The session started with Faustus, Haplo and Ulrich together at the tree, where three glowing lines intersect.


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Faustus, after touching the tree had begun to glow red, and Haplo and Ulrich were wandering how to get him out of this situation. Nothing really inventive was tried, and Faustus couldn't talk but could communicate with hand gestures. It was while this was going on that all the other players eventually drifted in to join them. Faustus then tried concentrating on Fiona's card (only he knows what exactly he was doing) and Haplo acting on instict jumped out of the shadow as Faustus and the tree both burst into flames, burning everything except Fautus and the tree.

Ralthus, at this point, tried casting a spell at the line, and the magic was absorbed without a trace. The players considered this, and the fact that there were still two ends of the lines unexplored. An attempt was made to trump contact Faustus, which was immediately cut off and then Frederick left the shadow on private business. Haplo then returned, just in time to see Faustus disappear with a dinstinctive "twing" sound. It was at this point someone made the suggestion "Anybody volunteering to lead a hellride?". You could have cut the silence with a knife.

It was eventually decided that Ulrich should lead the party along the line to where the dragon was. Bits of dragon were located, but any attempt to question them would have proved futile, since they tended to work better when they were all in one place. Ralthus at this point tried concentrating (again only he knows what he was doing) and then collapsed half-dead. Whatever it was, presumably he did not meet with perfect success. Volkazz, sensibly enough, wandered off and collected some horses and then Frederick arrived with Merlin, who had been the most powerful amberite in close range. Merlin concentrated on the line and then began to follow it - closely followed himself by most of the party (except Ulrich who followed it in another shadow). Both groups managed to find Faustus, with the line running through him, and while both could communicate with Faustus they still could not see or hear each other.

Faustus explained what had happened - he had recieved a psychic contact, but unlike any other. There was no way of indentifying the other person, or even what the contact was for. Then Faustus was moved into a place where there was nothing - the abyss, it was suggested by several players. So now Faustus was trapped on the line unable to leave it, even by shadow walking. Faustus also suggested walking along the line would be a bad idea, as there was something very dangerous there - but refused to elaborate further.

It was then decided to leave Faustus behind and travel along the other unexplored line end. Walking through shadow, the scenario became more futuristic and the party eventually emerged in the bridge of a spaceship of some description. It was noticable that the red line ran into the control panel on the ship - but not out of the other side. However the characters were somewhat distracted from this by the large number of people pointing things looking rather like guns at them. Frederick, of course stepped in with that time-honoured phrase "I am unarmed" obviously hoping they would not notice the several tonnes of heavy duty weaponry slung about his person.

After several such comments, Frederick was stunned by the weapons being carried by the shadow-dwellers, and the party was led off to the brig, as all attempts at negotiation failed.

Ulrich, of course, was safe in another shadow. It was soon discovered that there was some sort of force field around the brig, and this prevented Frederick from shadow walking out of the room. VolkaZZ tried a psychic contact with one of the guards and got in immediately - unfortunately the other guard noticed his comrade's blank stare and hit the alarm button.

Ed. I'm afraid I'm going to have to add my own paragraphs to the log here, as I disagree totally with what has been written.

Haplo sez this:
At this point Haplo decided it was time to take matters into his own hands - and fled, using a presumably different and more successful method to Frederick.
Ed, I say:

When the new group of guards appeared in the corridor, one, apparently their leader (judging by his sense of dress style, all in black)
Actually, no, you're right, Haplo dissapeared at this point. I disagree with the next bit though.

After this point, a large group of soldiers entered the brig holding a very big weapon looking quite capable of turning the party into little wisps of smoke drifting on the breeze.

Ed's comment:
First Ralthus was removed for interrogation, and was returned, a short while later, unconcious, and with some nasty wounds to boot. Then Frederick was taken away . . .

The party were then subdued and Frederick was removed for "interrogation". During this time Haplo and joined up with Ulrich and attempted to trump contact Volkazz, who asked him to remove them from the potentially dangerous situation where they'd managed to get themselves the wrong end of a big gun as the trigger was pulled. Fortunately Haplo managed to pull the party through the trump - after a suitable pause for dramatic tension of course. Frederick was left behind, as was Higgins who did not make it through the contact, but sadly the session ended and any rescue attempts shall have to wait till next time.

Ed again:
The reason for the remainder of the party ending up in a very dangerous situation was that Ralthus had vanished, using some undisclosed means of his own, which had rather angered the guards. Frederick, it should be noted, never returned from his 'interrogation'.