[Last time, on Seekers...]
[After slaying many many pirate zombies, the town of Forthswith was left in 
disarray.  The people are slowly growing to accept the passing calm after the 
zombie attack.  If the zombie attacks are over.]
[The group knocked on the door of a nearby house to see if everyone was out.  
Unfortunately, they encountered a skittish young girl who seemed convinced that 
they were zombies.  Enzo eventually convinced her that they weren't zombies, but 
vampires controlling the zombies.  Go Enzo.]
[After some pandering, some useful information was finally received and the girl 
pointed the direction the zombies came from.  And of course, being the impulsive 
group that they are, the crew went out of town!  Go them.  They also recruited 
Lilith de Lancey and crew to check out the situation at Port Rio in the 
meantime.]
[The outskirts of town are growing dark with the moonlight.  Old trees lurch 
over the path that weaves through the forests to the canyons beyond.  Is this 
the way the zombies came from?  Only time will tell.]
[Session start!]
* Enzo walks!
* Shan walks. She has her feather fan out and is fanning herslef lightly, while 
she glances uneasily from side to side.
* Nasira walks along with quick, determined strides. She doesn't look uneasy at 
all.
[Through the forest you tread.  The trees overlooking the pathway are gnarled 
and lost most of their leaves.  The branches reach out like fingers overhanging 
the path about 6-8' in the air.  The path weaves in and out, disappearing in 
parts around the thickness of the forest as it meanders through.]
[An owl (at least it sounds like an owl) hoots mercilessly.]
* Enzo hoots back under his breath.  Try an' out-hoot me, will ya?
* Shan glances around even more warily. She takes a few deep breaths.
<Nasira> Y'okay, boss?
* Shan looks at Nasira suddenly. She sighs. "I'll be... fine."
* Shan shakes her head and tries to focus. She points. "Look... These branches 
are snapped, but there's no footprints. Someone was deffinately down this way, 
but either he was careful or not h-human."
* Shan clears her throat. "Human. Excuse me."
<Enzo> Coulda brushed his tracks away, too.  Maybe.
* Syzix is now known as Virgil
<Shan> That's also a possibility.
<Shan> Regardless, someone was definitely down this way.
<Enzo> Good to knwo.
<Nasira> Then we're going to the right place.
* Nasira keeps going! To the right place!
<Enzo> Hope so.  For all we know, people go through the woods all the time.
[As if to answer Enzo's question, there's a heavy snapping of branches from 
behind.  There's also a clank sound.]
* Enzo jumps a little and turns around.
* Shan shakes her head. "Not if." She jumps suddenly and hides behind Enzo.
[Whatever it is, it's getting closer.]
* Enzo peers into the foresty thing.
* Nasira spins and peers. She unsheathes her sword, letting it take a molten 
glow.
* Shan courageously observes the situation by crouching behind Enzo and peering 
over his shoulder.
* Naiya comes clanking into view, walking slowly and looking around constantly. 
She pauses as she spots the others, and the clanks stop when she does.
* Enzo snorts.  "I shoulda expected it was you."
* Shan groans and stands up fully.
<Nasira> Oh, great.  Weren't you going back to the boat?
* Nasira sheathes her saif and resumes walking the way she was going.
* Naiya frowns, glancing from Nasira, to Enzo, and then Shan. She looks at Shan 
for a moment, with an odd, undecided look on her face. It passes as she curls up 
her lips into a tight grin, and poofs out her breath with a whisper of 'Boo,' 
along with a hand coming away like a blown kiss.
* Shan glowers at Naiya.
* Enzo rolls his eyes and gets back to walking.
* Naiya then turns to Nasira. "The ship is as well as it will be, whether or not 
I am with it. There are more ominous dangers..." she sweeps an arm vaguely. 
"Here."
<Nasira> Yeah, like *you*.
* Naiya shakes her head, the familair sadness in her eyes crowding out what was 
there before. "I am no threat to any of you."
* Shan folds her arms and follows Enzo. "Hmph. I'd almost prefer the zombies."
<Enzo> Well, I wouldn't call her ominous, no offense.
<Enzo> Not that I'm disagreeing though.
<Shan> Nor would I.
* Naiya crosses her arms. "Well, like it or not, I am seeking the source of the 
desecrations myself. We can travel together or apart, it matters to me not." Her 
voice has a stubborn undertone to it.
* Naiya then resumes walking- and clanking.
<Shan> Very well, then.  Be seeing you.
* Enzo continues walking!  Not that he stopped.  Except for when he did.
* Shan continues following.
* Nasira leads the way! Since she started walking first.
* Naiya clinks. And clanks. She's still looking about as she walks, and 
maintaining a respectful distance from the others.
[A ways into the forest, the path darkens.  The brush is getting thicker.  
Still, there is a general path to follow.  The path gives way to dirt, then rock 
up ahead.  Beyond is a canyon.]
[The edges of the canyon extend for quite some way.  Jagged surface for the most 
part, but there are some areas that would be ideal to climb.  The way through 
the canyon is fairly clear except for the occassional plant.]
* Naiya stops as the view opens up, and muses. "Where did they come up at...?" 
She looks around for a better vantage point.
* Enzo looklooks.  Don't see many canyons in Malta.  
[The moonlight shows faint beams ahead.  Mostly past the trees, since the 
branches block the way.]
* Shan peers. "I wasn't aware there was a place like this in your country."
<Enzo> Me neither!
<Enzo> I've spent most of my life on or by the sea, though.
* Naiya moves ahead, out from under the cover of the trees, and pulls out her 
spyglass. She takes a looksee, slowly going over the top and bottom edges of 
each canyon walls specifically, and the canyon in general, light permitting.
* Enzo looks around.  "This is pretty cool, though.  I suppose one of these days 
I ought to try and wander around inland."
* Naiya whispers almost inaudibly, "Somehow, I have an ill feeling about this 
place."
<Shan> That's funny, so do I.
* Nasira grins. "I don't."
<Shan> Do you see something, Nasira?
* Naiya frowns, and focuses her attention on a spot far off. "Something. Or 
someone."
* Nasira turns to look that way.
* Shan does as well! She has good eyes.
<Enzo> Eh?
* Enzo looks!
* Naiya sighs, and looks a moment longer, before lowering her spyglass. "Only 
enough of a warning that there is someone. On the surface above the canyon."
<Enzo> Huh.
[Nasira and Shan don't see anything just yet.  Of course, they're still fairly 
far away from the canyon.]
[Enzo doesn't either.]
<Naiya> Far off, to the left. *she points in the general direction, then tucks 
the spyglass away.*
* Naiya stands up fully, and then trudges off to make the left side of the 
canyon. "And better a glimmer of a warning than swimming in the unknown 
darkness." Clank, clank.
* Nasira shrugs and walks that way.
* Enzo follows!
* Shan follows.
* Naiya leads!
[Naiya leads people up to the canyon.  The canyon seems much more impressive up 
close, though the rock formation isn't really THAT tall, maybe 20 feet or so.  
It'd still be enough to hurt in a fall if you tried to climb.]
<Shan> I daresay, climbing is not exactly one of my strong skills.
* Nasira grins. "Mine neither. I should give it a try."
<Enzo> But isn't that what you tried that time you fell off the cliff?
* Naiya nods. "It is not so impossible to gain that a line cannot be thrown 
down."
<Nasira> It worked!
* Naiya frowns, worriedly, at Nasira.
* Enzo cocks his head to the side.  "That's true!"
<Shan> Yes, but gravity was in your favor that time.
<Nasira> Soon as I can turn gravity on its head, I'll make it work for me next 
time, too.  As is...
* Nasira starts climbing anyway.
* Naiya frowns a bit more, looking down into the depths of the canyon ahead. She 
bites her lip for a moment, then goes up to the canyon wall, assessing her 
chances of making it up.
<Shan> Best of luck to you.
* Naiya then tries to scale it herself.
* Enzo just watches for now.
[Nasira manages to find the footholds enough and braces herself.  Before she 
knows it, she's pulling herself up top.]
* Shan watches her with a satisfied smile. "Well done!"
* Nasira pulls herself up then and brushes off, looking around. She glances 
down. "Thanks, boss!" she calls.
* Enzo applauds.  "Yay!"
[Naiya isn't so lucky.  She makes it a ways up before a rock crumbles out from 
under her.  She lands on her back like a turtle.  And sadly, the impact from the 
fall jars her in her armor so she smacks against the side of it and bruises 
herself up.  Armor may protect against weapons but falls are more harsh.]
* Naiya groans, and takes her time to sit up. She's almost laughing. "That... 
wasn't such a good idea."
<Shan> No, it wasn't.
<Enzo> Probably not.
* Naiya stands up fully, and eyes the wall some more.
* Nasira goes back to looking around.
* Shan looks up at Nasira. "Do you see anything?"
[Nasira sees ROCK!  It's kind of hilly up here.  The person may be long 
gone...but...]
[Nope.  It's too dark to see.]
* Naiya eyes the wall some more.
* Shan fans herself.
* Enzo twiddles his thumbs.
* Naiya bites her lip for a moment, then starst stripping off her armor, piece 
by piece. She straps her shield to her back, and paces the wall a little bit 
more.
[Naiya performs a strip tease.]
* Naiya still has her Zaxon outfit on underneath the armor, you pervs.
* Nasira calls down. "No!"
[Naiya's fanboys are sorely disappointed.]
* Enzo calls up.  "No what?"
* Nasira unsheathes her sword, making it glow and swiping it through the air. 
"Don't see anything!"
<Enzo> Darn.
* Naiya pauses pacing, then resumes. She tries the wall again.
* Shan frowns. "If I could just get up there somehow..."
[Naiya scales the wall this time.  With her armor off, her bruises and wounds 
are pretty obvious.]
* Shan calls up, "Nasira! Do you have a rope or something?"
* Enzo scratches his head and looks at Shan speculatively, then the cliff, then 
Shan again.
* Nasira calls down, "No! Nothing that goes twenty feet."
* Naiya casts a doubtful glance back at her abandonded armor as she unslings her 
shield and puts it back on her arm.
* Nasira glances at Naiya. "Oh, you."
* Naiya looks solemnly at Nasira. "Yes, me."
<Enzo> Hey, Shan?  You're not very heavy, are you?
* Shan eyes Enzo.
* Enzo just tilts his head and looks innocent, waiting for Shan's answer.
* Naiya starts glancing about for anyting useful to get the others up, while 
waiting.
<Shan> I'm quite certain I'm not, Enzo. QUITE certain.
<Enzo> Good.  You think maybe if I went up a few feet first and then acted kind 
of as a brace for you, we could get up there?
* Shan considers. "That may work. Thank you, Enzo."
<Enzo> You're welcome!
[There's something that a rope could be tied to, yes.  But that kind of presumes 
you have a rope.]
* Enzo squints at the cliff and tries to scrabble up a few feet or so.
[Enzo climbs to about where he wants.]
* Naiya goes back to the edge, picking up on their conversation. "If you need a 
hand up, I'll help."
* Enzo reaches a hand down to Shan.  "Okay...careful now."
* Shan takes Enzo's hand and climbs up.
* Naiya gets on her belly, leaning her shoulders and head over the edge, and 
waits.
* Nasira looks down and crouches, ready to help someone up if need be, too.
[Enzo holds his ground, though it strains his juvenile muscles.  Shan manages to 
make her way to the top and make it look easy.]
* Naiya doesn't get back to her feet yet- she waits for Enzo.
* Enzo climbs on up.
* Shan climbs up, taking Nasira's hand. Not Naiya's.
* Naiya doesn't seem miffed- much. She was expecting it.
* Nasira pulls her up.
* Enzo makes it to the top and hefts himself over, not taking anyone's hand.
* Shan takes a look around when she gets up top. She holds out a hand, and it 
crackles with electricity, until the area is filled with a brilliant light.
* Naiya gets to her feet, and starts walking along the canyon's edge to where 
she spotted the someone. Not clinking, not clanking, and not saying anything, 
either. She does occasionally glance down at the bottom of the canyon, though.
[Naiya sees rock.  And no she's not clanking any more.  Her armor is probably 
lonely. ;_;]
* Nasira squints a little in the sudden light.
<Shan> ( Do I see anything? :P )
[And she was blinded by the light!  Just kidding.  From far far in the distance 
is just the trace of a cloaked silohuette outlined at the horizon.  It's stopped 
for a moment, probably looking at the light.]
* Shan moves towards it. "Come."
* Enzo follows!
* Naiya glances back at Shan, and matches her pace to Shan's glow.
<Shan> ( Naiya can walk faster than light? >.> )
* Nasira walks along with her.
[Nasira, Enzo and Naiya can't seem to keep up with the figure.  Only Shan 
manages to pull ahead and keep track.]
[The figure ahead seems to have temporarily stopped though.]
<Enzo> (Enzo makes it too!  :D)
[The cloaked figure, whoever it is, is holding their hand out.  Those who make 
their perception rolls see a thin stream appears in the air and the atmosphere 
seems to...drip something dark.  It looks like a gory doorway opens up in front 
of it.  It steps through.]
* Shan stares. "... Vithril? Vithril is known for their blood magic, are they 
not?"
<Enzo> ...huh?
<Enzo> What happened?  I think I missed it.
* Naiya immediately tenses up. "... they are. What causes you to say such 
things?"
* Nasira 's eye widens at that, and she shouts, pushing herself to run faster as 
one hand pulls her saif from its sheath.
* Nasira throws the thing at the figure, wind picking up around her.
* Shan chases.
* Naiya doesn't know what's going on, but chases the others!
* Enzo gives chase as well, of course.
[The blade goes flying true to its mark as the figure enters into the portal.  
The leg enters the doorway quickly as the blade bears down on it.  The blade 
passes through the blood but it isn't taken in with it.  It twirls around to 
return towards Nasira as the doorway collapses.]
* Shan immediately looks for clues when she gets close enough.
* Nasira catches the weapon by its bloody hilt and looks down at it. She curses 
loudly and vividly and in Caladeem.
* Shan also holds her hand out. "Nasira, let me take a look at your weapon."
* Nasira flips it and holds the hilt to Shan.
* Naiya takes a few large, quick steps away from Nasira as soon as she spots the 
weapon.
* Nasira glares at Naiya.
* Shan takes it and looks it over.
* Enzo peers over Shan's shoulder curiously.
* Naiya returns the gaze- but it's not a glare. It's a haunted expression.
* Naiya breaks into a run to where the saif returned from, seemingly panicked.
[Naiya does that, but there is nothing left behind.  All there is is a thin 
streak of blood on the ground.]
* Naiya stares wide-eyed at the trail of blood, taking care not to touch it. She 
nearly stumbles as she goes to the edge of the canyon, and looks at what's 
immediately below.
* Shan hands the saif back after studying intently. "Hmmm."
* Nasira wipes her hand off on her pant leg before taking it back. "Well?"
* Shan gestures with her fan. "One thing is certain: Whoever that kid was, he 
wasn't alone."
<Enzo> How's that?
* Naiya frowns, biting her lip, and backs up. She calls back to the others, 
"There's something... wrong here. Evil."
<Shan> He didn't cast the spell.  He was faking it.
<Shan> That portal was created by another.
<Enzo> ...huh.  Go figure.
* Shan shines her light around the area, searching.
<Nasira> Great.
<Naiya> Bott- bottom of the canyon.
[Naiya moved just in time.  Right behind Naiya, the earth folds up in two.  If 
she was between the two pieces, it would have smashed against her.]
* Nasira spins at the sound of that.
[After the two pieces of earth collide together, the edge of the canyon where it 
happened slides down towards the canyon floor.]
* Enzo starts.  "Whoa!"
* Enzo looks around.
* Naiya jumps back, and, as soon as she's sure of her footing, starts running 
back to the others.
* Shan turns out her light, also scanning.
[There's a gutteral moan from down below. "Reveeeeenge....shalll paaaayyyy..."]
* Shan actually doesn't seem creeped out by that at all. But she does look for 
the source.
* Enzo continues looking around!
[Shan looks over the edge of the canyon.  And anyone else who wants to check.  
Down below is her old friend, the zombie pirate captain!  He's standing near 
what looks like several pieces of rubble and his eyes glint with mad, undead 
hatred. "Revennnnnge..."]
[To be continued.]