Hey, overwork that Ring and it will give you trouble.

That's a good reason for the emergence of Evil Ray, Gerakken. The Ring is powerful but it also corrupts.

Sure, if it's not too time-consuming, I'd be happy to chip in. Ray, you have my email address; just let me know what's going on, or if this is going to be discussed in chat, or whatever.



Ray, I still have that Saruman pic - it can easily be restored to the Honorary Jedi page on the JR website.

Actually Obi-Wan, the current Gandalf pic looks perfect for Evil Ray. He's got the - "Don't mess with me" look.

Evil Ray – Part 3

Trumpets blared and sounds of unearthly cheers echoed round the Halls as Wizard Ray teleported himself in the Council Chamber.

Gengsta, H50 and Theoden rolled their eyes at Ray’s garish entrance.

“What’s the emergency?” Ray said with a gruff voice as he took his place at the Council Table.

“The Fellowship just lost another member, Master Ray,” H50 reported.

“The Fellowship never loses anyone, H50. They just go into the Hunted Members’ List. Contact the Nighthawks. Make sure they do a clean job.”

“Master Ray, we are close to choosing a new name for our publication.” Theoden spoke up.

“Good, Theoden. This would aid us greatly in swaying public opinion with our propaganda.” Ray smiled in a most sinister style.

“Master Ray, I am most delighted to report that I have completed my research to invoke massive propulsion on inanimate objects. In addition, I have also successfully researched a spell to maintain a perpetual state of breathable atmosphere around humans. I believe these spells have great potential. The sky’s the limit!” Gengsta said with bubbling enthusiasm.

“Gengsta!” Ray was displeased.

“Didn’t you know that you can only advance the Fellowship’s cause through the conjuration of the Ultimate Spell? Any other way is futile and a waste of your time. So what if we could travel to the skies and maybe discover new worlds?"

“But Master, you know that not all of us understand the Ultimate Spell. A very large number of our fellow mages make great contributions to the Fellowship and also benefited the society through various other schools of magic.” Gengsta responded with consternation.

Of course it’s difficult to understand the Ultimate Spell, Ray laughed quietly inside. I made it as complicated as I possibly can just so that I can be the only mage who can wield it.

But how did Vincible, one of the most accomplished mages in the Fellowship, ever manage to learn it? Ray cursed silently. What’s worse is that he had shared his insights with other mages as well.

“Gengsta! You are such a hypocrite and an extremely arrogant fellow.” Ray shouted, drawing puzzled looks from all. “So what’s for lunch?” Ray tried vainly to distract their attention.

“What would the Master prefer today?” As always, the diplomatic H50 tried to defuse the tensions.

Ray gave H50 one of those withering looks usually reserved for one of his most numbskull apprentices.

“But of course, the finest cheese from the Shire for the Master.” H50 recovered quickly, clapping his hands to summon the servants.

~SDC~

Love it Parts one through to Theee! Geez there's alota talk about Cheese in these forums lately . . . makin me hungry!

Anyway mabye H50's after me so I'd better run off now Agggg! Hehe . . . he has to catch me first! (Rasberry) Na Na Na Na Na, you bookish wizards are in need of exercise . . .

Better watch out, Cotal. I think Theoden wants to practice a new spell that he had just learnt from Evil Ray.

~SDC~

(Curiosity getting the better of her she peered around the corner and said) . . . what spell? :notsure:

With fear and anxiety increasing Cotal's nerve finaly gave way and she escaped the Fellopship grounds through the secret portal in the kitchen pantry (grabbing a handful of her favorite candy of which she had become fond of on the way out).

[Message Edited]

I've just sent another email to Mexal/Megan (Alex's beloved :)).

Mexal's a very experienced game master and role-playing enthusiast so I'm hoping she can help us. Will keep you all updated in my OT:PBEM Role-Playing thread.

~SDC~

The spell that young Stavie loved to use on the girls back when Evil Ray was just a young apprentice.

Oh, the post above is addressed to you, Cotal.

~SDC~

This is interesting... I'm wondering where you're going with this, and you're no doubt wondering where I'm going. Hmm... going to bed now but I'll post another part tomorrow.

Wow Ray! You sure do finish those Gigantic Maso's real quick. I've been working on my now for, what, four days now? :notsure: I hope to finish it tomorrow as I'm off to bed since it's almost tomorrow in the lone star state.

~SDC~

I'm hoping this next one will push me into the black...

~SDC~

No idea where I'm going either, vincible. LOL

Just having a bit of fun with writing after laying off the Fellowship series. I found it a good outlet to express myself in a light-hearted manner.

Anyways, it coincides with me playing and submitting more evil Galciv games.

~SDC~

Whats goingon here at the Fellowship? Everybody is suddenly taking the dark path? Ray now Citizen Lothmorg . . . whos next? Actualy its about time you kicked that whole goodie too shoes image . . . great move!

And thanks Ray I'll keep an eye out for OT:PBEM Role-Playing Thread updates.

“But of course, the finest cheese from the Shire for the Master.” I recovered quickly, clapping my hands to summon the servants.

Inwardly, I cringed at this ostentatious show. Ray was really slipping into the dark. His callous treatment of the townsfolk was one thing, but the constant preening and need to lord his position over all around him was almost too much to bear.

Making small excuses, I departed away from the Council Chamber. It was easy to do, as was the wont of the Big Folk, a halfling is easily dismissed.

It was dark as I slipped out of the tower, into the town proper. Dark in more ways than one, a pall of tension and discontent hung over the town and it's people. I started what I’ve come to call ‘my rounds’ in the past few weeks, slipping unseen through the shadows. A loaf of bread for a destitute family here; a couple of gold coins hidden (but not too well) on the front porch of widow there. It was all I could do to ease the suffering of the townsfolk without drawing the attention of Ray.

A few hours later, I sat on a large rock overlooking the lake, pondering the future. There was no denying that the Ring of Power had started to consume Ray- but what to do? His magics were still the most potent of all the Fellowship. I could always leave the Fellowship and strike out on my own, but had no desire to leave the townspeople to Ray’s tender mercies. Something had to be done, but I could not act alone.

vincible. vincible was the answer. No one could claim to be close to this enigmatic wizard, but I had noticed his troubled thoughts playing across his features more than once when confronted by Ray’s megalomania. I would go and confide in vincible my fears for Ray, together we could come up with a plan.

Of course, if vincible dimed me out, this was one halfling who’d never enjoy a nice meal in his hobbit hole again, but it was worth a chance. Making a mental note to have a Chain Contingency – Delayed Blast Fireball – Teleport spell ready to go, I hurried off to vincible’s quarters.


~SDC~

Brilliant! The Shadow over the Fellowship story is realy becoming intreging!

Dancing shadows waltzed across the desolate room as the melancholic strains of a ballad floated in from beyond.

The flickering flame of a pale white candle illuminated a solitary figure slouched over the tower window.

Ray stared at the sea of stars, searching futilely for an answer to his misery.

Her betrayal had wounded him to the core of his soul. How could she have scorned him, the most powerful Overlord the world has ever known? Ray clenched the Gold Medallion in a vice-like grip, as if drawing solace from its cold metallic form.

What did she see in that portly guildmaster? That seadog could only sail ships but he, the Mighty Ray, could raise them from the depths of the ocean.

And with the right polymorph spell, she could have reveled in the pleasures of a strapping young man, eager to please her every desire.

Ray needed his fix. The Ultimate Spell took him away into a world of ecstasy. It is in this mystical world that all sense of time and form was lost. A place where he could find relief from this agonizing existence.

The Ring of Power rested serenely on the Fellowship Pedestal. The unknown voice from beyond had instructed him to seek and protect the Ring from those who would abuse it. Only during the direst of times in the days of the Undead Resurrection had the Fellowship ever attempted to wield its chaotic powers.

Yet Ray knew he needed it for the Ultimate Spell. The Ring had called out to him, its voice seductive yet full of wisdom.

Closing his eyes, Ray stretched his trembling hand towards the Ring.


~SDC~

Nice plot turn!

I'll have to sleep on this. Besides, I believe it is vincible's serve...

~SDC~

Cotal, Ray's referring to the great spell, Spell of Transparent Clothes!

Man, Evil Ray's longing for the One Ring is getting really good! I'm glad to see all these stories flaring up! I might be chiming in soon, as well. Busy at work for the moment, though. :notsure:

Theoden strode through the passage toward the stairs leading to Ray's chamber. As he walked, he noticed things were not as they had been just a few weeks before. There seemed to be more shadows now, and perhaps it was his imagination, but even the walls seemed to watch him as he passed. Theoden shivered and continued.

Now at the base of the stairs, Theoden turned to look back at the hall in which he had just passed. Though Theoden knew it was just his imagination, he was sure he saw two shadowy figures dart behind some columns. Theoden cursed. Something around the halls had most certainly changed, and he would find out what. But he knew Ray was eagerly awaiting the news Theoden brought.

As Theoden came to the door of Ray's personal chamber, he thought he heard Ray speaking. Was someone else in the room? He listened intently through the door, hoping to hear what was being spoken.

"...must not...strength...Ring..." Theoden winced. He couldn't hear everything through the solid oak door, but every time he heard Ray say the word Ring, it made him nervous.

Theoden took a deep breath, and knocked solidly on the door. Almost as if Ray were standing right there waiting, the door burst open and Ray was immediately face to face with Theoden.

"Why do you bother me at this time?" boomed the Wizard.

Startled and shaken, Theoden quickly tried to compose himself.

"A report, Master Ray....we have decided on the name of the new propaganda distribution. It will be known as the Metaverse Review. The great and wise Frogboy suggested it and..."

"SILENCE! I am not to hear that name in these halls, do you understand me!? Never say that name again!" screamed Ray

"As you wish!" said a clearly worried Theoden. He never trusted wizards, but had grown accustomed to them since his arrival at the Fellowship. But he knew something was very wrong with Ray.

"If the Un-Named One came up with the name 'The Metaverse Review', then it cannot be named thus! Name it something else!!"

"But, Master, it has already been distributed, and the people clearly are happy with the name."

Ray seemed to calm a bit. Through his dark eyes, Theoden knew Ray was lost in thought.

"Very well. But, never again mention the source of the name. If anyone asks, say that it was a decision of the wizards." spoke Ray in a very ominous but more tranquil tone.

"As you wish..." Theoden turned to quickly leave, but was stopped by the hand of Ray on his shoulder.

"Wait, friend Theoden. I must tell you something. I apologize for my behavior. I'm not myself lately. Give me time and all will be explained."

Ray then turned and slowly closed the door to his chamber.

Theoden did not tarry, and hurried down the stairs, thankful to be finished with his task. The sooner he got out of this tower, the better, thought Theoden.

I decided to compile this Evil Ray story into a webpage. H50, I did a little editing to yours, just to take out the first person perspective. Hope you don't mind!

The story is found here: http://www.angelfire.com/rings/fellowshipgalciv/story1.htm

Hope everyone enjoys it, and continues it! I'm really enjoying this story!

Back at his tower, Vincible at last felt secure. Here was one of the world’s few focal points of magic, where the arcane forces were strongest. Vincible had first found the tower a very long time ago, and over the centuries had laid down a vast web of spells designed to make the place his own. Here, he could draw on all the magic flowing through this focal point and turn it to his own ends. Here, he was the most powerful mage alive.

Once he left the tower, of course, that would no longer be true.

Vincible twirled his sapphire on its chain and began pacing, back and forth atop the tower. On neutral ground, he could not risk fighting Ray. They had never matched themselves against each other in any way, preferring not to compete directly, but from what Vincible had seen, he guessed that Ray’s raw power was comparable to his own, perhaps somewhat greater. However, Ray had spent a very long time practicing the art of magical combat and had done much research into destructive spells, while Vincible’s studies had tended toward more abstract, academic explorations of the nature of the Metaverse and the forces within it. He suspected that if it ever came to direct combat, Ray would quickly reduce him to a foul-smelling grease stain. Unless that combat occurred here, in the tower—but no, Ray would never be such a fool.

Which meant that Vincible had no choice but to try to deal with Ray peacefully. With Ray becoming increasingly paranoid, obsessed with the Ring and the Ultimate Spell, that would be difficult to do. Soon he would begin trying to eliminate rivals for power, and Vincible was near the top of the list.

The Ultimate Spell. After the war with the Undead, Ray had spent a month studying the Ring of Power in the hope of gaining the power to defeat that menace for once and for all. It was only after this that his obsession with the Ultimate Spell began, an obsession which worried Vincible. The magics involved strange and twisted, but Vincible was used to such things. The spell was incredibly complicated and draining, and the results seen from it so far did not seem to justify the effort involved, and certainly not the name. Most bothersome to him was that the spell felt naggingly incomplete—at least, the form Ray had been using felt incomplete, though Vincible had no idea how to complete it. It was like looking at a jigsaw puzzle with half the pieces still missing—interesting patterns were there, but nothing coherent emerged from it. He wished he knew what Ray thought of his own spell—was he purposefully hiding the rest of it from them? And when it was complete, what would it do? If it was inspired by the ring, surely nothing good would come of it...

This mystery was linked to other mysteries. What was Ray’s purpose in bringing together the Fellowship, and what were the goals of the being who sent him? And to what extent were Ray’s current actions a part of his own plans, as opposed to the corruption of the Ring? Or had the Ring been the one to send him in the first place? Ray had pledged to bring order to Meta. At first, Vincible had thought this meant an end to wars and to suffering, and the establishment of justice and law, and he had gladly pledged himself to that cause. But he had come to realize that order could also be born from fear, tyranny, and ruthless oppression. Was the One Ring feeding Ray the power to create such an order? Was this Ray’s original purpose? Or was there something else?

He had too many questions, and no answers. He needed to discuss his ideas, and, perhaps, to find an ally. But where to start? Most Fellowship remained loyal, partly due to fear, and partly due to the power of Ray’s charisma and vision. But surely some would share his suspicions. But if he approached the wrong person, it could mean betrayal, a confrontation with the Archmage, and a probable messy death.

Perhaps H50. The dimunitive alchemist had vast knowledge about the workings of Meta, and his insights would no doubt be invaluable. And the Halfling had consistently used his magic to better the lives of others, and must surely be troubled by Ray’s corruption. Yes... H50 would probably not betray him, at least not on purpose.

Vincible twirled his sapphire again, then froze as a horrifying thought occurred to him. Perfect order was not in a just society, or even a dictatorship ruled by fear. Perfect order could only be found in the endlessly repeating structure of minerals and crystals. A perfectly ordered world would be a world of rock and ice, a world devoid of life. Could the destruction of all life be the goal of the mysterious power that had sent Ray? Could that be the purpose of the complete Ultimate Spell?

Vincible shook his head. He was becoming even more paranoid than Ray. Ray was becoming mad and power-hungry, but he still seemed to lust for power over humans, not for their destruction. But he had not desired even that a few months ago. Would the corruption continue?

He needed to talk to H50. Vincible used his enhanced powers to renew the protective spells he always kept in place, with special emphasis on the magics that warded off mental intrusions. Then, filled with trepidation, he cast the spell that would teleport him back to the Fellowship Halls.
[Message Edited]

A bit of background: my original story involving the tower is in posts 99-101.

For the purposes of this story, I'm capitalizing my name. But I generally don't.

Your turn, H5O
[Message Edited]

Yes, I just read this installment.

It'll be a couple of hours. I've got to get home and have a glass of wine or two. My muse likes to be a little tipsy before she comes a callin'. LOL

~SDC~