reverie she travelled to her stronghold. There on a stone table in the corner of the fearsome dungeon lay the box..……

She stared at it for a time. When Lanni had given the box to her before she commenced her journey into the Abyss, she told Vierna it would protect her. Protect her from what she wondered. Certainly not what the Abyss threw at her. The Divine Mother Lloth protected her in the end. Then she remembered. Lanni gave her the box at the time when the elementals where causing havoc in the yellow town. Was there a connection? Vierna laughed at the memory. Stupid humans, what do they know, their lives are too short to learn anything of real importance. Ask a human about dwarves and magic and they will tell you that they shun such things. But Vierna knows that the duergar use magic. Many a time Vierna and her followers stood on a hill overlooking the yellow town, watching and laughing at the humans futile attempts to defeat the elementals. She shook her head in bemusement. The elementals are a product of my environment, a creation of the svirfneblin (deep gnomes). She laughed once more.

But Lanni had been insistent. There are two beings Lanni would give her life to save and Vierna was one of them. The box and Lanni’s reasoning puzzled Vierna. Oh she knew what it contained, nothing special she thought. Then again how often did mundane items prove to be crucial components in Arcane ritual. I must discuss this with Faeryl she thought. In fact she thought further, I must discuss this with Lanni.

As she continued to stare at the box, Vierna’s thoughts grew deeper. Is this unique or are there others? Lanni would know. Then another thought passed through her mind. Perhaps in the end it means nothing to me. But what if it is something of great significance to the humans? Vierna gave out a hollow malicious laugh at the conclusion she had something the humans desperately wanted. She must investigate. Information is knowledge, knowledge is power and power in her hands is absolute.

She put the box into a deep secure pocket of her travelling bag. Just for save keeping. Just until she found the ideal place to hide it from all. And she knew of just a place…but that could wait. If any more of these exist, Vierna will have them. Lanni will know……….

[Lady Flame (DrR)]

Lady Flame did not sleep very well that night, her dreams disturbed by thoughts of the missing Black Box. She needed to check to discover if John had return and of course if he still had the Black Box safely in his possession. Unable to rest no longer she started to prepare for her day with the added duty to visit Duke Irvyn in Trinsic, to check see if he had any news on John. She went through here normal days routing, checking on Castle British, visiting Commander Jurrels office in Minoc, checking on the Crystalline Commander Jurrel, seeing if Casca was ready to leave his room and talk, and now of course the search for the missing Book of Truth, the list was endless. But Flame went through it as part of her normal routine with her thoughts constantly drawn to the missing John, were they safe?
Finally her days list was done and she drew in what energy she had left and opened a gate to Trinsic. Stepping out of the gate just outside of Trinsic she walked the short distance to the city gate. But no sooner was she in site of the walls then she heard voices, this spurred her on. As she approached she noticed someone selling items by the side of the road, but more importantly she saw Kaelyn. Flame took no notice of anyone or anything else, Kaelyn would know if they were safe. She marched right up and immediately asked Kealyn about John and of course the Black Box. She was not truly prepared for the reply she got, with disbelief she stood there stunned as she was informed that they were both still missing. She felt that something needed to be done and left promptly after to think on the matter, something needed to be done they need to be safe, it needed to be safe.