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 Post subject: Re: Tammy
PostPosted: Jun 23rd, '10, 05:13 
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Shadow Girl: Part II

Or were they? Tammy glanced around after her most recent bout of disorientation. They were in a large room with stone columns standing side by side. A behemoth of a door stood on the opposite end of the room, red light filtering through the whole place. When she turned her face upwards, the ceiling was lost to darkness.
But the feature of the room really had to be the dog.
Tammy had seen a lot of large dogs, but this one took the cake…or perhaps dog biscuit. It would tower over the largest of wolves. In fact, it would be more appropriate to compare it to a bear. Brown fur covered rippling muscles while saliva dripped from two sets of sharp, white teeth.
Yes, two. The dog had two heads.
She stared at it for a moment as it bounded towards them, causing the whole room to shake. Tammy grasped her sword as it paused in front of them, opening one of its massive jaws to speak.
“Guests! I never see guests. What’s your name? Do you know any good stories? I love stories!” The dog’s tail began to wag vigorously.
Tammy continued staring at the dog as Catrine murmured under her breath, “I don’t think it’s very intelligent…” Zalla, on the other hand, spoke to the dog and notified it that they couldn’t stay long.
The dog’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, literally. Both of its heads then bellowed, “You will stay! Nobody can leave!”
Tammy staggered back at the force of the dog’s voice as the meaty smell of its breath washed over her. She didn’t think she had ever wished for a breath mint more than at that point.
It was a good thing she had an idea. But she might as well plan for a back up in case it failed. She murmured under her breath to Elissril, “’Ave any sleepin’ potions?”
Elissril nodded faintly, her eyes fixed on the dog before replying, “Yes…”
“Try stickin’ it in some food or somethin’ so we can feed the dog.”
Tammy turned her attention back towards the dog, clearing her throat slightly before speaking, “Hi! What’s your name? An’ what sorta stories d’ya like?”
The dog’s tail began wagging again as it replied, “I’m Cerberus…what’s yours? What stories do you know? I like all sorts of stories.”
Tammy grinned, “Nice ta meetcha, Cerberus! I’m Nobody…my favorite story’s pro’lly the one ‘bout the Cyclopes who herded sheep on this island...but let’s not get into that now. Didntcha say that Nobody can leave?”
Tammy swore that she saw one of the dog’s lips quiver, “But you’re not all Nobody…”
She shook her head slightly in response, “Well actually…we are. All Nobody, that is.”
Zalla nodded vigorously, “Yes…just a bunch of Nobodies passing through.”
Tammy was sure that she saw the dog’s lips quivering this time, “B-but…Nobody can leave…”
The dog slammed both paws down, causing the room to shake again as it began balling. Big, fat tears rolled down its furry cheeks as it continued to cause a scene. Tammy stared at it for a moment before quickly waving the others through.
They passed into the next room.

Tammy could appreciate the architecture. Curved columns carved with different images soared upwards from a marble floor. Murals were painted on the ceiling, depicting pictures from the past and present. Tammy squinted slightly as she examined one of the murals. Was that Elissril?
Yet that wasn’t the most interesting feature of the room. Flickering shapes of people filled the space, oblivious of their surroundings. A man was cheered on by his friends as he won a medal. A young girl rode a flying unicorn through the air. And, for some odd reason, a woman chased a lemur.
It was the Hall of Dreams.
At the far end of the room sat two glowing figures, pouring over a chess board. One of the figures spoke, his voice carrying towards them, “Galiae forward.”
The other figure shook his head before replying, “Devil forward.”
“Galiae casts magic missile and takes Devil.”
“Next Devil forward.”
Tammy smirked faintly. Galiae was a piece on the board, then. Who else was there? Was Galiae a bishop? A knight? A queen? A pawn?
Was Tammy herself on there as some inconsequential piece? Perhaps. She usually played the game, after all, though it sickened her when she thought about it.
Catrine moved forward, bowing her head towards the third figure, the one that Tammy had not yet examined. “Lord of Screams, Lord of Streams, Lord of Endless Dreams…”
Tenriel, god of Dreams and son of Death floated above a pile of cushions. He wore a lose robe, his hair tossed carelessly over a shoulder and his eyes partially glazed over.
The game of rhymes commenced. He spoke and then they spoke. Zalla went straight to the point, asking him about what lay ahead. His brother stood at the next gate, the Angel of Death. They would need to be careful.
It took only a few minutes before they proceeded past Tenriel. Yet as they left, Tammy caught the words of one of the chess players.
“Galiae flees.”

_________________
"I see,"
said the blind man
to his deaf daughter.


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 Post subject: Re: Tammy
PostPosted: Jun 25th, '10, 00:19 
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Shadow Girl: Part III

They fell upwards. It was a strange feeling and the third time that Tammy had been disoriented thus far. She was starting to get used to it. They landed a few moments later on what looked like an endless wasteland. Dried dirt was packed down in hills, covered by sparse, dry grasses in a grey landscape.
Elissril spoke up, “That wasn’t very hard, was it?”
Catrine glanced back at her, “Don’t be so sure. If Tenriel doesn’t like you, he could potentially create a hoard of flesh-eating onions to come devour you.”
Tammy trudged forwards as Zalla and Catrine took the lead. It was only a few minutes before they reached yet another gate, black and foreboding. She could see a figure guarding it…no doubt it was Tenriel’s brother, the Angel of Death. Yet before they walked any closer, Catrine turned and spoke, “Don’t show any emotion on your faces. Don’t even think anything or he won’t let you leave.”
No emotion. Right. Clearing her mind wasn’t going to work, but she had another option.
As they approached, the details of the figure became clearer. Dark wings enfolded a pale body. Dark hair cascaded about his shoulders, framing a face that streamed with tears.
Tammy immediately looked past his shoulder, staring at a dark spot on the gate.
She didn’t pay attention past that. This was monk work. She wasn’t about to give herself away by doing or saying something that would cause the Angel of Death to claim her.
The voices of Catrine and Zalla murmured and the Angel replied in a lower tone. Then, she was falling.

They landed softly on more packed, dry earth. Tammy shook her head briefly. It was as if they walked through a dream, transported from one test to another as they travelled from thought to thought. As she turned around, she saw the wall.
To say it was large was an understatement. Tammy didn’t think she had ever seen a larger structure in her life. Sandy stone towered above them, reaching high into oblivion. Flickering lights flitted about its face, different colors and shapes that bounced off sculpture surfaces.
Catrine spoke, “It is said that not even the gods know what is behind that wall…where the heroes go after they die.”
Tammy briefly wondered if the faces on the wall were trapped souls. It seemed a bit of a let-down for heroes to be stuck on a wall for all eternity…a bit like Hell, really.
Hell. Tammy continued staring at the wall as the others looked around. Was this a part of Hell? No, it couldn’t be. This was Zanbaru’s domain. Her mind wandered back to the Hall of Dreams with the chess players.
“Galiae flees.”
She closed her eyes briefly. Galiae was certainly in Hell at this very moment. Stupid. Foolish. Tammy had already decided that she wouldn’t go. She would, of course, encourage others…but she wouldn’t go herself. Not unless she or Gabriel was dragged down there by force.
“There.” Zalla pointed to the wall where limp, dark figure could be seen. She dangled from chains, bulleted into the stone. Catrine’s eyes widened as she mouthed the word, “mother.”
Tammy was only able to catch a passing glimpse before flames erupted from the ground before them. She quickly jerked backwards as a figure rose up, towering above them and wreathed by fire.
Hendok, the Lord of the Dark Flame glared at them. He probably couldn’t do anything but glare, come to think of it. His face was most likely stuck that way.
His voice boomed across the wastelands, causing Tammy to wince slightly as he explained that the Shades were unfit to live because they had chosen to worship Tsaire instead of him. Survival of the fittest, he explained, was the only way…and since the Shades were unfit, they no longer needed a priestess.
Tammy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It wasn’t wise to anger a god, after all. Along with others she pointed out that denying the Shades their priestess made them weaker. Hendok was the god of war…wouldn’t he want to drag on that war as long as possible? It would be slaughter for him to keep the priestess.
“You reason well…for mortals.” He replied, glancing towards the figure which immediately disappeared from the face of the wall. A moment later, a woman collapsed to the ground beside Catrine. Hendok, Tammy noted, was gone.
“Use the stone…bring us to the temple!” Catrine practically yelled at Tammy as she tossed the stone towards her. Tammy caught it in deft fingers, turning it over once to find out the mechanism that caused it to activate.
Ah, there it was.
Raising the stone above her head, Tammy murmured the words inscribed on its surface. Her stomach turned as the stone crumbled in her hands, turning to dust which was lost in the maelstrom of teleportation.

Darkness and shadow wove about the buildings, so similar and yet so different to Solinar’s. Shaedenaar, the Lost City of Shades, towered high into the darkness. Catrine carried her mother as she murmured to the others, “Follow in my steps.”
They did, but it wasn’t much help. Shadows and darkness grasped at them, sapping their strength as they tried to drag them to…somewhere. Tammy didn’t know where. She kept her sword drawn, sparks flickering along her blade as every so often she batted away an overzealous shadow.
They soon found themselves outside a large temple. It looked like a darker version of the Sunrise Cathedral. Obsidian pillars decorated its outside and carved steps led up to a large doorway inside. Dark colored stained glass adorned a few of the widows, depicting Tsaire in all of her forms.
They entered. Immediately, the shades within began speaking. Who were the travelers? Why were they here? Was that the priestess?!
Catrine shrugged off most of them, leading all into a small side room. The priestess’s eyes fluttered once, twice, and then she spoke.
“Thank you…all of you…you didn’t need to. I won’t drag you any further if you do not wish…”
There were protestations at that. Tammy hid a smirk under her hood as she listened. It was the same thing as before; the priestess knew they wouldn’t say “no.”
She continued speaking, “I…there is an inn in town where you can stay the night. We’ll discuss everything tomorrow…”
With those few words, the priestess collapsed once more into slumber. Tammy shook her head briefly and glanced at the others. It seemed as if they would be in Shaedenaar for at least one more day.

_________________
"I see,"
said the blind man
to his deaf daughter.


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 Post subject: Re: Tammy
PostPosted: Jul 25th, '10, 05:58 
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Shadow Girl: Part IV

She couldn’t sleep. Her mind kept wandering over the possibilities and outcomes of the next day, and she missed Gabriel. After rolling over restlessly for a few hours, she decided to go down into the main room of the inn and look over her supplies and perhaps read. She heard Hakari go out early in the morning, probably around six. At around eight, the others began to filter into the room. She remained quiet for the most part, bleary eyes staring at the ceiling before she turned towards her attention towards the bar. She was hungry.
Bread and cheese were the order of the day. Unfortunately, most other foods provided on the Shadow Plane would be poisonous. Tammy was glad that she had packed a ready supply of water to drink.
The priestess swept into the room, dark robes swirling about her as she strode across the wooden floorboards. Elissril and Zalla glanced up from their food, but Tammy kept eating. If she didn’t get any sleep, she might as well get a good breakfast.
“Hakari will soon join us to explain…” The priestess and Catrine began to talk with one another, perhaps catching up on lost time.
It was then that Hakari burst through the doors to the inn, closing the doors behind him quickly as shadows grasped for him. The hostility of the plane still surprised Tammy. She hadn’t expected the shadows to try to kill them at every turn. However, perhaps she shouldn’t have been so taken aback. Shaedenaar was a separated portion of Hell. And although it was separate, it was still made out of the same material as Hell. Tammy was sure that Lucifer wasn’t all that pleased by the whole situation.
Hakari cleared his throat and explained that he had seen three columns guarded by demons. A main platform housed what seemed to be the head demon. At this point, Catrine explained that all three columns needed to be destroyed at once in order to access the main platform. It was agreed that Tammy would take one column, Hakari and Elissril another, and that Zalla would take the third. Catrine would remain in a central location to teleport all of them back in time to assault the head demon.
A pretty easy feat considering that they were essentially invulnerable.
They were physical beings on the shadow plane. Things that would regularly injure or maim them felt like only a passing touch. That’s probably the reason why Catrine could beat Elissril with a chair without any negative impacts…unless you counted a smashed chair as negative.
They made their way outside, avoiding the shadows as best they could as they parted ways to find their respective columns.

Tammy crouched slightly, using the shadows to hide her form as she stared at the demon in front of her. Flaming wings stretched to either side of it, flickering and lighting up a monstrous head with horns. Eight inch long claws curved viciously over gnarled hands. Right behind the monstrous creature was the column she was slated to destroy. Great.
She slowly unsheathed her sword, remaining silent as she approached. Closer, closer…
Tammy stabbed the creature’s arm, perhaps not the brightest move but certainly serviceable to her purposes. The creature roared in surprise and pain, eyes flaring as it set its sights on Tammy. She had to move quickly. Using the sword as leverage, she swung herself upwards and then slashed at the giant creature’s neck before flipping and landing in a crouch.
It was a pity that her sword only left a gash where it should have firmly decapitated the creature. She heard a low rumbling and realized that the demon was laughing.
This was going to take longer than she thought.
The fight continued. She dodged and used the shadows; the demon used its overwhelming strength. It was unfortunate that the creature had good eyes. There were several close calls. Tammy had to roll in order to avoid a killing blow from the demon’s sword at one point. Her heart thudded and she felt adrenaline pump through her veins. She surged to her feet, thrusting her sword through the demon’s eye before it could straighten up again. Blood spattered the ground as the creature finally fell.
Tammy turned her attention towards the column, gritting her teeth as she ignored the painful, itching feeling of her wounds being stitched back together with magic. She reached into a pouch at her side, pulling out a wand and pointing it at the column. Murmuring a few words, the runes along the wand lit up and shot a beam of energy, dispelling the magic of the column.
She closed her eyes briefly and then she felt the now-familiar disorientation of a transportation spell. When she opened her eyes, everything had changed.

She was on a platform of some sort with Elissril, Hakari, Zalla, and Catrine next to her. Shadows swirled around them on every side, taking the form of faces, images, shapes. In front of her…
Tammy felt the urge to laugh bubble in her gut, pushing its way towards her lips. She quickly clamped her mouth shut, breathing through her nose as she tried to get a hold of herself. Before her stood Gabriel in a pink dress.
She didn’t have words to describe how funny the image was at this point. She rubbed her forehead, ignoring Zalla and Catrine as they talked about how each of them must face their own demons.
It was the same every single time. She would have to face her worst fear in order to help save the day. The irony of the situation was that she had already faced her worst fear long, long ago. Anything else paled in comparison. So when she supposedly was being turned into a goddess, when everything was taken away, it really didn’t matter.
The Gabriel image slowly changed from a pink dress to an outfit he hadn’t worn in ages. A brown vest was placed over a dark blue tunic, form fitting to his lean muscles. Baggy pants ended in leather boots. That was interesting. She studied him for a moment, wondering if that was the outfit she found him most attractive in.
He looked towards her, sapphire blue eyes hardening into stone. A non-existent breeze blew his dark brown hair off of his brow, curling the strands at the base of his neck. Sun seemed to shine, even though they were surrounded by shadows. The light caught the faint highlights in his hair, causing them to turn to liquid gold. “Tammy.”
She shook her head briefly, a smile playing along her lips as she watched. She briefly wondered what was going to happen next.
“This isn’t enough. You barely kept me here and now even that’s gone. I’m leaving.”
Even though she knew it wasn’t real, it was like being stabbed in the gut with a knife. No, worse. She didn’t have an analogy for the pain. She rubbed her forehead, wincing slightly before opening her eyes.
It was a good thing he wasn’t real.
Tammy focused on his form. Distracting. She wouldn’t be able to kill it while it looked like that.
This was going to be unpleasant. She imagined flesh falling away from bone. Muscles sloughed off like dead skin; blood spattered the ground as brown hair turned to blonde and then fell out. Sapphire blue eyes turned piercing and then shriveled away into mere sockets. Brown and blue was replaced by black, swirling robes.
Tammy unsheathed her sword, looking at the one being she truly disliked. Catrine and Zalla’s voices filtered back in, “Are you ready?”
Tammy replied slowly, “Yeah, I’m ready ta kill it.”
The lich’s form suddenly flickered and then disappeared. A greyish creature stood in its place. A large head sat above a spindly body.
The demon general glanced at the crowd before speaking, “You’re pretty clever…for mortals.”
As Zalla rushed forwards, it waved a hand and suddenly disappeared. Shaedenaar was free.

_________________
"I see,"
said the blind man
to his deaf daughter.


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Last edited by Archer14 on Jul 30th, '10, 14:32, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Tammy
PostPosted: Jul 25th, '10, 17:34 
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((See above for Part IV))

Shadow Girl: Part V

Tammy watched as the others received their gifts. The Priestess of Shaedenaar had thanked them profusely when they had returned, telling them how grateful the whole shadow realm was for their help. She had given Hakari the ability to sense demons. She had given Elissril an official title and position within Shaedenaar. She had given Zalla the ability to teleport.
Now it was her turn. The priestess swept towards her, placing a hand gently on Tammy’s shoulder. “Tharmiel, your ki is damaged.”
Surprise…but not really. Ever since she had unlocked Shadowfury, her ki had been pretty much unpredictable and chaotic. She wasn’t surprised that it was damaged. Tammy looked towards the priestess, remaining silent.
The shade gestured towards the side, “Come with me.” She led Tammy away from the others and then stood back. “Now relax.”
Tammy remained still as the priestess began to chant. At first, nothing happened. Then she began to notice wisps of red moving towards her. The faint strands turned to a flood as it converged.
Dark red ki flowed towards her in massive waves. She felt energized, as if the whole fight hadn’t happened and as if she had a ten hour nap complete with a good breakfast instead.
Even so, she didn’t like it. The ki continued to flow. Tammy knew that it was a massive amount, even by monk standards. As it continued, something else happened.
She felt herself growing. Muscles tightened and extended as bones lengthened. No, she didn’t want this. She tensed, looking towards the priestess, “Stop.”
Her body stayed as it was for the moment, the ki swirling uncertainly as the priestess met Tammy’s eyes with her own, “Relax.”
She nodded briefly and remained still, though she kept her fists clenched tightly.
“I said to relax.”
Consequences. Tammy hid a smirk beneath her hood and slowly let her body relax. The ki continued to flow towards her and she began to shrink in size. As the final wave hit her, she felt like herself once more.

_________________
"I see,"
said the blind man
to his deaf daughter.


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 Post subject: Re: Tammy
PostPosted: Aug 21st, '10, 06:25 
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((Finally stuck in The Pharoah's Tomb: Part III. Look on the second page to read it.))

Princess Tameliel: Part I

Houses stood to either side of her, looming over her. The faint smell of decaying, muddy material wafted towards her on a sudden breeze. Trees whispered faintly to one another as she walked through the town. She had a bad feeling. She couldn’t help but have a bad feeling. Her heart skipped and pounded as she clenched and unclenched her hands, trying not to run.
She eventually came to a clearing at the edge of town. A gate led onto a small track which wound its way through cypress trees and dips in the swampy ground, filled with fetid water. She could hear the unmistakable buzz of mosquitoes in the humid air. She closed her eyes for a moment, noticing how a bead of sweat trickled from her brow, down her face, and to her neck. When she opened her eyes, everything had changed.
People ringed her. Most of the faces she didn’t recognize, but some she did. She scanned the crowd as heat rose to her face. They were all pointing towards her with grins on their faces. No, they weren’t pointing at her. They were pointing at…
She turned her head to look over her shoulder and saw a massive orc. Muscles bulged under green skin and the foul smell of his breath washed over her. In one large hand, he held a bloody spine, still dripping with gore. On the ground before him was…
Tammy stared up at the creature. She felt like screaming, but she couldn’t. She felt like running, but she couldn’t. The pit of her stomach seemed to have disappeared entirely, her heart pounding and her vision darkening. Laughter began to sound from all around her as the orc gave her a vicious grin.
“You’re next.”

Tammy woke with a start, stifling a scream. After a few heart-pounding moments where she gasped for breath, she finally calmed herself. It was only a dream. Nothing to get upset about.
She turned over in her bed but soon deemed it too hot to sleep. She kicked off the royal blue coverlet, pulling the sheets over herself as she turned first one way, then another. She turned and pounded her ultra-soft pillow a few times before lying down again. It was no use. She couldn’t sleep.
With a groan, Tammy rolled out of bed and onto richly carpeted floor. Her eyes followed the intricate, silver designs which wound their ways across the rug towards the impressive walls. They were probably her favorite part of the room. They wound and twisted like branches of a tree in artful designs, meeting towards the top where a small chandelier hung downwards.
Tammy had been very particular about her room. She wanted something plain and serviceable. After all, she didn’t plan to stay there very often. Unfortunately, her sister had stuck her in what her advisors called “the blue room.” Not only did it have a four poster bed with a feather mattress, but it also had a full writing desk, lavish sofa and chairs, a vanity, and a wardrobe that probably could fit a whole herd of cows inside. True to its name, the furnishings were all in shades of blue with rich wood as its base.
The walls were the true masterpiece of the room, however. On calm nights or days, the twisting branches would uncurl and part slightly, opening the room up to the elements outside. Stars or blue sky would peak in from between the branches that made up the room. A few rays of pinkish gold filtered through the branches, signaling the coming of dawn.
Tammy padded over to the massive wardrobe and opened its doors before grabbing her usual outfit. She yanked off the large night shirt and pulled on her shirt, vest, pants, socks, and boots. She walked over to the vanity and grabbed a brush from the table. Looking blearily into the mirror, she carefully ran it through her hair. She looked like crap. Oh well.
Her sister had asked her to stay a few days in order to sort out a few things. Unfortunately, Tammy still wasn’t sure what these “things” might be. She had a feeling it was going to involve babysitting Galadhan a fair bit. That was fine, really. Her nephew was cute, even if he was a bit fussy sometimes.
She stretched a bit and then glanced to the door of her room. She hoped that there wasn’t someone waiting outside to attend to her every need. Grabbing the silver handle of the door, she eased it open and poked her head outside.
The hallway was empty. Good. She shut the door quietly behind herself and strolled down the hall, admiring the way the Tree Singers had sculpted the railings along the tree’s edges. They looped and twirled in regular but still artistic designs. She was just thinking about grabbing some breakfast from somewhere when she heard footsteps coming towards her.
She ducked to the side, feeling the familiar tug in her gut as she used the shadows to cloak her form. It wasn’t really necessary, but she felt like being alone for the moment.
The sound of voices accompanied the footsteps, speaking in the lyrical elven language, “I don’t see why the child seer chose her to be queen. After all…”
“Quiet. It’s treason to question her authority. She’s our ruler now and...”
“And she’s still not even a full elf. They say she’s descended from Eneil, but I see no indication of such. Her mother had far more potential, though even she wouldn’t have made a truly great ruler.”
The other elf chucked, “And you would, I assume?”
“Better than our current one.”
The two elves came into view and then walked past Tammy without once glancing her way. They had the typical, elven politician look to them. One wore a white tunic, embroidered with silver while the other wore a simple green one with accents of gold on the sleeves. Both had the pale blonde hair which was braided and styled in the height of elven fashion, and both had the high cheekbones and pointed ears typical of their race.
Tammy scrutinized them closely. The one in white was certainly a former elven prince. The one in green, if she remembered correctly, was his brother. She made a mental note of both as they turned the corner and continued their conversation.
She stretched and stepped from the wall to continue her stroll. It was a pity that she didn’t expect someone else to come up behind her.
“There you are.”
Tammy spun around to come face-to-face with her mirror image. Well, almost her mirror image. Cam had taken to growing her hair a bit longer to fit the style of Elmensfaar. She also had a simple gold band around her forehead, shaped to look like connected laurel leaves. There was also the fact that while Tammy now had violet eyes, her sister still had the piercing blue ones they had both been born with.
“Give me a heart attack, why dontcha. Sheesh.”
Cam smirked, “I wouldn’t have to if you had been in your room. What are you doing sneaking around, hm?”
“Old habits die hard.”
“Apparently.” Cam looked at Tammy critically, “You look like crap.”
Tammy rolled her eyes, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. You’re just the person I wanted to see, anyway.” She folded her arms, apparently trying to think of a decent way to phrase what she was about to say.
Tammy sighed, “Look, I know ya want me ta babysit Galadhan. That’s fine. Ya don’ need ta…”
Cam stared at Tammy for a moment before grinning widely, “No, I wasn’t going to ask you to do that. In fact, I called you here for something completely different.”

_________________
"I see,"
said the blind man
to his deaf daughter.


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 Post subject: Re: Tammy
PostPosted: Aug 22nd, '10, 23:34 
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((Look above for Part I. Part III coming soon.))

Princes Tameliel: Part II

It was much worse than babysitting.
She stood in front of a three way mirror as dressmakers flitted around her, tittering and tsking as they poked and prodded her with pins. Cam lounged in a chair in the corner of the room, looking every bit the queen she was. Royal advisors stood next to her, updating her on the latest events and the war efforts being undertaken in order to defend against the Crusaders. At every cringe and flinch that Tammy made, Cam grinned.
It seemed as if she was today’s entertainment.
If she were in Cam’s position, she’d probably enjoy the whole scenario. Unfortunately, she wasn’t. For the tenth time she was telling the dressmaker in perfectly accented elven that she didn’t want anything pink in her outfit.
“But Princess Tameliel, it would look wonderful on you,” she held up the dress in question which featured a flowing white skirt with golden embroidery at the bottom. The bodice was made out of some sort of pink material with more gold accents at the shoulders. It also featured white silk gloves. Tammy was having none of it.
“Yes, I’m sure it would. But I already told you that I’m not a fan of pink. I’d be more than happy to try on blue, black, or even purple, if necessary.” She didn’t really like speaking elven, but she did it for appearances. Most elves looked at her askance if she used her heavily accented common.
The dressmaker proceeded to look past Tammy towards Cam with a brilliant smile, “Your majesty, don’t you agree that this dress would suit the princess?”
Cam looked like she was on the verge of laughing, “Indeed, Mistress Sylvenia. Tameliel, I insist that you try on the dress…just to make sure we have your sizes correct if nothing else.”
Tammy scowled at her sister, but obediently went to a back room to put on the dress. She would get her back later.
Several more fittings and several more complaints later, Tammy had a wardrobe mostly fit for a princess. It contained several formal dresses in different colors and for different seasons of the year (fortunately, the pink one didn’t make the cut), several embroidered tunics for everyday wear (she had to fight the dressmaker over these. They went back and forth for about an hour over how much embroidery should be included. The dressmaker eventually had to content herself with some of the hem and a bit on the sleeves), and a riding outfit. She had also been measured by the elven armorer so he could make a light fitting chain (for formally reviewing the troops, apparently). The gold smith had also come by to check that her head was the same size as the queen’s so that he could get started on the simple tiara she would wear during more formal occasions.
Tammy was reminded once again why she disliked shopping.

Cam smiled at her sister as she came out from the changing room once more, this time dressed in her old outfit, “See? That wasn’t so painful, was it?”
“That’s debatable.”
Cam waved a hand to her advisors, who quickly bowed their heads and left the room. Tammy stood quietly as Cam spoke again, “You know there’s another reason why I asked you to come.”
Tammy sighed, switching back to common in the absence of the elves, “I figured. So what’s up?”
Cam tapped the arm of the chair she was sitting in, “I was wondering if your answer to my question is still ‘no.’”
Tammy leaned back against the wall, folding her arms as she watched her sister, “Ya know for a fact that I can’t give ya the Silent Hand, Cam. I try ta remain as neutral as possible in that respect. You’re more ‘an welcome ta give me an’ my people jobs like everyone else does.”
Cam’s smooth forehead wrinkled, “You know I would feel better if you promised that you wouldn’t spy against us.”
“Ya know I can’t promise that, Cam. The leader of my organization needs ta remain a neutral party.”
She remained silent for a moment before replying, “I suppose your answer is still ‘no’ to my other question as well?”
Tammy smirked faintly, pushing off the wall, “Yeah. Sorry, Cam. I’ll play the part as princess for ya. I’ll curtsey an’ smile and go ta the balls ya hold. I’ll be polite ta the proper people and persuade ‘em of certain things. But I ‘ave my limits.”
Cam shrugged, “Fair enough. You can go, if you want.”
Tammy waved a hand and without further ado, disappeared from sight.

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"I see,"
said the blind man
to his deaf daughter.


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 Post subject: Re: Tammy
PostPosted: Sep 21st, '10, 02:58 
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Princess Tameliel: Part III

She wasn’t leaving.
The conversation she had overheard in the hallway had disturbed her too much. She may not be Cam’s Master of Spies, but she certainly wasn’t about to let her sister deal with corruption so early in her reign.
She kept to the shadows, avoiding the ever increasing stream of elves as morning wore on to midday. A few sat and talking in the gardens, lounging on carved benches or playing chess under the sun. Tammy continued her trek, her eyes searching for the correct culprits.
She found them about an hour later having lunch in a quiet part of Elmensfaar. Birds chirped and flitted from branch to branch as cool wind whispered past their table. Tammy remained silent as she watched and listened. There was nothing suspicious about their activities or anything she would be able to use.
Fortunately, she could be patient.
They left the table at about one and strolled along the wide boulevard. They occasionally stopped to chat with others about what a fine day it was or about the latest poetry reading. They discussed the war efforts with a few military personnel and commented how they would be more than ready if Nheraz’Kharr decided to do anything at all.
In other words, it was a bit boring. Tammy worked on not falling asleep standing up as she waited for them to finish a particularly tedious conversation with a seamstress about the merits of using plant based fibers.
It was when they finally sat down to dinner that things became interesting. They had chosen one of the quiet little alcoves near nowhere in particular. The view from their position, however, was breathtaking. Above the treetops, had a clear view of the top of Dragonspine Mountain, capped with snow and shimmering white against a perfectly blue sky.
Tammy slipped into a comfortably shady spot, remaining motionless as the two elves ate some sort of delicious-smelling vegetarian concoction. It was when they were digging into their second course that one of the elves said something that piqued her interest.
“What do you think we should do about our…new type of politics, Esgalven?” The elf in the green tunic spoke as he picked up a piece of bread from a small sampling in front of them. He elegantly tore off a bit to pop into his mouth, not a crumb falling to the ground. Tammy was almost positive that elves practiced crumb avoidance since childhood. Waste not; want not, she supposed.
Elsgalven, the one in the white tunic replied as he daintily cut into what looked to be some sort of parfait, “We’ve already been over this, Thandon. We’re going to wait for the right time and then…” He set down the silverware and snapped his fingers together briefly, “We swoop in to save the day, so to speak. Though no doubt we can help this ‘right time’ along, if necessary.”
Thandon leaned forward slightly, his flaxen hair in danger of dipping into his wine glass, “And do you have such a plan in the works?”
Esgalven gave a pleasant smile, perfectly straight teeth flashing across his pointed features, “That I do. Though I’m not sure if we should speak of it here.”
“Why not? We’re secluded enough but still have the cover of idle chatter.” The elf leaned back in his chair, removing the imminent danger of wine-colored hair. “Besides, we’ll be able to hear or see anyone coming.” Thandon had a point. After all, their particular nook afforded them privacy while allowing them to watch the open area beyond. The view of Dragonspine on one side also assured that no eavesdroppers would be present there. The only flaw was that they weren’t expecting a shadowdancer.
Tough luck. Tammy smirked faintly as they laid out the details of their plans. Simple, but with a shrewd cunning that any politician would dearly love to have.
This was going to be easier than she thought.


Tammy crept along the side of a craggy peak, wind whipping at her hood and sending icy daggers to the exposed areas of her skin. She suppressed her shivering as she watched two slight figures below her, bundled layers of clothing. If anyone looked at them, they would probably assume them to be northern traders. After all, who would venture this far into the mountains for anything less?
She had already been waiting almost an hour, fighting the urge to jump up and down to keep herself warm. Although the last vestiges of summer still clung to more southern climes, the mountain she was on seemed to think it was winter. Ice and snow coated the rock she clung to, making the peak more treacherous than usual. She also had to avoid squeezing too hard; she didn’t want to break her handhold, after all.
She squinted into the distance for the hundredth time, trying to see if anyone was coming. And finally she was rewarded with two bulky figures that seemed to gallop through the snow. Their easy tread was unusual, awkward and yet fluid at the same time. They stopped in front of the smaller figures, one of them stepping forward to grunt something. By their build and structure, Tammy would pin them as half orcs.
She remained on her perch as one of the smaller figures stepped forward to hand the half orc some sort of sealed letter. The time was now.
Tammy turned herself to face outwards, judging the distance below. With a slight push, she hurtled from the face of the cliff and dropped to the snow below. The figures barely had time to gape before she rolled and stood upright, dashing towards the half orc and snatching the letter from his grasp. His eyes remained widened in shock as she suddenly disappeared from view entirely.
What resulted next was chaos. The smaller figures frantically tried to figure out what had just happened while the half orcs shouted curses and insults in their direction. When the orcs took out blades that looked more like blunt cudgels, the smaller figures took off, bounding on top of the snow with light feet.
Tammy waited for the orcs to clear off before sprinting after the two elves. She overtook them easily. They had stopped to catch their breaths and ask one another what had just happened and what they were going to do. That didn’t concern her much. She flew past them under the cloak of an invisibility potion, making her way to Elmensfaar.


Tammy stood in the King’s Room. To be honest, it should be called the “King’s Rooms” since it possessed not only a bedroom but also a receiving room and a dining room which could host an informal breakfast with at least fifteen close friends.
Cam had chosen the King’s Room over the Queen’s Room for a reason. It reinforced her position as sovereign over Elmensfaar and ended any debate over any power that her husband may have. It was a smart move.
At the moment, Camilla was drinking from a china teacup, painted with delicate flowers and accented with gold leaf. Tammy had declined a cup; she was still working out a few of her strength issues and didn’t particularly feel like sending shards of china and hot tea all over the table. Instead, she let her eyes wander over the tapestries and molding before her sister snapped her back to reality.
“And you’re sure it was them?” Camilla tapped one finger against the papers spread out before her which had consumed most of her attention for the past thirty minutes.
Tammy nodded briefly, “Like I said. This should be proof ‘nough. I wasn’ goin’ ta come ta ya without somethin’ ta show a backin’ ta my suspicions.”
Camilla met her affirmation with a brief silence before she spoke once again, “You do know this means treason.”
“I know.”
The queen leaned back in her cushioned chair, her eyes lifting to the ceiling as she sighed, “So what do you suggest I do to them?”
“Isn’ that your decision?”
“Yes, but you brought me the evidence. This needs to be dealt with delicately. They still have a lot of followers.”
Tammy rubbed her forehead, “It depends how ya wanna be viewed.”
The queen turned her eyes from the ceiling to look at Tammy, “Go on.”
“You’ll deal with ‘em harshly if ya want ta reinforce your position as queen. However, you’ll make a lot of enemies that way. If ya deal with ‘em too softly, though, people will question if you’re ready ta lead a nation ta war…which ya are plannin’ ta do. Though ya already knew that.”
She smirked faintly at her sister, “I did. So go on. I know you have a suggestion.”
Tammy returned smirk for smirk, “I do. Expose ‘em for what they are an’ strip ‘em of any remainin’ power. I would vote for allowin’ ‘em ta remain citizens, but exile is an option. In a word, humiliate ‘em so that their followers want nothin’ ta do with ‘em. Make their names taboo.”
Camilla turned her head away to study a tapestry on the wall, her eyes scrutinizing it closely before replying, “I’ll make a public announcement tomorrow with both Thandon and Esgalven at my side.”
“Good, then.” Tammy swung her arms around once and then turned to leave, only to be stopped by Camilla’s voice once more.
“Are you sure you won’t reconsider my offer?”
Tammy shifted her weight from one side to another, not bothering to look back at her sister.
“I’ll do what I need ta do ta keep ya in power, Cam. That’s the extent of my promise in that regard. Don’t expect me ta do anythin’ more.”
With that, she once again disappeared from sight.

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"I see,"
said the blind man
to his deaf daughter.


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 Post subject: Re: Tammy
PostPosted: Sep 21st, '10, 04:55 
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//I noticed Tammy hasn't been granted anything for pages of writings here, I would like to say a lvl bonus is due, but being so new, I don't know if I can.

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 Post subject: Re: Tammy
PostPosted: Sep 21st, '10, 14:06 
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((Well she's technically already level 40...I just need to actually take the levels and get rid of the level-up screen. ;) ))

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PostPosted: Sep 21st, '10, 20:41 
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//Tammy counts as level 45 by now.

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PostPosted: Nov 10th, '10, 07:42 
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(( I apologize for the lack of detail on this one. It was written up rather quickly))

In the Shadow of Death

Darkness reigned.
Tammy’s eyes flickered upwards, transfixed for a moment by the swirling shadows and whispers above. If she stared long enough, she could swear that shapes formed, arms and tortured faces reaching down towards her from the sky. Open mouths and fanged teeth gnashed as glittering eyes swirled like so many stars.
To be honest, it reminded her a bit of the shadow plane.
Nonetheless, she had to admit that it was a mess. She was going to drag Gabriel off to Elmensfaar the first chance she got if he hadn’t already relocated (which was a distinct possibility at this point). She had warned Elissril not to use the blade since it was probably a trap. What else could she do? A god that could destroy gods was not the sort of being she intended to tangle with.
Her eyes flickered back downwards towards the scene in front of her. People stood about the cobbled stones, huddling together under trees that had thrust their roots under the street and had sent emerald leaves upwards towards the dark sky. A few hin, a few adventurers. They claimed to be safe there.
Safe in Solinar? That was a laugh. The city rivaled B’Ahal for chaos.
Tammy shifted her weight, glancing about the area for her quarry. She had baited it with taunts; now she just wanted it to show.
A few screams pierced the air, and she had to keep herself from jumping. Instead, she called towards the dark, “What? Ya so cowardly that ya won’ even show your face? Pathetic!”
Mumurs and shifting shadows answered her, converging into one form that glared at her with red eyes. “We refuse to speak with the likes of you.” Just as quickly the form dissipated like so much smoke in the wind.
“Well ya got your pick over there! Choose someone you’d like ta talk ta.” She waved a hand towards the huddled mass in the center of the makeshift druid grove. “So whatcha say? Ya comin’ out?”
Silence answered her. This wasn’t working. She wrinkled her nose, hoping that one final taunt might yield results.
“Makin’ excuses ‘cause you’re afraid. That’s pretty rich.”
The appearance of the creature was so sudden that Tammy didn’t have time to blink. One moment there was empty air, the next there was a wraith. Its eyes glowed a deep red as it examined those in the druidic grove, speaking towards them, “You are safe there…at least for now.”
The creature then turned towards Tammy, “but you’re not in the grove, are you?”
She had been waiting for this. Without further persuasion Tammy dove into the grove as a chilling wind whipped through her, taking away her breath and causing her to nearly collapse onto the twisted roots of one tree as she shivered violently.
Candeth glanced towards her, “I told you so.”
Tammy didn’t bother with a proper explanation as she massaged some warmth back into her arms. Taunting the creature for some information had been better than doing nothing. When persuasion and friendliness don’t work, provoking your subject was the only way to get anything of worth. She dug into her bag for a torch, searching for a moment before finding it in its pocket. With a flick of her wrist, she lit it with alchemist’s fire, tossing the rest of the bottle into the bag.
“I’m not stayin’ in Solinar. Ya lot can stay ‘ere if ya want.”
With that, she unsheathed her sword, leaping out of the grove and rushing out of the gates of Solinar.

She paused on the northern plains, catching her breath after her jog. The torch flame flickered in the breeze, sending smoke into her face and causing her to cough.
The creature materialized next to her almost instantly. She stared at its nebulous form for a moment before quickly backing away, heading towards Myst Forest. Plan? Aim for Starseer and then the Sylvan Shrine. If she was very lucky (and if the creature was particularly stupid), she might even be able to lure it into the blessed area itself.
That hope vanished once she reached the tree line. As her boots crunched against leaves, dark forms rose from the forest floor itself, surrounding her. She lashed out with her sword, dipping under translucent arms as she looked for a way to defeat them. She could always run, of course, but she still wanted…
There! Brian stood a little ways off, his eyes glazed over as he apparently conversed with Ynn. Tammy called to him as she ducked another blow, “Brian! Wake up!”
He snapped out of it. Tammy took out the wraiths, Brian focused on the creature. Sweat began to bead her forehead as she thrust her sword through the last of them, electricity dancing through its vanishing form before it disappeared entirely.
All that was left was the creature. Tammy stood in front of Brian, drawing its fire as he pummeled away at the creature, runes sparking along his fists. Her sword was useless, unable to harm its insubstantial form.
Fortunately, Brian did most of the work. He spun and landed the final blow, fists lighting up and causing the divine energy to course along the creature’s form…it disappeared.
…And then appeared a few yards away. Tammy stared at it in disbelief as it made a show of brushing off its wavering robe, “…Did the Ghazakiin give you those gloves?”
Brian squinted at the wraith before replying, “Maybe.”
“Irritating.” Its red eyes watched the two of them as it opened its hole of a mouth to speak again. Tammy quickly intervened.
“Ya know I ‘ave some information that may be useful ta ya.”
“Oh?”
“D’ya know how all this happened? A girl was given a dagger ta unseal Binn. Who was she given the dagger by? Seth. Why’s Seth want Binn released? He wants ta distract the heroes while he takes over the undead as their leader. That’s kinda infringin’ on your position, isn’ it?”
The wraith stared at her for a moment before she continued, “So whatcha say? It’d be in your best interest ta focus your energies on Seth rather ‘an Solinar…unless ya wanna find yourself on the lower rung of the hierarchical ladder.”
The wraith murmured, “Perhaps…if your information is correct. You might have some time.”
With a swirl of its grey robes, the creature vanished, leaving Brian and Tammy looking at the empty wood.
They had time.

_________________
"I see,"
said the blind man
to his deaf daughter.


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