Scene 3: General Forum
Scene 3: General Forum
Arancaytar has deserted the Moderator Forum and is wandering the General Forum. He is desperately trying to get the latest statistics out of his head, since it reminds him of how badly the war is going. He can hear Kelandon, the Lurker, and Wanderer talking in another room.
The Lurker: We just can't do it. The lurkers--the other lurkers, I should say--refuse to fight.
Wanderer: We've tried everything. There's nothing else we can do. We can go find someone else who may be able to help, if you want.
Arancaytar: Why don't you ask Hawk King? He likes hanging out in the shadows!
Suddenly, Arancaytar stumbles and claps a hand over his forehead.
Arancaytar: Ow! Ow! Ash Lael!
Kelandon, the Lurker, and Wanderer rush into the room.
Kelandon: What was that you just said, Arancaytar?
Arancaytar: Ash Lael is dead!
Arancaytar adds Ash Lael's name to the list of the deceased, right under Tyranicus' name.
Kelandon: Ash Lael! This is... is... completely unexpected! How did it happen?
Arancaytar closes his eyes.
Arancaytar: He was knocked out and then stabbed in the back.
The Lurker: That's terrible!
Kelandon: I'm going to go find Hawk King now. We must sacrifice the lurkers to prevent anymore active members from getting killed.
Kelandon exits. The Lurker and Wanderer follow. Slartucker enters.
Slartucker: Aran, did I just hear you say that Ash Lael is dead?
Arancaytar: Sadly, yes.
Slartucker: This is crazy! Kelandon is forcing the lurkers to fight, newbs are being slaughtered, members are dying... and for what? Why don't we just flee and create a message board somewhere else?
Arancaytar points to the door.
Arancaytar: There's the exit. Open it and see how far you get.
Slartucker marches to the door and places his hand on the knob.
Slartucker: I'm not scared of the fluffy turtles.
Arancaytar: It's not the fluffy turtles that you have to worry about.
Slartucker pulls the door open and jumps back in shock. He shields his eyes from the blinding blue-green light. After he recovers, he reaches towards the shimmering wall of light. Sparks fly from the wall towards Slartucker's hand. He jerks it back quickly.
Slartucker: A magic barrier! We're trapped here by a magic barrier!
Slartucker slumps to the ground. After a moment, he looks at Arancaytar.
Slartucker: Isn't there anything we could do to get it down?
Arancaytar: Perhaps quickfire, but that would kill everyone faster than the noobs are. Besides, no one has a phoenix egg, anyway.
Slartucker: Oh. (Long pause.) Aran, I don't understand. How did Ed and the wanderers get out through the barriers?
Arancaytar rests against the wall and adds the names of another three newbs to the list.
Arancaytar: It wasn't up at the very beginning, when the wanderers and Ed escaped. It appeared shortly after the battle started. I suppose everyone could have escaped at the very beginning, but no one realized how devastating this war would be, or that the escape route would be cut off.
Slartucker: Is there any other route of escape?
Arancaytar: I have no idea, Slarty. Sorry.
Arancaytar winces and adds the name of another newb to the list.
The Lurker: We just can't do it. The lurkers--the other lurkers, I should say--refuse to fight.
Wanderer: We've tried everything. There's nothing else we can do. We can go find someone else who may be able to help, if you want.
Arancaytar: Why don't you ask Hawk King? He likes hanging out in the shadows!
Suddenly, Arancaytar stumbles and claps a hand over his forehead.
Arancaytar: Ow! Ow! Ash Lael!
Kelandon, the Lurker, and Wanderer rush into the room.
Kelandon: What was that you just said, Arancaytar?
Arancaytar: Ash Lael is dead!
Arancaytar adds Ash Lael's name to the list of the deceased, right under Tyranicus' name.
Kelandon: Ash Lael! This is... is... completely unexpected! How did it happen?
Arancaytar closes his eyes.
Arancaytar: He was knocked out and then stabbed in the back.
The Lurker: That's terrible!
Kelandon: I'm going to go find Hawk King now. We must sacrifice the lurkers to prevent anymore active members from getting killed.
Kelandon exits. The Lurker and Wanderer follow. Slartucker enters.
Slartucker: Aran, did I just hear you say that Ash Lael is dead?
Arancaytar: Sadly, yes.
Slartucker: This is crazy! Kelandon is forcing the lurkers to fight, newbs are being slaughtered, members are dying... and for what? Why don't we just flee and create a message board somewhere else?
Arancaytar points to the door.
Arancaytar: There's the exit. Open it and see how far you get.
Slartucker marches to the door and places his hand on the knob.
Slartucker: I'm not scared of the fluffy turtles.
Arancaytar: It's not the fluffy turtles that you have to worry about.
Slartucker pulls the door open and jumps back in shock. He shields his eyes from the blinding blue-green light. After he recovers, he reaches towards the shimmering wall of light. Sparks fly from the wall towards Slartucker's hand. He jerks it back quickly.
Slartucker: A magic barrier! We're trapped here by a magic barrier!
Slartucker slumps to the ground. After a moment, he looks at Arancaytar.
Slartucker: Isn't there anything we could do to get it down?
Arancaytar: Perhaps quickfire, but that would kill everyone faster than the noobs are. Besides, no one has a phoenix egg, anyway.
Slartucker: Oh. (Long pause.) Aran, I don't understand. How did Ed and the wanderers get out through the barriers?
Arancaytar rests against the wall and adds the names of another three newbs to the list.
Arancaytar: It wasn't up at the very beginning, when the wanderers and Ed escaped. It appeared shortly after the battle started. I suppose everyone could have escaped at the very beginning, but no one realized how devastating this war would be, or that the escape route would be cut off.
Slartucker: Is there any other route of escape?
Arancaytar: I have no idea, Slarty. Sorry.
Arancaytar winces and adds the name of another newb to the list.