The Path to Immortality

[Anume]

[1]<734hp 1075m 506mv><2501tnl>[M]{common} High Tower is [WARMASTER] controlled. Players near you:
<PK> Okuachi Entrance to the Shadow Grove
[1]<734hp 1075m 506mv><2501tnl>[M]{common}
You feel someone protecting you.
You are surrounded by a force shield.
[1]<734hp 1058m 506mv><2501tnl>[M]{common}
You are affected by the following:
Spell: shield : modifies ac by -20 for 48 hours
Spell: armor : modifies ac by -20 for 48 hours
Spell: mana charge : for 9 hours
Spell: protective shield: for 3 hours
Spell: sanctuary : for 3 hours
Spell: pass door : for 3 hours
Spell: mounted : for 23 hours
Spell: detect invis : for 5 hours
Spell: detect magic : for 5 hours
[1]<734hp 1058m 506mv><2501tnl>[M]{common}
YOU'RE VICIOUSLY TORN LIMB FROM LIMB!
OH GOD THE BLOOD!
ARRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!!
You yell 'Help!'
[2]<734hp 1098m 506mv><2501tnl>[M]{common}
And then you wake up. Phew, that was close.
You gasp in astonishment.
Okuachi closes his eyes tightly.
Okuachi rocks while praying 'Dear Isadora, balancing force of the universe, protect me please.'
Your protective shield dissipates. < Okuachi feels abandoned.
The white aura around your body fades.
You feel solid again.
Okuachi peeks slowly out. < Full of fear and self loathing.
Entrance to the Shadow Grove
Before you lies the grove of shadows. Giant grey trees are all that can
be seen through the thick shadows. A great sense of both power and menace
permeates the surrounding area. You have a strange urge to turn back and go
back the way you've come. A small path leads south into the shadows and
back north to the road. A small pile of leaves almost cover a metal grate
in the ground.

[Exits: north east south (down)]
A tree spreads its branches through the canopy.
[5]<734hp 1195m 506mv><2501tnl>[M]{common}
Okuachi opens his eyes completely. <Feels safe, only a dream.
You peer around yourself intently.
[An Unsettling Presence] 'Boo.'
You gasp in astonishment.
Okuachi jumps!
Volgathras slowly fades into existence. < Okuachi sees what he considers an old friend.
Okuachi grasps his heart.
You say 'You startled me.'
'Ha!' the Prince yells, jabbing a finger at you.
[Volgathras] 'Yes, for that is I, the great and terrible Startler! At my best I might make you pee a little.'
[Volgathras] 'What are you doing in my forest, peon.'
You say 'I have been sent to find a white cat in the tower, and I considered getting one at the Bazaare but Kelav likely seeks this cat in particular.'
A pale man in opulant regalia grins incessantly at you.
Volgathras simply stares at you for a moment.
You say 'Do you think it matters?'
You say 'Which cat?'
[Volgathras] 'If I were you... and I realized the vast unimportance that constituted my life.. I'd probably kill myself for lack of anything better to do.'
Volgathras canters it's head, peering at you with it's black eyes. 'Does the uselessness of your life ever weigh on you?'
You say 'Kill myself?'
You say 'Uselessness?'
[Volgathras] 'Twice. To be sure.'
[Volgathras] 'You should try it.'
You say 'Oh, I will give up this vessel demon.'
You say 'In due time, but I shall surely not perish.'
You smile happily.
Volgathras gives you a flat glare. 'My name is not 'demon,' thank you. <Hitherto known as The Ageless of Fright to Okuachi
You say 'There must be a way to circumvent the passage of time.'
[Volgathras] 'There certainly it. Become immortal, like me.'
Okuachi observes Volgathras.
You see nothing special about it.
Volgathras is in excellent condition.
Volgathras is using:
<worn on finger> a bloodstone ring
<worn on finger> (Unholy Aura) a split-dimensional chaosphere bracer
<worn around neck> a whistle of summoning
<worn around neck> (Glowing) (Humming) a necklace of interlinking spirals
<worn on head> (Glowing) (Humming) the Crown of Chaos
<worn on arms> the Demonplate greaves
<worn on legs> the Demonplate vambraces
You say 'Is this a challenge one undertakes?'
[Volgathras] 'Immortality?'
You say 'Are there avenues for mortals to ascend?'
Volgathras appears to lapse in to thought for a minute. ' Sort of.. I suppose?'
[Volgathras] 'Would you like to hear about how I ascended?'
You say 'Most asuredley.'
A magic pig roast suddenly appears.
A magic mushroom suddenly appears.
You get a magic mushroom.
You eat a magic mushroom.
You are full.
'Well then,' the Pricne states, waving it's hand in casual fashion.
Volgathras has created a bleeding throne!
You say 'I will avoid the pork from now on I think it gives me nightmares.'
Volgathras sits down and rests on a bleeding throne.
[Volgathras] 'It was a long time ago...'
[Volgathras] 'I was a young man, not unlike you truth be told.'
'Which is to say,' the Prince says, leaning against the bleeding arm of the throne, 'That I was weak, ignorant and utterly without merit in any avenue.'
Okuachi seems taken back as he settles quietly.
You rest.
[Volgathras] 'One day, whilst walking through the forest near my homeland, I spied something curious in the brush...'
Okuachi listens intently eyes focused on the throne.
As the demon shifts, the blood beneath it is displaced and dribbles unto the earthen floor.
[Volgathras] 'It was a pile of feces. Specifically, faerie feces.'
[Volgathras] 'Apparantly the little buggers have this... '
Volgathras pauses, searching for the word.
[Volgathras] 'Ritual isn't right.. tradition, probably.. where they signify their unity and equality by collectively defecating in a hole.'
Volgathras waves it's pale finger in the air as it recounts it's tale. 'The thought is, since they all do it - king and commoner - in essence we're all the same.'
[Volgathras] 'Ludicris really. I haven't had to relieve my bowels for at least a dozen millinea.'
[Volgathras] 'But as I stood, partially concealed by the trees I witnessed the faeries arrive and begin to roll and play in their excrement like savages.'
Okuachi appears curious, and looks directly into the eyes of Volgathras.
You say 'They rolled in their own feces?'
Volgathras flops it's pale hand around on the arms of the throne, causing drops of blood to splatter everywhere!
Volgathras nods enthusiastically. 'They did! It was obscene.'
[Volgathras] 'People don't realize just how depraved faeries really are.'
You say 'They are less civilized than some species.'
[Volgathras] 'But I digress. As I was saying, they were rolling around in it, squishing it between their toes, rolling it around in their mouths...'
[Volgathras] 'I spose they heard me vomit, because suddenly I was surrounded by a hoard of the nasty little things.'
Volgathras shudders at the horror and represses tears.
Okuachi chokes back but listens intently.
[Volgathras] 'Another little known fact about faeries is that they spray a special toxins from their backsides. When incensed in a rage or otherwise under duress they exrete it.'
[Volgathras] 'So there I was, standing in a puddle of my own vomit, surrounded by shite-covered flies spraying me with their backside fluids.'
'And then,' the Prince states, lifting it's arms, 'It happened. Immortality.'
You say 'I do believe suicide may have sounded pleasant. I would likely have gone out in a fiery explosion that would change the face of the forest for generations.'
Volgathras allows it's arms to drop, spraying the area in blood from the impact with the throne. 'I guess I should consider myself lucky.'
[Volgathras] 'Who'd have thought a special combination of vomit, feces and... stuff.. would equate to ever lasting life.'
You ponder the question.
[Volgathras] 'I haven't encountered anyone else who's attempted this particular path to timelessness, but it's as viable a method as any, I suppose.'
You say 'I would venture to believe that the avenue is likely different for other ageless ones?'
[Volgathras] 'Perhaps you should try it. It's bound to be better than chasing cats from some borderline psychopath.'
You say 'I would ask a question, one of historic signifigance.'
[Volgathras] 'I am an open book.'
Volgathras stops, lifting a finger. 'Figuratively. For now.'
Volgathras pauses once more, as though thinking upon the truth of that statement.
You say 'Is there a reason thet the gate to Val Miran is out of calibration?'
[Volgathras] 'Which gate is this?'
You say 'I believe I could fix it. It will take me a couple of years.'
You say 'All gates lead to the center of town, but the gate to val miran leads to its northern end.'
[Volgathras] 'Oh. There's a simply exaplanation for that.'
You say 'Did something happen historicly that led to its off center destination?'
[Volgathras] 'Yes.. Or... or no.'
[Volgathras] 'Well, once, maybe. But.. not.'
[Volgathras] 'It was before, but then after the thing that happened a few days prior..'
[Volgathras] 'So I suppose that's history, but it didn't really happen. Except, it sort of did.'
Okuachi appears somehow to understand.
Volgathras nods sagely.
You say 'The Tower plays with Time, I believe many things happen that also do not happen.'
[Volgathras] 'Those silly mages will obliterate us all one day.'
[Volgathras] 'It'll be fun to watch.'
You say 'While my mortal mind has yet to concieve what they do to accomplish it, I am sure I will understand in time.'
'Aaaanyway,' the Prince says with a groan, rising to it's feet. 'It's been a pleasure and all, but you've begun to bore me to the point of considering honocide.'
Volgathras stands up.
[Volgathras] 'Run along now little puppet. And remember. Faeries.'
[Volgathras] 'It can't hurt, right?'
You say 'Oh? so you will not tell me where these fairies can be found?'
[Volgathras] 'Faeries are everywhere. You just have to chance upon them during their Feces Festival.'
You say 'One must explore the proper avenues known success could be followed.'
Volgathras nods in enthusiastic agreement with you.
[Volgathras] 'Good luck! Bring sturdy boots!'
An Unsettling Presence slowly fades into thin air.
You have been given a divine quest!
An Unsettling Presence forces you to 'history show'.
Your history is:
(not known to mortals) <edited

Your purpose is:
(None).
Your personality is:
(None).
Your achievements are:
(None).
Your divine quest:
1.) Uncover the Secrets of the Feces Festival. Or not.
[19]<734hp 1195m 503mv><2500tnl>[D]{common}
The arched entrance
You feel a slight tingle as you pass through the archway, as if the living
magical energies here had infused your body, found it wanting and left. The
intense glow from the arch above you is almost blinding. Through the light you
can barely make out a stairway leading up.
[Exits: north up]
[19]<734hp 1195m 503mv><2500tnl>[D]{common}
You say 'I shall find my way.'