Week Fourteen

Starcarn, Manayar 1st, Year of the Shield, Night

Talyth, surprised by Juliet's sudden attack on him and using his hand to block, barely managed to deflect the blade from his throat to his face. As he fell to the floor Juliet attacked Einor, but Gregory blocked her shots while the rest of the party tried to calm her down. She eventually dropped the sword to the floor and everyone left the room except for her and Kelly.

While tending to Talyth's facial wound Tristan explained to Gregory and Erik exactly what he had read about the sword, particularly the manner in which the "curse" of the sword could be broken. They all returned to the room to find Kelly unsuccessfully trying to convince Juliet that the sword was evil and should be disposed of. Juliet remained calm, at least until Gregory mentioned that "Tristan told us all about the history of the sword." At that point Juliet leapt to her feet and once again attacked her friends- she ran Tristan completely through before finally succumbing to her own wounds (Gregory slashed the hamstrings of both her legs and Erik and Kelly both hit her in the head).

Gregory tied Juliet's hands and feet and watched over her while Erik and Kelly quickly went to see Kitten, to pass a message to Sivantri asking for help (on their way out they stopped in at Einor's room, but he was nowhere to be found). Tristan, barely hanging on to life, lay recuperating next to Talyth.

Erik and Kelly found Kitten at the Jade Dancer, and she agreed to go right to Sivantri and tell him what had happened. After a brief struggle getting off the Jade Dancer's rooftop, Erik and Kelly then found Gino and his friend Lead Fingers in one of their usual spots. They paid Gino a silver piece to go to Sivantri with the same message, on the off chance that Gino could find him faster. After that they returned to the Hearth, where Tristan was struggling for life, Talyth was recovering from a deep gash to the face, and Gregory still sat guard over the unconscious Juliet.

After about an hour Sivantri and an elf maiden named Breesa arrived through the sewer entrance, with Gino in the lead. While Breesa put her considerable healing talents to work on Talyth and Tristan, the rest of the party explained to Sivantri all that they knew of the sword, its history, and the way to destroy it. Sivantri magically encased the blade in some kind of thick resin, a temporary "prison", then went in with the rest of the party to speak with Juliet.

Everyone explained to her the situation she was in: that the sword was cursed; that it would continue to adversely affect her moods and thoughts; and that the only way to break the curse would be to magically journey inside the sword and defeat the warrior's shade within. Despite Sivantri's warning that the battle inside the sword would be to the death, Juliet accepted the challenge and told Sivantri to proceed. With a resigned sigh he drew some markings on her face, placed a small gem on her forehead, then crushed the gem over the blade of Bane.

Juliet found herself in a small stone chamber ringed with torches. Across from her crouched a hairless and naked man, gnawing on something vile. As soon as he saw Juliet the man leapt to the attack, using a huge two-handed sword he apparently grabbed out of the air. Juliet, remembering what Sivantri had told her, tried to focus her will and somehow shape a weapon for herself with her mind. Unfortunately, being unskilled in the ways of such things, the only weapon she could summon was a large knife. Though she buried it deep in her enemy's gut, it wasn't enough- she was struck by the man's sword and fell to the ground, completely paralyzed from head to foot. As she lay there, totally unable to move, she had no choice but to watch the crazed man as he ate into her chest...

The rest of the party, watching Juliet in her room at the Stone Hearth, had no idea what was happening inside the sword. Juliet's body convulsed, shuddered, and then her chest exploded open, drenching the room in gore. As everyone else stood, dumbstruck, Sivantri rushed forward and plunged his hand into Juliet's chest cavity. He withdrew something and quickly flew from the window, muttering to himself, "No time to talk, must go, must go now". Gregory ran out after him, eventually following him to the palace. Gregory was stopped at the perimeter by guards, but sent a message in to Sivantri saying that he would like to be present for whatever it was Sivantri was about to do.

Back at the Hearth there wasn't much to do but change clothing and get cleaned up. Kelly especially was in shock, and Erik, Tristan, and Talyth did their best to comfort her. But there was no way to help poor Juliet...