Old storyline; locked

Salvanar was back to business as usual, travelling with Izath. Izath suddenly stoped. "My lord, what happened to blaze?" He asked. Salvanar shrugged. "Best guess is that Blaze is now a king's Butler." Salvanar said blankly. Izath laughed in his own elemental voice.

Bandon arrived at the tree but no one was there. His men got off their horses and got their weapons ready. When no one was seen a soldier went up to the tree to sit down and he just missed getting hit in the head by an arrow! All of a sudden soldiers appeared everywhere, surrounding Lucifer's Pride. Bandon and his men closed in back to back to fight this new force. Suddenly they charged, attacking savagly, blindly at the group of elite soldiers. After several bloody minutes of fighting, Bandon repelled the enemy with a few losses. Those troops looked like nightmares. Bandon cautously walked over to the tree, only to get leaped on by a Deva. Garan Besda pinned Bandon to the floor, weapons in hand. The Pride was cautious to not aggrivate the Deva. Suddenly more of those nightmare soldiers came out of nowhere, starting a new fight...

Mazei slipped between ranks of Lorians people all over the place fretting at this terrible news of the tamarisk tree in danger. Most of the cutters had been found they said. Apparently on the other side of the tree a big fight was going on. Well that was fine.
Mazei reached a trapped leading down to the roots of the tree; he used a stolen pass to get down, and slipped past the guards at the bottom.
The roots, like tha tree itself, were huge, and supported a vast ceiling, which covered several torchlit caverns which were seperated by low corridors of rock and soil. He went to the spring from which the tree took most of it's nutrients and water. There were others, but this was the main one.
He killed the guards, and used a complex fire spell to incinerate the bodies, then dropped the armour into the pool- they fell about 9 feet deep, but nobody would ever dream of dipping into the pool to look for it. It might contaminate the water.
Well this certainly would, thought Mazei, taking out a small bottle with a clear liquid inside.

Xu too was at his home on the Isle of Selenis. It was at least 6 Months since the battle at Mirage Lake, and the waters have been relatively calm since now.

But today, the waters were restless. Countless number of sparks danced in the water, and Xu knew what this meant. He took a look into the water...

He see's a tree. It is large and magnificent, and knows that this is the Tamarisk Tree.
But, below it's mighty branches are...people. He cannot see there faces, but they look as if there going to chop this tree down!!

Xu decided to travel to Cibhi to find out more...

Izath was suddenly struck by an idea. "Are you going to perform elemental mastery?" Izath asked. Salvanar scoffed. "I'm not in any mood to start taming Wind, Fire, Water, Ice, Void and Earth elementals, thank you." He said. Izath smiled "You like elementals, and I bet you've always wanted a Void elemental, am I correct?" Salvanar thought about this concept. "Thought about it, but the practicality got in the way. I mean seriously, A void elemental!? Why don't you just throw me in a black hole, it'll be quicker!"

"They have not returned the Innkeeper." Someone said.
"Indeed, he has well and truly gone." Another replied.
"They must have tried to get infomation from him." A third said.
"Yes, agreed, but what about?" The first said
"Us." The second answered.
"Truly, we are in danger. They are coming, they will try to drive us out and burn us and kill us and take the women." The Third said.
"They are not as weak as you could be suggesting." The second said.
"No they aren't. They are very strong, quick and clever. I forgot where we are." The third replied.
"We must prepare."The first one said.
"We are prepared. This castle is ready. Why do you say that?" The Second said.
"We should have killed him six months ago." The third stated
"Thats all thats on your thoughts. In time we will kill. But I doubt that he is the one hunting for us." The first said.
"Yes, another is coming. He will hunt down more who know us." The third agreed.
"We must do something then. And fast." The second said
"Agreed." The first and third said...

Optimarus was, as far as possible, happy.
He had a name now;
Aerul.
Excellent...now that he had a name, it would be easy to find him. He'd have a bird sent immediately.
He composed the letter now;
I have had word of you. If you truly wish to defeat or kill the new King of Corbep, then be at the capital of Ao Seruld, in the Red Sun hotel at midnight. A messenger will be waiting there for the next two weeks.
Bring as many men as you wish; it will make no difference. I am quite possibly the only way that you will achieve your aims.
Yours,
The Golden Mask

A hungry outlaw out hunting saw a bird fly past. Being a ranger he shot it down with expert skill. He found the letter and took it to The Run...

"Should we go???" Aerul asked the other rangers.
"Maybe, maybe not this is most likely a trap. They took three of those who were in high status and very loyal. We can't let them get away with that."
"Go, we need it. Although his name is strange, to send such a fine fowl, he most likely means what he says."
Aerul then spoke. " He is not called the Golden mask. Nero mentioned him. I can't remember the name. Very well we go."

The remaining nine rangers including Aerul left The Run. They arrived at the Red Sun Hotel, just on time...

Optimarus had taken over the messengers mind for the occaision. It was a powerful, but limited; only those who were willing to submit themselves to it would actually be controlled.
He saw the rangers enter the hotel. He went over to them, and asked them to sit down nearby.
"I have an exceedingly powerful master," Optimarus said through the messengers mouth, "And he can help you kill the King. He is headed for the tamarisk tree, in the southern forest. Get him along the way, or at the tree itself; one of my masters best spies is there."
He handed them some money, and a compass. "This should point you in the direction of the king. Go now. I cannot linger." And then Optimarus left his body.
He got up. He had someone else to manipulate as well. A mage called Xu.
He was such a fool; he had those scrying waters, didn't he? Ha...
Optimarus went into a room even deeper underground, where light was rippling along the ceiling, caused when light is reflected and refracted off water.
Did he really think he was the only one with a magical pool? Optimarus had been able to see him all the time when he was in view. Now to send a little something his way...
Optimarus held his hand above the water, and a purple glow pulsed around it. Then he opened his hand, and the ball of purple light dropped into the pool. When Xu was next near it..
He'd find he would be a little more inclined to serve Optimarus Caliphos, the Golden Mask.

Bandon was in the thick of the fighting taking down as many enemies as possible when Garan dissapeared. He was underneath the tree and he saw a spy. "Ah ah ahh, don't be a naughty boy now." He said and he flipped over the spy whisking away the poison just in time. "You will have to go through me first." And with that Garan got his sword out ready to fight...

Xu was just about to leave for Cibhi's Palace when he felt something strange...

He turned around, the waters were signalling again.

Then, he took a look...

When Xu came out of the waters, he was not quite the same as when he entered them.

He had shadows cast over him, and his eyes turned from blue to a dark-purple, and they shone brightly. His face was darkened by a shadow, so the only things that you could see were his glowing eyes. His hair had changed, too. It had turned to a dark-gray, but in the same style as before, Thick spikes...

Xu then left the cave...

Mazei smiled.
"I don't think so." He launched a spell at bandon that should paralyse him for a few seconds, then ran to the ladder and past the guards, shouting;
"That Deva tried to poison the spring! Kill him!" The guards advanced, and Mazei ran as fast as he could into the crowd.

OOC: As far as i can see, Garan Besda simply teleported from fighting bandon to suddenly underground, past all the guards and warriors and people. Don't do it again.

The rangers were not happy with the orders the messenger brought. They stood as one. Killed the messenger and returned home leaving a note on the messenger along with all the money and the compass.

"We have no need for these and money is just a hindrance. We are also not your servants. Come to us if you wish to speak to us instead of sending us around several underlings and not actually meeting to discuss terms of alliance."

Garan was surrounded by guards ready to take his life. "Ah, it seems I have been framed. Well, I won't fight you." The guards charged at him and started attacking Garan. He dodged all of their attacks as fluent as a dance and when he was at the other side of the guards he climbed up the ladder out of the hole he dug and found himself in another fight. He did an acrobatic over the enemies and was by Bandon's side again killing the shadows...
OOC:There that explains how he got down below ground.

Optimarus considered the note left on his messenger's body. He was not annoyed by the death of his messenger; more encouraged by it.
Perhaps he would bring the rangers to the island. There was no chance, once they were inside, of escape. There were no secret passages or exits but for the one, and that was guarded by more then men.
And of course, there was Optimarus himself.
Yes, very well. To the Third Empire would the Rangers come, and be awed.
He ordered his underlings to bring them. There was no way that the Golden Mask would ever leave.

Deep in the mountains, the underlings of Optimarus passed. But the few passes that were known to those who lived outside Aeruls castle were watched closely. It was thus, that while passing through a narrow ravine with steep and tall sides, the underlings were killed by a large orce of rangers. They tried to get through but wandering through a narrow ravine which is so excellently designed for ambushes is fatal. None survived the outcasts scourge of the Ravine...

Since Xu had...changed... He only had one priority; get to Optimarus. He already knew where to go, and was there in a few hours. He channeled a thought to Optimarus, and waited for his reply, to let him come inside...

Now Optimus was annoyed. He had tried to be patient; clearly it wasn't working.
Very well then. The Ranger would die.
He sent some men to fight them, and supplied with them powerful weapons. But he did something far better then that.
He sent a message to Haleinis of Ao Seruld; the council there knew the Golden Mask as a well meaning citizen who wished to anonymously supply them with information concerning criminals. so thats what hey got; information concerning a certain illegal group, with armed guards, in acertain place called the run, complete with exact location.
Have fun, thought Optimarus. I wonder what it's like to have an Empire wage war on you?
I wonder how my little Mage Protege is doing?
No sooner had he thought this then a call echoed through his head. He signalled to his guards to let Xu in.

Outcasts however were on the move long before Optimarus realised as soon as the ambush was in place they had started to move.

"It was a trap I told you." Someone said.
"Agreed, no-one is ever our friend. This person tried to kill us." A second answered
The third was silent
"We should keep moving, The Run is in ruins. No trace of our passing has been left. But they are using magic. I can smell it." The first said...

Xu stepped through the huge gates, and walked towards the centre of the large hallway, to a throne where Optimarus was sitting. He then awaited further instructions...

Toro and Koroa arrived at the tree. There was a battle. Toro could see Bandon on one side, so he thought be better join that side. Toro ordered Koroa to give a burst of flames to give them something to worry about...

Optimarus looked down at Xu.
"There is a man, Aerul. He and his rangers have chosen the path of destruction. Go and kill them. And then, a man named Salvanar- He is altogether too skilled with elementals. Kill him any way you can. If you find either of these impossible, or you complete them, return here. Understand?"

Bandon saw another friendly face but that distraction nearly cost him his head. He ducked and started blocking attacks with his shield. After half an hour of bloody fighting, they won but Lucifer's Pride had suffered casualties. Bandon walked over to Toro and Garan moved to him aswell. "Thanks for the assistance friend. I like your new pet. But who are you, Deva?" Bandon said. "I am Garan at your service. I would like to become an ally of yours." "Well, I will see to it that the king knows your name. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get my men back for health treatment." "Wait! I shall follow. No ned to wait for me then." Off they all galloped for the capital...

Xu gave a nod and started to walk out of the building. The doors shut behind him with a bang, and Xu set off to find the person named Aerul, and the lorian Salvanar..

As the outcasts scattered to search for a new place to set up Aerul struck off on his own, heading down, out off the mountains to find the Cibhi. It was time for his vow to be fulfilled. Someone was trying to kill him or capture him anyway. He wanted to kill the cause of all his sorrow and grief and show that the outcasts were always waiting for the day society makes a mistake...