Mike Holmes: : The sparks die down, and the two men raise their heads from the slabs. Egani thinks that the procedure has gone well, but it's hard to be certain. Egani: "So?" Okhfels: "Is it over?" Egani: "How do you feel?" Mike Holmes: : Okhfels feels odd in that his mind seems to have expanded to be able to sense something else besides itself. A moment later he understands that it is Archelaus' mind that he can sense. A moment after that, he can sense that Archelaus' mind has gone chasing after a strand of magic that's reeling off into time and space. Okhfels: "Archelaus! Come back!" Okhfels: ::"Damn wizards... worse than children...":: Egani: "What's happening?" Okhfels: Okhfels >>shouts<< at Archelaus to get his attention back. Elle: Elle, getting restless, will peek out the door of the building. Archelaus: "The door, the door stands open..."

• Egani glances back at the door.
• Egani then tries to reach out through the crown and the dome to discern the status of his two compatriots.

Archelaus: "Valris is walking through the door" Archelaus: "Blinding white in the darkness" Mike Holmes: : Egani can feel the two, and sees that they now have the ability to project some small amount of the power of the dome against enemies. Mike Holmes: : Incohate, though. Archelaus: "There is a place we must go. All will be revealed."

• Archelaus stands up straight, he looks more focussed than anyone here, except perhaps Amestris has ever seen him before.

Okhfels: Okhfels gets up from the altar. He goes over to Archelaus and shakes him. "Hey! Archelaus! You're babbling, wake up!" Egani: "Archie! The enemies. We can visit Valris once our enemies are vanquished. Pay attention!"

• Archelaus doesn't look at OK Hfels?, he looks through him. His eyes have the look of a prophet about them.

Okhfels: "Bah. Wizards." Archelaus: "Our enemies? Yes, terror walks the black road tonight!" Mike Holmes: : Okhfels can sense the mind of the dome telling him that the Rhiani are at the edge of the ruins of what was once the city. Archelaus: "TONIGHT!" Okhfels: Okhfels slaps Archelaus. Okhfels: "Snap out of it! We've got work to do."

• Archelaus falls back, momentarily shocked by the blow, then stands up again, finding new resolve."

Archelaus: He starts to sing quietly, softly but insistently... Archelaus: "Out of a place between the Worlds,Through the Darkness blinding whiteSay the Words, and know the path.Terror walks the Black Road tonight."

• Archelaus starts walking to the door, his every step and movement in time with the the strange song he chants, seemingly without taking a breath"

Okhfels: "Ash and smoke! Worthless." Mike Holmes: : Looking out the door Elle sees Narbin keeping an eye on the Rhiani. In the sky above she can still see Archelaus' strange bird hovering as if waiting near the woods some ways off. Egani: "Archelaus, the Rhiani outside are the enemies of Valris. They want to destroy your way!" Egani: "Ohkfels, do you seem to have any extra way to harm the enemies? That was the point of all this." Elle: "I still think we can handle them." Archelaus: /me pauses for a moment and focusses on Egani. "But my friend," he says in a terribly reasonable voice, "The way is lit by demon-glow. Archelaus: Fire, blood, and blinding smoke Archelaus: Walk The Black Road∑ now. Archelaus: " Archelaus: Then he resumes his chanting and starts out the door.

• Egani dips into symbolic sight to see if Archie is really on to something.

Okhfels: To Egani, Okhfels says, "Yes... I think so... the dome has... done something. Not sure exactly what, yet."

• Elle flashes a look to Okhfels, raising an eyebrow and gesturing with a fist at Archelaus' back as he passes her. Too much of a threat in his current state?

Okhfels: Okhfels sighs, walks up behind Archelaus, and attempts to grab him in a sleeper hold. Mike Holmes: : Egani can suddenly clearly see something. The insanity of the dome mind is in part an infection by the white woods magic. The reason the woods have not destroyed this place is that they altered it long centuries ago. The lines of power digging into Archelaus' mind are warped into certain patterns by the effect of long exposure to the woods. Mike Holmes: : Okhfels easily wrangles Archelaus' limbs into control. Mike Holmes: : Archelaus begins to lose consciousness. Mike Holmes: : Soon he's out cold in Okhfels arms. Okhfels: As soon as Archelaus passes out (don't want to hurt him, "gentle with friends") Okhfels lays him down on the floor of the dome. "Elle, can you make sure he doesn't make any more trouble?"

• Elle nods. "Good. He was going to give away our position. I'll watch him."

Mike Holmes: : The dome is silent for a moment, until the loon from the swamp cries out again. Egani: "Something has become clear to me. The insanity of the dome mind is in part an infection by the white woods magic. The reason the woods have not destroyed this place is that they altered it long centuries ago. The lines of power digging into Archelaus' mind are warped into certain patterns by the effect of long exposure to the woods." Okhfels: "*what?*" Egani: "I'm trying to figure out if we can cure it. It might be worth a shot." Okhfels: "I hope it is for your sake." Mike Holmes: : Okhfels can remember in the process some odd thoughts cascading through him, visions of things like stars. But he ignored them. Apparently Archelaus didn't. Egani: "What are we doing about our friends outside?" Egani: "I think that needs to be our top priority." Okhfels: "If you can get Archelaus back into THIS world, we can have a go at them, I think."

• Elle rolls her eyes, glad they're finally getting around to the immediate problem.

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Mike Holmes: : Archelaus is stirring.

• Archelaus starts to blink, then look around.
• Elle crouches and stares fixedly at Archelaus' face, waiting to lock eyes with him when he wakes. She presses one hand against his chest to keep him down.

Archelaus: "Don't worry about me. 'Ageless gods will never tire', and all that." Okhfels: "Are you going to talk sense now, Archelaus?" Elle: "Mm-hmm." Elle doesn't move her hand.

• Elle stares intently into Archelaus' eyes, looking for signs of madness or clarity.

Archelaus: "We always talk sense Okhfels. We say the words, we know the path."

• Archelaus looks very, very clear.

Okhfels: "Archelaus, are you up to helping us against those Riani?"

• Archelaus puts his hands over his face as if he's about to cry.

Archelaus: VERY clear, Elle: "Might have to put him down again if they're getting close outside. He's not his normal pompous self." Archelaus: When he removes his hands, he's wearing a blood-red half mask.

• Elle grimaces and looks around. "Where's the wife?"

Okhfels: One of Okhfels' eyebrows tries to take refuge under his hairline. Archelaus: The material of the mask flows and...skirms, over Archelaus face. Archelaus: Twisting space and endless time.Death Walks The Black Road again. Archelaus: "..." Okhfels: "We don't have time for this!" Mike Holmes: : Amestris, previously standing just outside the door comes in and sees Okhfels and rushes towards him. Okhfels: Okhfels guides Amestris towards Archelaus. Egani: "Do you know what he's on about?" Okhfels: "Not a clue." Mike Holmes: : As Okhfels guides her, Amestris tells him, "You have to leave him alone. I think this is important." Okhfels: "I think we're going to have to leave him alone. He's not going to be able to help us against the Riani." Okhfels: "And we don't have time to deal with his madness now." Okhfels: "Egani, do you want to stay here and watch Archelaus, or be of assistance against the Riani?" Aysha: "We must go with Archelaus! I'm sure my little girl is in the forest!" Egani: "If he's going to be sedated, I'll go with you. If not, I'll stay and work with him." Okhfels: "The Riani are between us and the Forest, Aysha. Or at least, they might as well be." Okhfels: "They have to be dealt with first." Egani: "Aysha, I thought she was in the ruin..?" Aysha: "The Rhiani will not dare..."

• Aysha trails off.

Okhfels: "Sooner or later they're going to get the courage to come in after us." Okhfels: "We need to act while we still have an edge." Egani: "I'll go talk to them." Aysha: "What if we could... scare them away?" Okhfels: "Pretty hard to scare a troll."

• Egani starts walking out of the dome toward the Rhiani.

Elle: "We should finish the troll, or we'll just be doing this again later." Mike Holmes: : Archelaus seems to be doing something beneath Elle's grip.

• Elle snaps her eyes back to him.

Okhfels: Okhfels starts to move towards Egani, but then changes his mind... it might work, and if it doesn't, he's got one less wizard to watch.

• Egani unhitches Hilda from the wagon so that he can ride to meet them.

Mike Holmes: : As Egani plods through the swamp on the donkey, the Rhiani watch him carefully. Egani: "Hail!" he calls out as he approaches the guarded men. Mike Holmes: : Elle suddenly notes the look in Archelaus' face become different. Saner at first, but then filled with rage. Archelaus struggles like mad to free himself. Archelaus: From outside a deep, deep voice can be heard, first quietly, then in a great sing-song roar. Archelaus: "The Sun is gone; night takes hold.Wind of ice, boiling rain.Twisting space and endless time.Death Walks The Black Road again!" Archelaus: "Come...to the trees! To the trees!" Mike Holmes: : Egani sees that it is the troll who is speaking these words. Aysha: In the dome, Aysha begins to dance wildly, howling an ululating cry. Archelaus: The mask that was on Archelaus face seems to ave faded, and there is a sort of shadow of it on the face of the troll. Okhfels: Okhfels gathers up the non-magical folk, like Narbin, and gets ready to charge out into battle when whatever is going to happen to the Troll, happens. Mike Holmes: : The Rhiani start to look at the troll with wonder. Aysha: Slowly, a mist begins to gather around Aysha's pounding feet. But it's no ordinary fog. It has a sickly yellow-green cast, and it rolls and slithers. Twisting grey forms begin to writhe out of it, whirling and shrieking around Aysha's head, until she sends them off about their unruly business with a pointing finger. Mike Holmes: : Those gathering outsie of the dome, note the things writhing by them heading towards the Rhiani. Mike Holmes: : Okhfels can feel the mind of the dome itching for him to use his new power to lash out at the Rhiani. Archelaus: The troll strides towards the dome, its arms held open wide, like a preacher calling on his flock. A strage site given the creatures humped back, giant bowed legs and impressive teeth. Okhfels: Okhfels ignores the Dome... After hearing what Egani had to say, he distrusts it even MORE. Archelaus: "Join me! Come to the trees!" Okhfels: "Lead the way!~" Archelaus: "The door stands open" the creature screams the last line.

• Egani whispers "Archie?" as he stares in wonder for a bit before looking back to the Rhiani.

Mike Holmes: : The Rhiani are now in bewilderment. The shades summoned by Aysha slither past Egani and towards the Rhiani.

 Archelaus is now known as Troll

• Egani raises his voice to the Blue Bears, "You may leave quickly or die here, lost to your families and friends. There is big magic at work this day. Avoid the bloodbath that you will become. Be gone!"

Troll: If you knew how to recognize such things, you'd notice the troll smile at Okhfels.

• Troll turns back towards the Rhiani and the woods beyond them. "We are walking the Black Road and we know the path. Join us or move aside."

Okhfels: Okhfels finally gets hold of what's going on. Okhfels: Okhfels walks up next to the troll, and adds his voice to the refrain. Okhfels: "Your doom is waiting!" Mike Holmes: : When the wispy spirits get to the Rhiani they look up a the impending troll, and seem to think that Okhfels has somehow gotten control of it. This puts them over their limit of understanding of things supernatural for this day, and first one, then three, then all of them turn tail and spur their horses to get them as far away as possible from this cursed place. Okhfels: Under his voice, Okhfels says, "Archelaus, you could have told us what you were up to, you know." Mike Holmes: : The body of what looks like Archelaus, but of course having the spirit of the troll in it, bursts forth from the dome.

• Aysha having finished her summoning, runs after her (as far as she knows) freind Archelaus.

Okhfels: Okhfels spins around, ready to accept the charge. Egani: After watching the horsemen depart, Egani turns around and heads back to his new friends.

• Troll starts stridng towards the forsts, singing in a loud voice, almost dancing to the tune: "Ageless gods will never tire.Darkling touch steals breath awayWater, Earth, Air and Fire Agoth? walks the Black Road today."

Mike Holmes: : The trolls long legs eat up the distance quickly.

• Elle jogs after Archelaus' body, wishing she could dispense with ceremony and use her swords on it--but that would probably go over poorly.

Okhfels: Okhfel's open palm catches the Archelaus-troll's forehead, stopping him in mid-stride. "When is this thing going to wear off?" He easily holds him at arm's length. Mike Holmes: : Several people seem to be looking at Egani for the answer.

• Aysha stops dead and stares around.

Aysha: "What are you doing? Why is the *troll* singing?" Okhfels: "Archelaus switched places with the Troll." Okhfels: "That's Archelaus in the Troll's body."

• Egani looks to Okhfels when he gets within speaking range, "when is the thing with the troll going to wear off?"

Okhfels: "Wait, hold on." Okhfels: >>Archelaus... how long until your switching spell wears off?<< Egani: "Can we subdue a creature like that?" Okhfels: "A Fter? today, I'm beginning to think we can do anything, when we work together." Elle: "Don't look now, but we're not all working together. Your scholar friend is insane, and was helpful only by chance." Mike Holmes: : As the troll gets half way to the woods, the bird above seems to start to follow the troll bodied Archelaus. Aysha: "Come on! Follow Archelaus! He knows where we should go!" Troll: >>Okhfels, follow me. Walk The Black Road∑ now.<< The voice in Okhfel's head has the same strange tune the troll is singing.

• Aysha starts off after the troll-archelaus

Okhfels: >>I'm sorry, Archelaus.<< Okhfels: Okhfels leads the SANE ones at an angle, to enter the Forest at a different place than the Troll, far enough away that the Troll will have difficulty following them when the spell wears off. Mike Holmes: : Suddenly yet another observation snaps into sudden focus for Egani as they close with the White Woods. What he knows about the strange essence of the White Woods, it's nature as a gate - the strange stars on the underside of the bird above Archelaus the Troll. And the yellow aura and Archelaus' comments from the other day that it seemed to be being attacked from above. Mike Holmes: : It all makes sudden sense. The White Wood prefers a different set of stars, and the magic associated with them than those of Kulthea. The celestial conjunctions threaten it, and force it to defend itself. The yellow aura projects a night sky above the wood that matches the underside of the bird. Mike Holmes: : An alien sky. Mike Holmes: : And Archelaus must, in his less than coherent mind at the moment, understand this as well.

Egani: "The White Woods are a portal to another world. Archelaus -- in his confused state (I think) intends to traverse that portal and stay gone. Mike Holmes: : The group stands now before the White Woods, the trees standing soul-crushingly tall before them.

• Egani muses "Maybe the woods can be used as a portal into his mind somehow..."

Aysha: "Come on! He's just ahead!"

• Aysha starts into the woods.