An Unholy Alliance

[Brother Strange]

[ModNote: Last seen in An Undying Tale.]

*In the dungeons of Marblehead, a dark figure glides silently and inexorably towards Lord Fear's inner sanctum.*

*Seeing the cloaked figure, features hidden by his hood, a small squad of goblins move in to attack. Apparently oblivious to their approach, he continues to move.*

*A flurry of goblin clubs and knives descend upon the figure, beating and stabbing. Ignoring them, he turns with unnatural speed, picks up one of the goblins by the throat and lifts it. All the while, blows rain down upon him, knives stab into him, but he does not stumble, makes no sound, and does not bleed.*

*There is a cracking sound, and the goblin goes limp. Losing their nerve, the others flee.*

*Brother Strange knows that by now he will have attracted Lord Fear's attention. He was surprised how far he had penetrated Marblehead before being noticed, since he did not know about the escape and battle which had been claiming the attention of most of the guards and Fear himself.*

Throwing back his hood, Brother Strange reveals himself to Lord Fear, if, as he hopes, Lord Fear is now observing him. On the top and back of his head, his ancient mortal wounds have been joined by those inflicted by the goblins. There are a few pale bruises and bloodless cuts there, but no sign of the punishment that the goblin assault would have inflicted upon a mortal frame.*

"I wish to speak with Lord Fear." *Strange shouts, his voice echoing away into the depths of the Dungeon.*

"I wish to discuss.... an arrangement between us."

[Lord Fear]

[ModNote: Lord Fear was last seen in The Final Confrontation.]

"You infiltrate MY base, you enter my throne room unannouced, why should I discuss any terms?" Demanded Lord Fear.

"But state them anyway and make it quick."

[Brother Strange]

[OOC: Strange never actually made it to, or vaguely near, the throne room itself. He just went as far toward it as he could get before he was spotted. Which, bearing in mind he cannot hide himself with magic, is not that far. Even if he does know all the level codes, no matter how often they change (after all, he gives them to the dungeoneers!)]

*Brother Strange surveys the mess around and behind Lord Fear with some interest.*

Lord Fear. Look at yourself. You have been largely ignored since the quest season. You have been forced to abandon your traditional stronghold. You have lost your goblin master. You have lost your trader and ally. You have become a joke. A has-been.

People no longer fear your name. They do not lie awake worrying about your next scheme. You have been supplanted by another.

Scareye. It is his agent, not yours, which has led to fear and doubt among the forces of 'good'. It is his plans which worry the new guardians of this realm. It is his attacks which have forced so many to take refuge on this plane, and weakened the very planar barriers themselves.

Will you sit here, Lord Fear, like an old infirm lion waiting to be cast out by a younger challenger? Or will you act to restore your reputation, name and power within this realm?

You know my capabilities, Lord Fear. You know I can find out anything and everything, and now you know I cannot die.

I offer you a deal, Lord Fear. I will serve you a scout, a spy, a double-agent, trusted by the other side. If you seek demonstrations of my loyalty, I will provide them. If you require a threat removing, I will remove it, or tell you its greatest weakness.

In return, I ask that you put your will and genius to work on defeating Scareye. I will give what aid I can, and I will deliver to you what knowledge I can glean on this from the other side. Magic is not the solution, as the Ringmaster has shown. Perhaps techno-magic is.

Now, I know you are no fool, Lord Fear. You wish to know my reasons for this. Why I would aid you. Perhaps you think I will try to weaken you and Scareye by facing you off against each other, then destroy you both. Perhaps you think this is a trick.

My reasons are different.
I cannot die. My body may be destroyed, my spirit cast out, but it will wander in eternal torment all the same.

Scareye is like me. He is neither living nor dead. Unlike me, destroying his body will cause him to create a new one. Ony by causing death to the undying can he be defeated.
If a way can be found to destroy Scareye, then it can be used to lay me to final rest. That is what I seek.

Think about it, Lord Fear. With my aid, you can destroy Scareye, control two planes, and then have the forces of 'good' at your mercy. And I, the one who has aided you to do it, the one who has the knowledge to be a threat, seek no reward but death, leaving you unopposed as dark lord.

What do you say............ my lord?

[Lord Fear]

"Someone dares to dethrone me as being the most Feared, well they will once again Fear me by name and Fear my by nature, tell me, Who are this Scareye's agents and are there any in the Opposition, If so then I can alert my minions of this agent" demaned Lord Fear

"And I accept the terms of you becoming MY double agent, but know this, If I find out you are ploting behind my back, I shall vanish you to the Sewers of Goth just like these agents in MY Opposition." said LF

LF suddenly got up of his throne and teleported from the throne room where he went leaves Strange confused.

[Brother Strange]

*Somewhat confused, Brother Strange heads towards Lord Fear's Throne Room. Now he is an accepted member of the dungeon, he is permitted entry, although watched carefully. As he approaches, he passes a dead goblin being dragged away. It bears the unmistakeable marks of enormous bear-claws.*

So, Ursula, you had a part in all this mess... *Strange mutters to himself*

*Taking pen and paper, Strange writes a report and places it on Lord Fear's Throne.*

[OOC: This report will be a PM]

*Turning, Strange glides silently off into the dungeons. He knows them well, and as he slips into the dwarf tunnels he soon loses any observing minions.*

[scareye]

[ModNote: Scareye was last heard from in Allow me to introduce myself, your lordship.]

*At his current location, Scareye senses a tremour, something wrong. A plot? A Plan? Someone is trying something to bring an end to him. Although this is quite impossible then Scareye decides to investigate further into this.*

Scareye: *Appears in front of his assassins (formerly Lady Morgan's)* Assassins, I have a job for all of you. Someone or something is plotting against me, I can sense it is in the Wolfenden village where the Ringmaster is located. It's not him though, it is another of a more evil orientation. Find them and bring them to me, dead or alive I care not. I'll get what I want from them either way!

*The assassins nod and set off immediatly*

(OOC: Scareye's actions cannot be felt or sensed by anyone, his realm is beyond Lord Fear's observation and his vibrations are on a frequency far beyond the comprehension of all begins including Brother Strange)

[ModNote: Scareye is next seen at Nesty's Stall.]

[Brother Strange]

[OOC: Surely if Scareye could sense every time someone wanted to get rid of him, he'd constantly feel the presence of the Ringmaster, Hordriss, the entirety of KMBS, the grail knights...... I'm surprised he'd pick up one unliving without a coherent plan, yet alone send assassins to find him. But hey, I must be more important than I thought!]

striding purposefully through the dwarf tunnels in absolute silence, Brother Strange heads a way which many have traveled, but very few in the direction he is going. His destination.... Dunshelm, also known as Knightmare Castle

[Brother Strange]

As he approaches Dunshelm, Brother Strange suddenly feels something. The Spirit world is shifting. Something unnatural is taking place, a merging of two beings not meant to be on this plane....

Brother Strange turns abruptly on his heel, and striks off away from Dunshelm. Within moments he is on a ley-path, heading inexorably for the location that his keenly honed senses of spiritual fate ensure him he will intercept this latest current of events.

Dunshelm would have to wait.

[ModNote: Continued in The Dissolution.]