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Post by sleepingdragon on May 11, 2014 11:45:38 GMT
sd: "The Order sent you?" asked another man, whose right hand was severed at the wrist, and was cradling the purple stump with some agony. "It took you long enough! I'm Esmon, captain of the expedition to this vile cesspit." Esmon looked like he meant to say more, but he gave a sudden groan of pain and clutched at the stump of his hand.
Leofric: Leofric frowned with clear concern at Esmon, "So what have that abomination of Aescwine done to you all?" He was eyeing at Esmon's stump and other slaves' injuries.
Beomund: "We have men assaulting the fortress now, which should distract Aescwine's men. We should move hurriedly to take advantage and end him," urged Beomund, although he was interested to hear the response to Leofric's question.
sd: one of the slaves who had obviously not helped Randwulf and Esmon kill the guards spoke up, "He'll kill you, or just make you wish he had," he said. "He'll make you a stump and dose it with liquid fire, and then you'll never be able to get away!" The slave waved his hand, showing the stump of his little finger. "Run while you still can!"
Hogar: Hogar ignored the protesting man "Why did they do this to you?"he asked Esmon "To prevent you escaping somehow?"
Beomund: Beomund moved closer to the slave, glancing around at those who cowered alongside him, and raised up his hammer, stained with the blood of goblins and men. "I've been a slave like you. But now I fight. His men are not gods. They die like other men, and I intend to enjoy watching them do so. If you cannot fight, stay back and let us do our work. If you can, you will enjoy a brighter sunrise if you know you helped take down that bastard."
sd: "His men say he's a god," Randwulf replied. "They've applied liquid fire to our stumps. If we stray far from the Great Heartfire, we'll collapse with agony. Even now I can feel the pain rising - I think Aescwine is using some magic at the Great Heartfire, to stop us from rebelling. I want to fight, but it will be very hard as long as Aescwine is alive." He spoke more quietly to Hogar.
"Thank you for coming. They cut Esmon's hand off as a punishment - when he saw what's been done to Scrella, he went mad with rage and nearly killed one of the Masked Ones with his bare hands."
Hogar: Hogar frowned "What did they do to her? Whatever it is, we're here to rescue her too, and if we can't, we can at least avenge her...". He was obviously intent on bloodshed against Aescwine and his cultists
sd: "She was dangerous to them because of her magic, so they forced her to run down her energies and wouldn't let her recover them. I don't know how much you know about magic but it damages the mind, and she's been without for months..." Randwulf shook his head, looked at Esmon for a moment, and then lowered his voice again so he would not hear. "And she's been breeding stock. So have I, but it's worse for the women I think. She gave birth to one of those creatures - the Never-Children, Hadring calls them - and I think it might have broken her mind. Esmon won't speak of it but..."
Beomund: At Randwulf's words about what happened to Scrella, darkness passed over Beomund's face. He clutched his hammer and stared at the wall, expression cold and angry.
Edmund: "Abhorent..." Edmund muttered, shaking his head. "We have heard something of these practises. If nothing else, Aescwine must die for this."
Leofric: Leofric closed his eyes with a sense of bloodly horror of this place and then opened his eyes, and his eyes glowed with righteous anger. "Abominations indeed."
Beomund: Beomund turned back to face the others. His voice was low and seething. "Yes. We'll tear this place down and burn away this savagery!"
sd: "If you can kill him and somehow put out the Great Heartfire, we'll be free and able to fight," said Randwulf. "Until then we can delay them as best we can...but we're not all willing to fight. The others won't listen to me, they've heard all I have to say. If you can persuade them somehow, you might be able to win yourself some more time."
Hogar: "Monstrous." said Hogar barely restraining his contempt "He will pay for this too, whatever the cost. "
Hogar: edit: his contempt for Aescwine evident in his voice
Edmund: "We have to convince them, or they will all die." Edmund muttered. He pulled a box accross and stood on it. "We are here to free all of you. I understand that you might feel that fighting is beyond you. But your lives, and the lives of everyone you care about, are at stake. If Aescwine is allowed to continue, he will conquer, enslave, torture and make abominations of all who live in these islands. He is powerful, but look well at us. We have defeated the undead, and the Vile Children, the Gibberling menace and the Masked Ones. And we have an army behind us. Join us and fight for your freedom and the freedom of your families!"
Beomund: Beomund gave a steely smile and stood behind Edmund leaning on his hammer as he spoke, doing his best to support Ed's assertion of their strength.
sd: Edmund's words, at first, seemed to have little effect, but in their aftermath Randwulf went among the others, encouraging them and saying that finally, victory and escape was actually possible. At length, the great majority of the former slaves decided they would try to fight, save only a few who were too infirm, and Randwulf rounded them up. "Most of the garrison are outside fighting your army, but some are still inside. We'll head for them and distract them, and Esmon can lead you down towards the Great Heartfire. I'll warn you, the Never-Children will be guarding it, though there aren't very many of them."
Leofric: Leofric nodded warily at the mention of the Never-Children, "Thanks for the warning."
Hogar: Hogar nodded "I have seen them earlier. Half man, half goblin..."he shuddered "I'm more worried about Aescwine himself however. He will prove a formidable foe, no doubt."
Beomund: Beomund readied his equipment, ocassionally giving words of encouragement to the slaves as they prepared for the coming ordeal. Once a tear suddenly rolled down his eye, and he looked toward the ceiling, muttering "Aisha..." But then he seemed to regain his strength, and lifted his hammer, ready to move out.
Edmund: "We saw a number of Never-Children I believe, heading for the wharf. Purple eyed monstrosities?" Edmund said.
sd: Randwulf nodded. "They come out fully grown, the horrible creatures. Hadring keeps them separate mostly, so I don't know what they can do."
Edmund: Edmund grimaced. "Do the mothers even survive auch a terrible ordeal?"
sd: "Scrella did...many don't." Randwulf rubbed at his reddened eyes. "The goblin that...gave birth to mine, I think didn't."
Hogar: "Before we go, Esmon...I happen to dabble in healing, or at least I try. Perhaps if you let me get a look at your stump I could see if there's any way I can relieve some of the pain. "he spoke to the man, then turned to Leofric "You might able to help me out here, as it's a sorcery of sorts so mundane healing might not be enough."
Edmund: "It almost makes one pity the goblins, despite their foulness. Perhaps if they were not turned into the creatures of evil men, there would be hope for them." Edmund said, with a sigh,
Leofric: Leofric nodded seriously, "Of course Hogar!" Leofric helped Hogar with Esmon carefully
sd: Hogar was able to ease Esmon's pain while the other freed slaves took up what weapons they could, from the guards they and the party had slain. Some could only wield lengths of broken chain from their shackles, but it was better than facing the enemy unarmed. "We have to get to Scrella," said Esmon. "She is like my sister, I won't leave her. If Aescwine even remembers she's there he might bring her to the Great Heartfire and force her to help."
Hogar: "Wish I could do more, and for all of you but sadly time is of the essence."Hogar sighed as he relieved Esmon's pain "We'll do our best to save Scrella, whatever it takes."he added
sd: when the freed slaves had finished equipping themselves, Randwulf spoke to them. "Whatever happens, thank you. At least we have a chance now. I don't know much about Aescwine - he's been at the Great Heartfire for months - but I can warn you about Hadring. You'll know him, while he's here he wears a gold mask studded with gems, to mark him out. He'll be with Aescwine I think, he is a strong sorcerer and I saw him strike down one man who tried to leave with lightning. I'm afraid none of them are likely to surrender."
Hogar: "About that...we happen to have a magical which we found some time ago..." Hogar said to Beomund "Perhaps this might be the proper time to use one of them. What do you think, Beomund? There would be side no effect - I think we can trust Leofric on that - and when you call on its power you should be able to strike a telling blow. I'd save it for Aescwine, myself."
Hogar: edit: magical elixir
Hogar: edit: and 'be no side effect'
Beomund: Beomund paused only momentarily. "I think God cares more about ending villains like Aescwine than he does about methods," he muttered, and took the offered potion.
sd: "I'd recommend you drink that elsewhere," Esmon said quickly. "It will remind the others of being made to drink liquid fire."
Leofric: Leofric frowned with irritation on the mention of Hadring, "So we need to ensure that Hadring is... distracted as well. I will figure out that Great Heartfire as well."
Beomund: Beomund nodded and tucked it away for later.
Edmund: Edmund spoke quietly to Leofric. "I have little magical power now, but I am going to do what I can to enhance our ability to fight."
sd: Randwulf took a deep breath, nodded to the party, and then he and the others set out for another segment of the building, where the largest concentration of guards remained. "The Great Heartfire is below, Scrella is being held near there, I think," said Esmon, leading the group towards a staircase located at the end of the corridor outside the room where they had met with him and Randwulf.
Leofric: Leofric replied back at Edmund as he nodded, "That immense power I sensed is the Great Heartfire itself. I must be. I will cast some protection for myself, you and Maccus. Every little help."
Leofric: EDIT: It must be
Edmund: Edmund touched the arrows, quietly muttering the words of the spell, and then Hogar's axe. The sharpened edge glistened in the torchlight.
sd: the party found the truth of Leofric's words as they descended, down a flight of stairs, across one floor which was entirely deserted, and then down onto another staircase. There was a feeling to the place that set the hackles rising, a question in the air, a presence over the shoulder. As they descended towards the Great Heartfire, the feeling grew ever stronger.
Esmon stopped to catch his breath at the top of a third staircase. "I think she's in a room near the bottom of these stairs," he said, panting. "It's a section they don't make much use of, an old barracks of the Forerunners."
Leofric: Leofric made some gesture and muttered some blessing as he casts spell to defend himself, Edmund and Maccus.
Leofric: Leofric nodded at the mention of the Forerunners, "No surprise there as there is a Runestone outside."
sd: "This was a Forerunner settlement once, Randwulf thinks, but Aescwine's been here for over a year so it's been changed. Another of his crimes."
Beomund: Beomund stayed silent as they moved forward, ready to face whatever was down there.
Hogar: Hogar prepared silently, ensuring his equipment was in working order
sd: they continued down. The sense of the Great Heartfire grew stronger, setting their skin tingling. "They've reworked this section less, they try to keep people away from the Great Heartfire," said Esmon. They emerged out into a short hallway with a worn stone floor. A door was opposite them, at the end of the hallway, however Esmon pointed to another door, nearer by. "I overheard a guard say they were keeping her here," he said quietly.
Beomund: "We should burst in quickly in case there are guards," suggested Beomund.
Beomund: "But there may be locks or traps," he then added. "Perhaps Maccus could sneak up and check?"
Edmund: "Would they expect anyone to come down here? Or are they overconfident?" Edmund mused, staring at the door.
sd: "I don't think they're expecting anyone to try," said Esmon, as Maccus crept over to the door. "Although with the attack, perhaps they do." Maccus checked the door carefully, then indicated that it was clear and readied his bow.
Edmund: Edmund crept up beside him and drew out an arrow. He whispered a prayer.
Edmund: Holding up a hand, Edmund listened agains the door.
You whisper to Hogar: Hogar thought he heard scuffing as of a boot on stone, but he suspected there was only one, or perhaps two guards at most, and even that could be incorrect as it might be Scrella herself that he heard
Hogar: Hogar signaled with his axe-hand, suggesting that there might be one or two guards behind
Leofric: Leofric readies his fine longsword, ready to slay
Beomund: Beomund nodded, slowly turned the door knob, then kicked the door open and leapt in.
sd: the party burst through the door and found themselves in a long, almost entirely empty room. There was a single Masked One who sat at a table opposite them, who quickly grabbed for his trident as the party came on.
sd: the fight was short and brutal. The Masked One had just about enough time to stand and recover his trident before they were on him, with Edmund and Maccus peppering him with arrows. Sensing his death was near, the Masked One raised his trident and aimed for Esmon, but before he could cast Beomund smashed him backwards onto the table, and Leofric drove his sword down into the man's heart.
The party had only a moment to catch their breath and begin to take in the room. It had been entirely cleared, save for a fountain on the south wall and the wreckage of some furniture piled in the southwestern corner. The walls were painted with images they recollected from Mollenmere, depicting numerous scenarios of men engaged in every possible sexual act with one another. Maccus glanced at one and gave a wry grin, but as he turned to glance at Leofric, a woman cried out, through the door which lay just behind the table where the Masked One lay dead.
Beomund: Beomund paid little mind to the room, and when he heard the cry he moved quickly toward the door.
Leofric: Leofric smiled slightly at Maccus's glance and then hearing the cry, he made his way toward to the door.
Hogar: Hogar smiled slightly at the Masked One death, and then made for the door with the others
sd: Esmon rushed for the door and kicked it open with such force that one of the hinges broke.
The room had obviously once been a latrine, from the earthen pit in the corner. Just next to it, shackled to the wall, was Scrella. The Fryderi sorceress was naked and their eyes were immediately drawn to her stomach, which was horrifically scarred, with stretch marks that ran all the way up beneath her ravaged breasts. Her private parts showed signs of obvious damage, and there was dried blood flaked in her pubic hair. Her body was badly emaciated, her belly distended, and despite the chill here, deep beneath the earth, she was drenched in sweat. Her dark eyes were wild and unfocussed, and she thrashed against her bonds and screamed Fryderi curses at them as they entered. Esmon let out a strangled sob at the sight of her.
Leofric: Leofric understood some of these curses and replied in her own language to calm her down. The terrible sights of Scrella greeting him did not faze him at all. In his eyes, he clearly shown that he is doing his best to take care. He kept on talking in Fryderi.
Beomund: Beomund shivered at the sight of her, his eyes wide. But he moved up slowly behind Leo, ready to attempt to break her chains when she was calmed.
Hogar: Though obviously somewhat shaken by the sight, Hogar recovered in a few seconds "We have to help her in any way we can."he said
Beomund: *edit: ...when she was calmed, if Edmund proved unable to free her with his lockpicks.
sd: Maccus took a look at her, clenched his fists, and walked out of the room, leaning against the wall while he waited for the others
Edmund: Edmund moved forward slowly, trying not to terrify the poor woman even more. As he worked on unlocking her shackles, he spoke softly to her all the time, calming her as much as was possible.
sd: they were able to calm Scrella enough that Esmon could speak to her and convince her to come with him, though her eyes remained vacant and she did not speak. "We can't risk taking her near a fight," Esmon said to them while she was out of earshot. "The Great Heartfire is near, I don't know exactly where. Scrella has been down there, when she was still whole she said she'd had to swim to get there."
Edmund: Edmund drew some clothes out of his pack for Scrella, and Leofric wrapped her in a cape. "We will leave her with you while we go on."
Hogar: "Much safer this way." Hogar agreed with Edmund
Beomund: Beomund laid a hand on Esmon's shoulder. "Don't worry, friend. We'll make sure the bastards responsible for this pay."
Leofric: Leofric became more certain and said "Indeed, we will destory them." His anger showing
sd: Esmon nodded and, speaking quietly to Scrella, led her back to the staircase while the party continued on.
There had been two other doors in the barracks - one simply led into another latrine, however the one in the middle led to a short, wide corridor ending in another door. Opening this, they found themselves in what they guessed must be the living quarters of the Never-Children, though there were none there now. The floor had been recently painted with a purple and white pattern, and there were rough straw pallets on the floor where the creatures slept. Near the centre of the room was a wooden table on which there was parchment, a book, and ink and quill, and on the far wall was a bookcase with scrolls and more writing materials. Along the eastern wall was a tapestry hung with a scene depicting the birth of Nechten the Never-Child, emerging whole from a mermaid, and next to this was another door. In the far northwest corner of the room was a ladder which led up about fifteen feet to an overhanging stone walkway.
Beomund: Beomund moved to climb up the ladder and check the walkway, leaving the others to look at the bookcase or listen at the door if they so chose.
Leofric: Leofric moved closer to look at the book on the table, wondering what it contains.
Edmund: Edmund looked at the bookcase, carefully and warily examining what it contained.
You whisper to Beomund: Beomund began to climb up the ladder, with Maccus close behind him. He got halfway up when he glanced along the long stone walkway and froze. From the corner of his eye, he was able to catch sight of one of the creatures they had seen earlier, the Never-Children, now nearer to. The creature was naked, save for an iron helm, with grey-tinged skin and deep violet eyes. Beomund had time to register that the walkway overlooked a long corridor when the thing looked over his way, and he had to try to either duck down or prepare for battle.
You whisper to Beomund: heart thumping, Beomund managed to drop down just in time.
sd: the book on the table was a collection of parables about Nechten the Never-Child, while there was similar fare on offer at the bookcase, along with some scrolls relating to the Ancients, and some historical texts and one book that caught Edmund's eye, which was a collection of songs. From the dust on the shelf, he didn't think the books saw much use.
Hogar: Hogar tried to listen for noises behind the door
You whisper to Hogar: Hogar heard nothing behind the door.
Edmund: Edmund rolled up the scrolls and put them in his pack.
Leofric: Leofric looked slightly disappointed at the useless book. and glanced at Edmund, "Anything good?" He enquired of the boookcase
Beomund: Beomund quietly descended the ladder and signalled the others to come over where he could whisper to them. "There's one of the Never-children down the walkway - I think it overlooks another room. I'm going to try to move the ladder up closer so we can ambush it."
Edmund: Edmund nodded in agreement.
Leofric: Leofric looked ready, ready to kill i
Hogar: Hogar readied his axe, obviously looking forward to the chance of killing one of the Never-Children
sd: Beomund and Maccus carefully took the ladder across the room and laid it nearer to where Beomund had spotted the Never-Child, near to the east wall.
sd: "Do you want me to creep up and have a look? There might be others," said Maccus.
Beomund: Beomund nodded his agreement at Maccus's suggestion.
sd: Maccus clambered up the ladder, and choking back a curse he ducked his head down, nearly giving himself away before he could locate the creature. He spent about a minute with his eyes just over the level of the walkway, ducking down when the creature looked back, then he crept down to report. "There's a very long hallway, there are four of these soulfoul creatures and two Masked Ones as well I think, although I couldn't get the best look. There are walkways on either side of the passage with Never-Children patrolling them, they're armed like goblinkind with curved swords and bows."
Leofric: Leofric frowned at this and nodded, "Look like we can take on a Never child and the nearest Masked One first and the the rest?"
Hogar: "I'd focus on the Masked One, their sorcery could be dangerous."suggested Hogar
Beomund: Beomund nodded his agreement, and prepared to climb up and rush into the fight.
Leofric: Leofric decided to put on his shield to ensure that he is covered in case of any annoying arrows
Hogar: Hogar readied to rush quickly up the ladder with his axe
Beomund: Beomund crept up the ladder and toward the nearby Never-Child. The creature noticed him too late, spinning around to receive the full force of Beomund's hammer in the chest. There was a squelching sound more like cartilage than the breaking of bone, and it flew off the walkwayto the floor below.
sd: the creature hit the ground, but appeared to take absolutely no hurt from the fall. The other Never-Children and the Masked Ones turned towards Beomund. "YOU FUCK! YOU DIE!" the nearest Never-Child cried, raising a curved sword.
Leofric: Leofric readies his crossbow in one hand, freeing his other hand to climb on the ladder. The crossbow is already loaded
sd: one of the Masked Ones cast a spell and enchanted his trident
sd: several of the Never-Children readied round shields, preparing for battle and continuing to cry crude oaths.
Edmund: Edmund hurried up the ladder.
Hogar: Hogar climbed up the ladder with one hand, his sharp axe in the other
sd: several of the Never-Children rushed up the ladders, tearing towards the party, while the Masked Ones moved up flat against the near wall, limiting the angles for the party's shots
Beomund: Beomund meanwhile quickly moved to the ladder down into the next hall, and climbed down a few steps before dropping down to intercept the nearest Masked One.
Beomund: Beomund easily knocked away the Masked One's trident, then slammed his hammer into the Masked One's head, knocking him back against the wall to slump down unconscious.
Edmund: Edmund fired at the other masked one, but missed.
Leofric: Leofric fired the crossbow at the other masked one and as the bolt flew, it looked like the bolt might miss the Masked One but luckly, through strange fate, it slammed into his right arm, clearly impaling the right arm.
sd: Maccus fired at an onrushing Never-Child, but struck its upraised shield.
Hogar: Hogar swiftly took the shield from his back and strapped it to his left arm
sd: as the creature came near, the party had a better chance to take a look at it. It wore no clothes at all, save for a helm and a sheath strapped over its shoulder. The creature's grey balls swayed between its legs as it rushed towards them. Its fellows were also naked, three being male and one, on the walkway opposite, female.
sd: the Masked One Leofric had shot drew his shield
Leofric: Leofric dropped his crossbow and made his way forward toward the Never child and the Masked One. "Is this the best that paltry Aescwine can come up with." He strolled toward them, his expression shown that he is not even remotely worried about the enemies in front of him. Leofric looked like he was about to draw his sword over his shoulder.
Hogar: Hogar advanced steadily beside Leofric, ready to face the Never-Children in melee
sd: Maccus drew another arrow
Edmund: Muttering to himself in frustration, Edmund drew another arrow.
Leofric: Leofric drew his sword, his eyes narrowed, greater for the fight.
Leofric: Leofric also drew his shield onto left arm. He smiled almost cheerfully at the enemies.
sd: Maccus fitted his arrow to the string
sd: the Masked One tried a spell, but between the crossbow bolt and his occupied hands, could not manage it.
sd: one of the Never-Children fired at Beomund, but, as he rushed forward, the arrow whizzed over his head. The creatures exchanged a glance, and they began to step back.
You whisper to Leofric: Leofric took the opportunity to examine his foes and their posture. From the way the Never-Child ahead of them was poised, he thought it was likely waiting for Hogar and Beomund to run forward, and then it would spring down to the floor below, leaving Hogar out of position.
Edmund: Seeing that one of the Never-Children was unshielded, Edmund shot at it. As the fiery arrow sped towards her, the wretched creature flexed its body in a most inhuman way as if to avoid it. The arrow struck deep into its flesh.
sd: Maccus fired at the same Never-Child, driving an arrow into its arm.
Leofric: Leofric warned the others that the Never-Child ahead of them on the walkway seems to be ready to jump onto the floor below, possiblely leaving Hogar to fight empty air
sd: the Masked One flung his trident towards Beomund, but missed widely.
sd: the archer Never-Child tossed her bow down to the floor below, then readied a shield.
Leofric: Leofric moved forward, carefully eyeing the Masked One
sd: as Beomund and Hogar rushed forward, the two Never-Children on the walkways suddenly sprang down to the ground, just in front of Beomund, with the Masked One moving up behind them.
Hogar: Hogar nimbly leapt down, intent on chasing the Never-Children
Edmund: Edmund quickly drew another arrow and fired at the Masked One who was now in view. The burning arrow slid in under the man's shield, deep into his belly, and he fell.
Leofric: Leofric still moving forward paid close attention to his surroundings.
sd: the combatants moved forward, with Hogar and Beomund drawing up to the remaining Never-Children
Hogar: Hogar ran beside Beomund, ready to face the Never-Children together with him
Beomund: Beomund used the hilt of his hammer to knock aside the shield of the female Never-Child before hammering into her abdomen, dropping her unconscious to the ground.
Leofric: Leofric dropped his shield and ran toward the letter in order to get to the Never-Child who was stunned by Beo at the start of this fight
Hogar: Hogar charged at one of the Never-Children fighting Beomund, but in his eagerness missed
sd: the two Never-Children slashed at Beomund. One lashed out with a blow that looked like it was going to seriously wound him, but it fell wide at the last moment and he turned the other blow with the haft of his hammer
Edmund: Edmund fired at the stunned Never-Child which was just beginning to recover, hitting it again in the chest.
sd: Maccus also fired down at the creature, burying an arrow into its cheek, though the creature continued to try to rise
Hogar: Hogar swung his axe again, but the Never-child blocked rapidly with its shield
sd: "Leofric kill you!" cried one of the Never-Children, slashing at Beomund but missing.
Leofric: Leofric rushed down the ladder and ran toward to the stunned one
Beomund: Beomund swung down at the creature, slightly shocked at hearing its name, but it managed to deflect the force of his blow with its weapon and helm.
Leofric: Leofric, taking advantage of a Neverchild's stuggle slammed his fine longsword into it, through the chest. The purple blood came out of the chest in droves. Clearly, it is dead.
Hogar: Hogar seemed somewhat irritated by one of the creature mentioning 'Leofric' - likely its name. He swung again, but again the Vile Child blocked skillfully.
Hogar: edit:Never-child
Beomund: The unnamed Never-Child swung at Beomund, but he managed to knock the creature's weapon back, the flat part of the blade slamming against its eyes. As it blinked, trying to restore its disoriented vision, he took a swing and struck it in the head, further staggering it.
Leofric: Leofric went over to unconscious Masked One and with a simple blow, killed him.
Hogar: Hogar attacked one of the Vile Children, tearing off part of its leg with a powerful axe blow. The creature still lived, but Hogar quickly spun his weapon and attacked again, this time severing a major artery. His foe fell down - dead.
Hogar: edit:Never-Children
Edmund is disconnected.
sd: shortly afterwards Beomund downed the last Never-Child, and the party were able to complete the battle without any damage.
With the Never-Children defeated, the party were able to explore the rest of the floor. There was a large room which the Never-Children obviously used for training, with a number of swords, bows, and helms on the side, as well as adjoining store rooms. Beyond where they had fought the creatures, there was a short, jagged path which ended in a deep pool of violet water...
Beomund is disconnected.
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Post by sleepingdragon on May 19, 2014 18:13:00 GMT
sd: beyond the corridor where they had fought the Never-Children, there was a jagged pathway that sloped down, before ending in a deep pool of violet water. As they approached, they could feel the Great Heartfire as it grew nearer. There was a deep itch in their teeth, and their skin buzzed as if lightning coursed through their veins.
Hogar: "Whatever sorcery is at work there, it can't be good."said Hogar
Beomund: Beomund shivered. "Indeed. And no way to go but down, it appears..."
Edmund: Edmund eyed the pool, "Violet..."
sd: "I swam in the pool in the gibberlings lair and took no soulhurt from it," said Maccus.
Beomund: "Let us quickly check the corridor and store rooms back there, in case there is anything of use in the fight or another way through," said Beomund. "But quickly..."
Leofric: Leofric nodded, quivering with tension, "It seems so. I never felt that unmitigated amount of power could be felt so physically." He eyed the Violet pond and nodded at Edmund, "Indeed, Maccus got into it and appeared without any harm from it" He smiled at Maccus. "Beside, Scrella did mentioned that she need to swim as well."
Edmund: "It's a pity we haven't had time to learn the spell to breath under water," Edmund sighed, turning away to check out the rooms.
Leofric: "Aye" Leofric confirmed his assent at Edmund's point, "So many spells could be so useful and never enough time to learn them all."
Edmund: "If we survive this I intend to take time to learn that one at least!" Edmund asserted.
sd: the storerooms had little of interest in them, only basic provisions. From the many sacks of grain and crates of vegetables, it seemed likely that at other times of year the base was self-sufficient, though any farming would be impossible in this bitter winter.
The large corridor was of more interest, being lined with dummies and archery targets. The walls were hung with round shields, and there were several tables which bore numerous weapons. There were the long, straight broadswords which were the classic weapons of the Divine Blood, but it appeared to the party that these had seen little use, for the Never-Children they had fought had instead used the curved blade of the goblins.
Hogar: "Doesn't seem like we will find anything useful there."Hogar said, shrugging
Beomund: Finding nothing of great import, Beomund gestured in the direction of the pool. "It looks like we don't have any alternatives now." His voice was a hoarse near-whisper - he was not relishing the prospect of diving deep into the water.
Leofric: "Since when we had any alternatives...." Leofric sighed as he prepared himself for the swim, ensuring that his fine straight Gaston longsword and silver curved Erse longsword are clearly secured along with his crossbow and his backpack,
Edmund: Edmund got out his dice. "Maccus can only help one of us," he said to Beomund.
Hogar: "I took some swimming lessons time ago, I should be able to manage myself, at least."Hogar said "But I can't help one of you, unlike Maccus"
Leofric: Leofric told others with hint of confidence, "That Runestone should help me in this attempt in swimming in this pond."
Beomund: The smith nodded grimly, attempting not to hope too much for victory, since he didn't wish ill upon Edmund but did not relish the prospect of swimming on his own either. First they rolled... and each came up with a six. "God doesn't want either of us down there without some help, it appears," said Beo with a weak smile.
Edmund: Edmund forced a smile too, and rolled again. This time his four lost to Beomund's five. He patted the big man on the shoulder and went to prepare himself for the water.
Beomund: Feeling guilty, Beomund waited next to Maccus for the party to all be ready.
sd: Maccus took a few moments to work out how exactly to help Beomund, who was far larger than he was and he could hardly carry on his back, before diving into the water.
They descended a long way, swimming through the violet water. There was a slight sting in their eyes and its taste on their tongues was strange, with an unnatural thickness, but if it had any ill effects they did not feel them immediately.
They swam down a flooded section of corridor for about thirty seconds before coming to the bottom of a staircase. They swam up it, and then, above them, they saw the surface. It opened up into what appeared to be a large chamber, largely flooded, though as yet they could not see much. Dominating their sight, visible through the water, somewhere near the middle of the room, there raged a great fire, enormous to behold. Tongues of flame the size of trees licked out in every direction.
sd: they swam up and broke the surface of the water, and immediately their eyes were drawn to the fire. It rose forty, fifty feet into the air from a huge brazier, and all around it was a thick fiery haze. Into the marbled floor around it were cut long, jagged grooves, pulsating with violet liquid. The sight and presence of the Great Heartfire set their blood and brains ablaze. The very chamber seemed unstable, somewhat unreal, in a haze of infinite potentiality, and their minds swam with sudden impossible visions. But impossible only to their minds now - if they could control that fire, they knew suddenly, there would be nothing that was impossible to them.
The Heartfire was built on an uneven section of marbled floor, of what seemed to have once been some manner of dais. There were a number of people gathered round the Heartfire, but their eyes were immediately drawn to the one they knew was Aescwine. He was entirely naked save for a dark cloth round his waist, to which was strapped a bejewelled sword. He turned his eyes towards them as they rose from the water, and they saw they were a deep violet. Flanking him was a female Never-Child and a Masked One, who moved to cover him with a shield. On the opposite side of the fire, they saw the Masked One who must be Hadring, with his golden mask. Nearer to them stood another Never-Child, but this one was unusual, for it wore clothes in the fashion of a nobleman of Coelney, and the blade in its hand was straight and long.
"You must be heartweary," called Aescwine as they emerged from the water. "Before we conduct our business, step forward and dry yourselves, and we can speak a while. What are your names, and who are you?" There was no doubt in his voice that the party would do as he bid. As Aescwine spoke, the Heartfire danced and wove, moving without need for wind.
Hogar: His gaze transfixed by the Great Heartfire, Hogar swam to the marbled floor, not saying a word
Edmund: After a moment's hesitation, Edmund stepped forward out of the water. He looked up at the Heartfire and gawped around as one dumbstruck, then his gaze returned to Aescwine. "This is... incredible," he breathed as if awestruck. "So much more than we expected. My lord." he added, sweeping a low bow before Aescwine
Beomund: As he crawled gasping out of the water, Beomund stared transfixed at the Heartfire, only to be pulled from his reverie by Aescwine's words. Eyes wide and uncertain, he looked to his companions for how to proceed, and when Edmund bowed he mirrored the action.
Leofric: Once he tore his eyes away from the Great Heartfire, Leofric eyed over Aescwine as he waded onto the rock. He examined the sword Aescwine possessed but realised that it is not legendary Teorhelm's Wing. "Indeed." He muttered in cultured tone as Leofric bowed with extreme courtesy.
Hogar: Hogar's gaze slowly went from the Heartfire to Aescwine himself. He too seemed impressed, though he was less formal than Edmund "So you are the great Aescwine himself, in the flesh."
sd: "I am, but I am more." Aescwine glanced at Maccus. "You seem familiar, but I can't place you. The rest of you, at any rate, are foreigners. Why have you come so far?"
Edmund: Edmund moved forward, wearing an expression of extreme respect. "Who would not be drawn to such magnificence?" he said in a hushed voice. "We are indeed from lands far away, come to see for ourselves what we had only heard in whispers."
sd: "I would wonder whose whispers, but no matter. Any soulwise person would take the chance to meet a god. I would guess that to reach here, you have killed some of my children," he nodded to the Never-Child standing nearby. "Have you?"
Edmund: Edmund looked stricken. "We had no choice, my lord. It was our lives or theirs."
sd: "Of course, and it should have been yours. We are not strong and hard enough to undertake the reclamation of the world, but our race might yet accomplish something valuable as the teachers of those who are, or will be, strong enough. Why should you keep living if there's no purpose to it?"
Edmund: "Indeed," Edmund nodded vigourously in agreement. "So your Neverchildren are a new race especially created to reclaim the world?"
Leofric: Leofric followed Edmund as he listened to Edmund and Aescwine's discussions. His eyes was looking at the Great Heartfire.
sd: "The wisdom of men, the cunning of goblinkind, the Divine Blood of the isles, and the godpower of this place. They have no need to eat and like Nechten, they do not go through years of mewling weakness. They are born with their bodies and minds full-grown and only need experience to learn. There are none better to contend with the dragonspawn for mastery."
Edmund: Edmund gave a nod of understanding. "That does make perfect sense. But as you said, they are still in need of teaching, or they would not die to the swords and bows of men. "
Beomund: "And compassion, do they have that? Or the cruelty of men and goblins?" said Beomund suddenly before snapping his mouth shut. His wide-eyed gaze at Aescwine could be seen as respectful or hateful awe.
sd: "We are learning," said the nearest Never-Child, in flawless Gaston. "We are still young."
"Some will still die, but that is hardly a terrible thing," said Aescwine. "I will die as well, in a year or two, when my work is done. It's better to die fulfilling your destiny than to live for its own sake." Aescwine glanced at Beomund. "They have some of both. When they fight and quarrel I know their hatred and cruelty, and when they sing I know their love and compassion. Their King, Aelred," Aescwine indicated the Never-Child who had spoken, "has chosen his two queens for love of their strength and wisdom. It is uneven, and perhaps as yet they tend more easily to anger, but the tool is shaped for a task. Wars are rarely won with love."
Edmund: "War has to end sometime," Edmund said, looking with interest at the Never-Child king. "Your people sing?" he asked Aelred directly.
Hogar: Hogar brow furrowed for but a moment when Aescwine mentioned that he would die in a year or two. He spoke to him, sounding genuinely puzzled "You do not plan to live and rule as High King of Coelney? Rather you would die so soon, leaving your...children the isles and perhaps the world?"
sd: Aescwine looked disgusted. "If I wanted to be High King of Coelney, I would be already. Hadring was already prepared to crown me, as were many others. But why would I set my sights so low? I am not Nechten the Never-Child, or Wulfric of Barthenfold, to content myself with earthly rule. To fulfil our destiny, there are more important concerns. I am...not what I was. I doubt I will ever leave this chamber again, and I've no desire to. I will have a year or two, and my children will be born, and then godhood will burn through me and I will be gone to another place and another form. So be it. These fragile vessels are not fit to carry godpower for long."
sd: Aelred turned to his queens. "Osburga, Brimlad," he said. They stood, and took a breath, and then they began to sing. There were no words in the song, but only joyous, reverent noise, deep and harmonious. The Never-Children faced Aescwine as they sang, clearly chanting in praise of their creator.
Leofric: Leofric looked surprised at the good singing from such monsters.
Edmund: Edmund stood entranced by their music. When they came to an end, he bowed to the two female Never Children, and to their husband. "Their song moves me. And you are clearly not the monstrous creations we took you for. In that we stand corrected. But the manner of your creation...," he turned to Aescwine. "You are a man who clearly believes that the end always justifies the means, but did your treatment of the men, and especiallty the women, in your power have to be so cruel? We saw what you had done to that chained woman. Must power always come from viciousness?"
Beomund: Beomund listened for a few moments before starting to hum his own song, one he'd heard years ago in a lounge in Shara filled with the smell of flavored hookah smoke, Aisha pressed against him. The song came to him suddenly and the feeling of it rushed through his body, feeling real and immediate, fighting against the strangeness of the Heartfire. Tears suddenly welling in his eyes, Beomund placed a hand on the handle of his greathammer. When Edmund spoke he took a deep breath and composed himself, nodding at his companion's words about the cruelty done in Aescwine's name.
sd: "I am not cruel. When there was mistreatment beyond what was necessary, I stopped it. Power does not come from viciousness, it comes from another source. Power comes from sacrifice."
Edmund: "Sacrifice of others against their will?" Edmund asked.
sd: "Sometimes, yes. Though that is a fragile source, and weak. The strongest power comes from sacrifice that is voluntary. I have given up the throne of Coelney, and more besides." Aescwine drew his sword and let his loincloth fall to the ground. Where his genitals should have been, there was only a ragged red hole deep in his flesh. Purplish ichor oozed from the ruins of his penis. "Are you prepared for the sacrifice of flesh and blood?"
Hogar: Hogar was speechless for a few seconds, before speaking "There...may be something good, or at least not malevolent in your Children, and they might indeed be better than the Dragonspawn and the Goblins they came from but what you did to birth them cannot be forgiven."
Hogar: edit: Hogar was left speechless for a few seconds, but then addressed Aescwine again
Edmund: Edmund winced at the sight of Aescwine's ruined flesh. He sighed. "Must the choice always be pain and suffering? You have found a way to join men with goblins. A bad way, but something extraordinary has come out of it." He indicated the Never Children. "Surely if you can do this through violence, there are ways to find a common purpose which are through more civilised means?"
sd: "To fulfill divine will requires a sense of one's own purpose, not a common purpose. I am a conduit for godpower beyond your capacity to understand and it is not fitting that I should negotiate with you. If you will aid my purpose, good. If you will not, then prepare yourselves."
Edmund: "How would you propose we aid your purpose?" Edmund asked.
sd: "Throw down your swords, and approach one by one. We will take a finger and staunch the wound in liquid fire. Once that is done, you will await further instructions."
Edmund: "Forgive us, but this is something we must all agree to. Unlike yourself, ours is a common purpose," Edmund said. He turned to the others. "Agree to get closer?" he muttered to them.
Leofric: Leofric muttered to his peers, "They will still suggest we approach them one by one. You could agree and then we draw. The rest will be history "
Hogar: "Well, we have to get closer eventually." Hogar muttered back "And I don't think we'd be able to deceive them. "
Beomund: Beomund nodded at Leofric's suggestion, a steely look in his eyes despite the tears that still rimmed them.
Edmund: "I don't think so either, but Aescwine is so power-crazed he may not care," Edmund whispered with a faint smile. "God help us all."
Leofric: "God help us all" Leofric whispered, in agreement with Edmund.
Beomund: "If we don't live," said Beomund, pausing... "Thank you. This is a better death than what I had awaiting me. God help us all."
sd: "You're assuming they'll kill us," Maccus muttered.
Edmund: Edmund turned round, ignoring Maccus' words. "We have decided. You are creating history, not just being part of it." He nodded to Beomund, as if to suggest he should be the first to go forward.
Hogar: "I think it's more of a hope than assumption..." Hogar whispered to Maccus before turning to Edmund and Beomund
Leofric: "Steel your heart, Beo. Thinking we will be killed, is a first step to the road of disheartenment." Leofric commented on Beo's words before Edmund turned around.
Leofric: quietly*
sd: "You will not be a part of it either, I fear," Aescwine said, obviously seeing through their attempt at deception. "Kill them now!"
Edmund: Edmund swiftly swung his bow around, fitting an arrow as he did so. He fired at Hadring, wounding him slightly in the arm.
sd: the King of the Never-Children raised his shield as he advanced towards the group
Beomund: Beomund held his hammer up as he advanced steadily toward the approaching Aelred the Never-Child.
sd: Aescwine raised his hand and chanted a spell, his body shimmering with arcane might.
sd: Brimlad fired at Edmund from atop her platform behind the Heartfire, but it failed to penetrate his armour
sd: Osburga, meanwhile, handed her shield to Aescwine.
Leofric: Leofric noticed Aescwine's spell and told the others quickly, "He casted a spell to armour himself"
sd: two of the Masked Ones began to cast spells. One was going to cast on Aescwine, but Leofric loosed his own magic, dispelling the effect
sd: Maccus snapped another shot at Hadring, burying his arrow deep in the Masked One's leg.
sd: annoyed, Hadring drew his own shield, dropping his trident and leaving his right hand free
sd: as the party advanced, there was a crackling noise from the Great Heartfire and it shot out, tongues feeling their way towards the party. They ran up one of the grooves in the floor, nearest to them, purple flames shooting up from the ground ten feet into the air.
Leofric: Leofric was moving toward with his sword in his right hand, Hadring. His eyes was shooting around, carefully.
Edmund: Edmund gritted his teeth as he grabbed another arrow. "God will see you damned for the perversions you have practised here Aescwine!
sd: "God sees me, Virian. Does he see you?"
Beomund: Beomund and Hogar reached the advancing Aelred and Masked One. Beomund took a testing swing at the Never-Child King, but it went wide.
sd: Aelred slashed back at Beomund, but he caught the blow on the haft of his hammer.
sd: Aescwine cast another spell, enchanting his blade as he moved forward
sd: Brimlad reloaded as Osburga advanced alongside her creator
sd: one of the Masked Ones again attempted to cast a spell on Aescwine, which Leofric again dispelled, while the other stabbed at Hogar, who blocked the blow with his shield
sd: Hadring began to cast a spell, raising his free hand towards the Great Heartfire
Hogar: Fighting the King of the Never-Children beside Beomudn, Hogar swung with his axe, but Aelred nimbly blocked with his shield
Hogar: edit: beside Beomund
Edmund: "Hadring is calling forth lightning!" Edmund spat, a surge of fear flowing through him as he recalled his previous encounter with such a spell.
Hogar: REDO: Fighting beside Beomund, Hogar swung with his axe at Aelred, King of the Never-Children, a skillful blow to the leg. Purple blood sprang forth from one of the creature's arteries as it was wounded, sizzling as it touched Hogar's axe blade and corroded it.
Beomund: Beomund followed up Hogar's strike with a blow to the same leg, exacerbating the wound to the rubbery limb.
sd: Aescwine sought to cast a spell on himself, but Leofric prevented him
Edmund: Edmund fired at Hadring, but the arrow hit his shield. Edmund muttered imprecations under his breath.
sd: Brimlad fired again at Edmund, but again did not penetrate his armour
sd: Hadring continued to cast his spell while Maccus finished reloading his bow
Leofric: Leofric glanced at Hadring with a hint of annoyance as he walking toward him with Maccus
Beomund: Beomund swung at Aelred's weapon, hitting the blade near the tip, but the sword was barely damaged.
sd: Aescwine tried to dispel Edmund's fiery arrows, but Ed counterspelled
sd: as Brimlad reloaded, Osburga suddenly began to run forward
sd: Maccus fired at Hadring again, piercing through a leg and forcing him to end his spell moments before he could complete it. Hadring began to cast again, moving towards the Great Heartfire, hoping it would block their sight to him
Hogar: Hogar decided to leave Aelred alone for the moment and attacked the Masked One threatening him, but the priest caught the axe on his trident's tines
Leofric: Leofric kept moving toward Hadring, looking pleased that Maccus ended the spell of lightening
Beomund: Beomund took a step past the injured to Aelred to join Hogar's attack on the Masked One, taking advantage of the Masked One's distraction to land a heavy blow on his right shoulder, paralyzing the arm.
sd: Brimlad fired at Maccus, who rolled away, while Osburga, rushing forward, suddenly threw herself into the air. Her legs propelled her further than any human could achieve, springing right over Hogar and Beomund and arrowing towards Edmund.
sd: Hadring continued to cast his spell, darting towards the Heartfire
Hogar: Hogar bashed with his shield at Aelred's arm, but though winded by the blood loss he managed to avoid the worst of the blow and was merely very lightly bruised
Leofric: Leofric starts eyeing the Never Child archer and took his shield out, and quickly scrapped it on his left arm to protect his left arm, chest and head as he chased Hadring
Edmund: Edmund scuttled away from Osburga, and as Hadring disappeared behind the fire, Edmund swung round on her and fired, the flaming arrow smacking into her shield as she raised it just in time.
Beomund: Beomund turned back to the recovering Aelred, worried he would soon be ready to attack again, and deftly knocked his sword away.
sd: Aescwine tried to once again cast a spell on himself, but Edmund dispelled it
Hogar: With a quick and powerful chop Hogar slipped past the defenses of the Masked One fighting him and struck his shield arm, cutting its leather strap in the process. His foe winced in pain as this arm too was rendered useless and the shield slipped from him...
Leofric: Leofric starts to run toward Hadring, his eyes looked determined to catch up with him.
sd: Aelred tried to bash Hogar away, but their shields ground together
Beomund: Beomund tried to trip Aelred with the haft of his hammer, but was distracted by the menacing approach of Aescwine
sd: Maccus fired at Hadring again, striking an uncovered arm and again disrupting his spell, to the Masked One's obvious rage
Hogar: Suddenly Hogar lashed out with his shield arm and bashed the defenseless Masked towards Aescwine, who was behind him. The two men tumbled together, but while the priest managed to stay standing despite his wounds, Aescwine fell down to the marble floor.
Hogar: edit: managed to keep standing
Hogar: edit: also forgot 'One' after Masked
sd: Aelred once again tried to bash Hogar away, but again failed
Beomund: Beomund rushed forward to swing down at the prone Aescwine, but his blow slammed into the floor next to him.
sd: Aescwine returned the blow, but Beomund turned the blow with his hammer
Edmund: Seeing his companions struggling against their enemies, Edmund started to sing in an attempt to rally their spirits.
sd: Aelred began to sing in reply
sd: one of the Masked Ones stabbed at Beomund, but narrowly missed
Hogar: Locked in a push of shields with Aelred, Hogar skillfully managed to disengage, obviously intent on moving towards Aescwine himself
Hogar: edit: Hogar skillfully managed to disengage and rush towards Aescwine himself, leaving the bloodied and weakened Aelred alone
Leofric: Leofric continuing to run at Hadring looking very determined to kill him. When he finally reached him, he raised his longsword into the air and swiftly slashed. Hadring made an poor attempt to defend himself from such a swift slash. Hadring soon realised that he lost his right arm and so collasped, bleeding to death. As he glanced at Leofric, all he can see is a grinning Leofric lit by a flickering purple bonfire. "Your people will soon be history, only a footnote." He muttered.
sd: Brimlad, seeing Leofric near, dropped her bow and drew her curved blade, while Maccus pulled out his trident and shouted a challenge to Osburga.
Hogar: Aescwine desperately tried to defend himself from Hogar's blows, but it was to no avail, and with a quick manouver he was disarmed, his jewelled sword sent flying towards the heartfire
Edmund: Backing away from Osburga, Edmund fired at her again, striking her heavily in the left leg. Blood started to spurt from the wound.
Beomund: Taking advantage after Hogar knocked away Aescwine's weapon, Beomund brought his hammer down onto Aescwine like a miner onto rock. Violet sparks flew up as Aescwine's magical ward protected him, but some of the force managed to get through to his abdomen, winding him.
sd: Brimlad drew her shield and vaulted down to the ground near Leofric, while Osburga, hearing Maccus' challenge, turned to meet him
sd: one of the Masked Ones stabbed at Beomund, missing, while Maccus readied his shield
Leofric: Leofric swiftly turned about on the noise of someone hitting the marble and watched Brimlad.
Beomund: "There is only one god, and it isn't you," snarled Beomund as he brought his hammer back up.
Leofric: Leofric strolled toward Brimlad, fully intented on fighting this female Never-Child
Hogar: Noticing that Aescwine's upper body was covered by his shield, Hogar went for one of his legs. Magical sparks flew again as the spell slowed down Hogar's axe as it met flesh, but it was not enough to prevent a deep bleeding wound
Edmund: Seeing Aelred going for the jewelled sword, Edmund let loose an arrow, striking the unhappy Never Child in his leg and wounding him.
sd: Aelred ran towards the enchanted sword, picking it up from the ground near one of the grooves of the Heartfire
Leofric: Leofric starts attacking Brimlad with determination in his eyes. Alas, she was able to deflect the blow with ease.
Beomund: Beomund swung down at Aescwine again, but he rolled aside, and the sparks that flew up were mundane ones from the floor.
sd: despite the wounds to his arms, one of the Masked Ones cast a spell that shoved Beomund away from Aescwine, while the other stabbed at Hogar, who parried
Hogar: Hogarl snarled at the Masked One attacking him and counter-attacked with a powerful chop to the belly which sent his foe down to the ground in agony, barely alive
Leofric: Leofric made a sudden move, his blade sharpened by Edmund's power sliced into Brimland's right left.
Leofric: EDIT: Right leg. His eyes staring at Brimlad, making sure that she doesn't attack him.
Beomund: As Aelred hurried over to arm his master once again, Beomund quickly turned and struck the sword out of his hand.
Leofric: Leofric attacked again with his longshort and managed to draw some purple blood on her left arm.
sd: Aelred, bleeding profusely, tried to weakly drive Beomund away, to no effect
Beomund: Turning back to Aescwine, Beomund struck once more at Aescwine, but the blow was deflected by his shield.
sd: Aescwine, still on the ground, tried to drive Hogar away with his shield, but failed
sd: Maccus drove his trident into Osburga's arm, piercing deeply into her flesh
Hogar: Undeterred by Aescwine's persistence, Hogar attacked his leg again, pushing through the mystical energies of the spell to wound him even further.
Leofric: Leofric was annoyed by a wound in his right leg and made another attempt. It ooked like Brimlad was able to block his sword but it skidded along the weapon onto her chest. Despite this, the injuiry is comestic.
Beomund: Beomund continued to rain blows down on Aescwine, who was forced to concentrate his defenses on the smith, giving Hogar an opening.
sd: Brimlad slashed at Leofric, who blocked, while Osburga did the same on Maccus. Her blow was constrained due to the trident buried in her arm - Maccus forced her to twist, causing blood to spurt up into her eyes, blinding her
sd: one of the Masked Ones, badly wounded, tried to kick Aescwine his sword, however he drove it too far, skittering past Hogar
sd: Maccus tried to pull his trident from his foe, but it was too deeply buried in her flesh
Hogar: Hogar raised his axe again and brought it down on Aescwine's left leg, causing both blood and sparks from the spell to fly out.
Leofric: Leofric made another attempt but Brimlad managed to block such attempt. It seems it is getting to a slatemate.
Beomund: Beomund nodded grimly at Beomund as they could tell Aescwine was weakening to the point where they could finally finish him. Whispering "Aisha..." he swung hard Aescwine's injured leg, sending up another large flurry of sparks, and doing enough damage for Hogar to deliver a final blow.
Hogar: Growing frustrated with Aescwine's resilience, Hogar took a deep breath and put all of his strength into a powerful blow. The axe blade came thundering down, this time barely slowed down by the spell, and Aescwine's left leg was chopped off in a spray of gore.
sd: Aescwine gave a scream of pain as Hogar's axe bit through his leg, and in agony he fell back and lost any hold he might have had on the Great Heartfire. There was a great whoosh and fire tore through Aescwine's body. His head and eyes melted into purple pus as he writhed in his death pangs.
The Never-Children, wounded, enraged, and disbelieving, fought on, but it was utterly useless, and the party were quickly able to vanquish their battered, demoralised enemies.
sd: Aelred and Brimlad perished in the melee, but Osburga lay unconscious before Maccus as the party finished. The Coelneyman held his trident to her throat and hesitated. "Should I?"
Leofric: Leofric glanced at the others and said, "What fruture is there for her..."
Edmund: Edmund looked down on the fallen Never Children. "What a waste. Born in blood and now to end like this. Best to end it though, she will only be kept like a caged animal and who knows what done to her." He nodded at Maccus.
sd: "Sorry," Maccus muttered, driving his trident into the fallen Never-Child's throat.
Hogar: Hogar looked at Aescwine's horrible in a mix of awe and horror, with only Maccus' voice bringing his attention elsewhere. He turned just in time to see Osburga, the Never-Child Queen, being slain. He said nothing.
Edmund: "I won't forget their singing. These were not animals." Edmund said, gently closing the dead eyes.
Beomund: "It's finished..." said Beomund, wiping sweat from his brow. "We should tell the others quickly so there is no more bloodshed."
Beomund: *edit: no unnecessary bloodshed
Leofric: Leofric sighed at the sights, "Indeed." He glanced at the Great Heartfire carefully.
Edmund: "How do you think we will avoid them massacring everything in this place?" Edmund asked.
Beomund: "They might at least give us a chance to get the slaves out of harms way," replied Beomund.
sd: "It's not finished. What do we do about that?" Maccus pointed his bloody trident at the Great Heartfire, which was now raging wildly, as if seeking to leap out of the brazier that held it.
Edmund: "Leo, any ideas?" Edmund asked.
Leofric: Leofric frowned at the Great Heartfire, reflecting on this puzzle.
Hogar: Hogar stared at the raging Heartfire for a few seconds, obviously concentrating on something. "I think...I think if we all concentrate together we could control it. Don't know how risky it would be, though."he said, sounding unsure of himself
sd: Maccus looked wary. "I know nothing of bloodpower..."
Beomund: "Less risky than letting it burn out of control," guessed Beomund.
Leofric: Leofric considered this over and smiled boardly. "Excellent logic. Hogar. That could work... Beside, we need to deal with this roaring conflagration"
Leofric: "Okay, let see if I can touch its presence." He closed his eyes and made some gesture, clearly establishing the connection.
sd: Leofric cast his spell upon the Heartfire itself. A sensation like orgasm tore through his mind, and as the others sought to link themselves to the Heartfire, they felt it too. Maccus tried to join in, but his mind reeled and he was forced to move away from the Heartfire. It didn't matter. They concentrated, and seconds became minutes became hours. They could see nothing but the fire. At length, even that began to fade. They dimly heard Maccus shouting at them, but then that faded too, and a darkness came over them, and their souls floated free...
sd:
The great, shining light was all around them. It suffused through their eyes and into their souls, filling them with an ecstasy of blindness, leaving them fumbling and crawling like helpless babes. Its heat was like the radiance of the desert sun, its shine like an explosion of stars. At last however their eyes began to clear, and they pulled themselves from that warm womb and into the void.
They floated in an endless dark sky that pulsated with potentiality. An aurora of colours shone in the darkness, in infinite variations of vivid beauty. Phantasmal shapes danced just at the edge of their vision, struggling to be born.
Below them, and above them, near and distant at once, there was the source of the light. It was a great golden cord, thick and strong as adamant, scintillating like jewels in the darkness. It wound round them, a cinch round the circumference of the void, granting form and coherence to the mass of chaotic shapes.
As they watched, they realised that this was but a centre piece. A corona of many-coloured lights radiated out from the central cord, and from out of these lights groped tendrils of silver and gold, feeling their way blindly across the void. They writhed and wriggled with their own intent and will.
Here, where the party floated, these tendrils had been twisted and tied round one another. The tendrils struggled, but this only worsened their entanglement, forming hopeless snares whose colours conflicted and swallowed one another, leaving only a deep, heavy purple bruise.
With great will and time, they thought, it might be possible to siphon off these frustrated possibilities, making of them what they willed, though they thought it would be difficult or impossible to birth anything from that great snarl that was not dark and angry. Equally, and with no less difficulty, they might seek to undo the knots, and allow the tendrils of what might be to seek their own shape again.
Leofric: The sense of Leofric is like a rock, calm that stand against the roaring waves. "Is everyone okay?" A hint of concern crept in, worried about his peer among this strange and alien place.
Beomund: "Where are we?" wondered Beomund, the 'words' radiating from him to the others, whose presences he felt around him. "No... that doesn't need an answer." It felt there could be no explanation.
Beomund: *edit: no explanation more satisfying than the mere feeling of the place.
Hogar: Floating in the void with the others, Hogar stared in amazement at the vision in front of them. Thoughts formed into his head - that he never expected to see anything like that in his whole life - and the others could feel them as if he had spoken plainly to them, directly into their minds.
Beomund: As they cast their senses toward untying the knots, part of Beomund also looked about for another presence, someone to whom he felt there had once been a cord connecting them that was now severed. Perhaps if he could not find her again in ordinary mortal life, he could find her again elsewhere...
Hogar: "Such power, so many possibilities...If only we could understand it all." Hogar thought
sd: Edmund and Leofric put forward their magic, gently, slowly, unteasing the knots. They prayed and reflected, basking in the radiance of the great cord, and they focussed their wills. Here, it seemed, they could but think and it would be impactful, though some part of them, far away, wondered what effect this might have on them over time. It didn't matter. What mattered was now.
It took great will and effort to untie the tangled knots of possibility, to allow them to free themselves. As they did, they felt a dissipation of energy and potentiality in the place - its feel was still overpowering, but, they thought, it would take many years to recover from the damage Aescwine had wrought here. With each unwound tendril, the cord's luminescene grew.
Eventually, their work was done, and they could rest. They could feel their minds floating back towards the physical world, as their connection to the Great Heartfire faded, but before this, they knew, they could spend some time in relaxation here. They thought to try to move towards the cord, but that was pointless - it could no more be reached through movement than one could walk to happiness or despair. They could, however, seek to connect to it, either drawing it towards them, or allowing themselves to bathe in its light. Most of all, they thought, they could allow themselves to be drawn utterly into the cord. Their souls cried out for this. Its light was more resplendent than the sun, and they knew they would not survive it, but what matter was that? Their souls resonated with the knowledge that there could be no truer bliss than utter immersion and dissolution into that shining light.
You whisper to Hogar: as he thought to himself, Hogar realised what it was that had felt strangely familiar about this place, and the feel of the Great Heartfire. The feeling that anything was possible, that the world could be reshaped according to his will, resonated with something he had felt before. He remembered the place, and his pilgrimage there, as it appeared in his mind's eye. Though it had felt duller, as if not active, the only other time he had felt such a feeling of possibility was upon the summit of Mount Maragar, where the long-spilled blood of the Prophet still lay in the never-melting snow, and he wondered then whether this was akin to what the Prophet had seen, in the days of God's Revelation.
sd: at great length, they heard Maccus and Esmon's voices murmuring quietly. The sound grew louder, like the buzz of an oncoming insect, and they yearned to swat them but they could not seem to find their hands. The light faded and they were hurled backwards, jolting themselves back into their bodies and the sad grey world, hunger gnawing their bellies. Maccus gave a cry of surprise and came over excitedly, saying that they had been utterly motionless for three days as the Great Heartfire gradually began to burn out, but in the last hour it had died entirely and then they were back. They felt sick to hear the Coelneyman's inane babble. Their minds were reeling with a sense of utter despair and loss, as they knew, deep in their souls, that they had cast away their chance. Had they but had the strength of will to submerge themselves into the cord, they would have known the most ineffable of pleasures, for all time, but they had wavered and maintained their connection to their bodies. Now they had no choice but to return to this vale of suffering, and endure.
Leofric: Leofric stared at his copper-skinned hands, tears silently coursing down his cheeks as he looked at Maccus and Esmon, "We did it...." He spoke that word as if it is a defeat.
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Post by sleepingdragon on May 19, 2014 21:52:47 GMT
The party's despair on departing from the void lasted only a time, and soon passed, though a niggling wonder of what could have been remained at the back of their minds.
Maccus and Esmon had taken their turns to watch over them while the party were in the void. They explained that after Aescwine's death, his forces lost hope and the slaves, no longer feeling the pain of the Great Heartfire in their wounds, rose en masse to overwhelm them. Fighting had broken out, at first, between human and goblin slaves, and the men of Sharney had slain many of the latter, but some of the freed humans intervened, saying the goblins had suffered as much as they. This had enabled at least a remnant to flee, though many had been slain in the chaos.
Esmon thought much could have been avoided, except that, sadly, Randwulf had been killed in the fighting and thus left their side with no clear leader. Among Aescwine's own forces, the Never-Children had fought to the death, believing the survival of their nascent race was at stake. By most accounts, they had been slain to the last, though there were rumours that a few might have fled into the mountains. It made little difference. If any had survived the massacre, they would be extremely few in number.
Maccus spoke to the party in more confidence, explaining that he had not been idle whilst they were in the void. While Esmon watched over them, he had gathered up as much of the liquid fire as he had been able to get his hands on and destroyed it, and he had also carefully gathered what he could find of the notes that Aescwine and Hadring had made. He had thought to burn them, but had decided the party would probably like to read them first, although he urged them to be very careful. Maccus knew they could not trust their 'allies' from Sharney, and he shuddered to think of what horrors might be unleashed if Lucan were to get his hands on such information as Aescwine had accumulated.
Maccus also said that he had been pondering his future while they were away. He felt that his lifedebt to them had been paid, but nonetheless he knew there was nothing left for him in Coelney. His master and his family were dead, and the only sanctuaries Maccus was likely to find in the isles were either on Sharney, under the eye of a vampire, or with Guthafyr on Bartholme, in the midst of more rebelstrife. He had decided that, if they would have him, he would travel with them to the mainland, and seek his fortune there.
Esmon also meant to return to Phalen. Scrella remained profoundly damaged by her experiences in Coelney, and he thought it would be long years before she regained herself, if she ever did. With his maiming, Esmon himself had no hope of returning to his previous career at any rate, so he thought he would now retire, and he and Scrella could find somewhere relatively peaceful to rest and recover. As the party told him of the fate of the other members of the expedition, he thought it would be a good idea to seek out Odelyn - and even Freod, despite their previous differences - and see if they could work together again.
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After Maccus deceived Garmund, saying the party would need time to rest before they could set out, they were able to spend some time to read the notes that Aescwine had left behind.
Maccus had not been able to recover everything, and what he had was not entirely in order or all written by the same person. It did not take them long, however, to establish which notes Aescwine himself had written, as these were the most informative.
It was clear that the process of the creation of the Never-Children had been lengthy and arduous. They were intrigued to learn that the Great Heartfire itself had not been there when Aescwine had arrived - rather, he had simply felt the power in the chamber and known, immediately, that he had found the place where Nechten the Never-Child had clawed his way, full grown, from the womb. Aescwine and Hadring had built the Great Heartfire there in memorial, believing that a Heartfire lit of their own bloodpower would enable them to more carefully examine and control the power they had found there.
Aescwine had spent much time researching the culture of the Ancients, as he knew they had built this place and wondered if there was anything in their lore that would assist in his goal. Among that people, sexual magic had been commonplace, possessed of arcane and religious significance.
From texts he had recovered in his travels, it seemed clear to him that the priestesses of the Ancients utilised a powerful magic, lying with men and 'drawing out their fire'. He likened this to a gentler form of the Fryderi practise of castration (from the notes, it was quite clear that Aescwine had not yet undergone this himself, at this point.) The men whose fire was taken from them could no longer produce children, but it did not seem to have any further ill effects on them.
From the paintings he had found in the barracks, and other mentions he had seen in his texts, he surmised that the Ancients sought out men of perverse desires, whose disinclination for the company of women could be presumed to leave them uninterested in reproducing. Thus their fire could be put to use, the power of the priestesses would grow, and the men could be honoured and rewarded. Aescwine mused that it spoke highly of the Ancients, that their culture could even find a place for such degenerates. As well, they did not confine themselves to the limited ambitions of the Gastons or Alanians, seeking earthly power, and instead seemed to turn their minds to more transcendent concerns, as he had done.
He had sought for a long time to recreate these rituals, but to no avail. At one point, he hoped to have found the means, and had produced an early form of liquid fire, but it had proved unfit for purpose - those birthed of it were weak and were born as babes, an unworthy beginning for those who would rule the world. Hadring had disposed of what remained of the solution upon Cumbraley, and though for a time he had kept some hope, it soon became obvious that it was useless, and these first Never-Children were consigned to the Heartfire.
Amidst all of this, Aescwine never ceased to commune with the Heartfire, entering the void and slowly, gradually, seeking to twist the tendrils he found there to the shape that he wanted. Clearly, he had seen the same thing that the party themselves had done in the void. Aescwine had drawn the power of the golden cord to him many times, forever battling with the desire that came over him to submerge himself into it entirely. In early times, other Masked Ones that he favoured also entered into the void with him, but this ended when one succumbed to the desire for that bliss. This one had died immediately, his body dissolving to ash.
Aescwine had paused to review at this point, afraid that he too would surrender himself. He believed that this must have been the fate of many Ancients, despairing of their losing war with the old Alanian Empire, and this could perhaps help to explain that people's sudden disappearance. This led him to suspect that perhaps other such places might be found elsewhere in Palania, in those lands where the Ancients had held long sway.
At this time, Aescwine had begun to despair of ever seeing his vision turn true, however at length Hadring approached him, volunteering for greater sacrifice. It seemed clear to them that there was a connection to be found, between the sacrifice of one's own creative ability, through reproduction, and the enhancement of the creative force of magic. Hadring therefore volunteered to go under the knife, to burn his fire to further Aescwine's glory. In keeping with the customs of the Cult, the flesh was burned upon the Heartfire and consumed.
Hadring's sacrifice led to the creation of true liquid fire, in its form as had been used to birth the current Never-Children, however it was not yet refined enough. Other loyal Masked Ones repeated the procedure, but ultimately Aescwine determined that it would not suffice until he went through the process himself.
This had been six months ago, and since his castration he had sat in permanent communion with the Great Heartfire. The divine ichor had oozed forth from his wound, and the Masked Ones took it and mixed it into philtres, to be fed to the breeding stock, which they had sought in ever greater numbers. One passage struck a chill in them, as Aescwine mused of a number of slaves that had been taken to Tisseney. One, he had learned, was a huge Gastonlander, a man of prodigious size and strength, and Aescwine had contemplated whether to bring him to serve as breeding stock before ultimately deciding to, for the moment, concentrate on the stock of Palania, and preferably Coelney, excepting only the Fryderi sorceress whose powerful magic made her fit in ways her blood did not.
Over time, it became clear Aescwine had returned more and more to the void, working in a fever to impose his will upon the tendrils of what could be. He knew this would be the end of him, and its effects on his body and soul were great, but he considered it a price worth paying in order to fulfil the destiny that had been left to him alone. From this point, Aescwine wrote little, and what there was varied wildly in focus and lucidity...
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After destroying the notes, the party set out from Great Esterness on 22 January 228. All too eager to be gone from Coelney, they did not even stop in Sharney, instead heading directly for Cumbraley and the ship that was impatiently waiting for them. After a lengthy sea voyage, they arrived back in Phalen on 8 February 228.
Synne waspishly informed the party that she was tired of being pestered by their priests, and therefore they should go to see them at once. The men of the Church had been to visit her more than once, asking her to remind the party that they had sought them out to find the bones of the holy Saint Thenghelm many months before.
They understood, of course, that they had gone to Coelney to protect living people and that this must take precedence over those long dead, however now that their task was complete, they hoped that, after a short rest, they would now pursue the matter. Of course, if the party was too busy to assist the Mother Church, they needed only to say so.
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Post by sleepingdragon on May 25, 2014 11:57:25 GMT
sd: the party spent a few weeks recuperating from their exertions in Coelney before they would set out in search of Saint Thenghelm's resting place. Maccus, who had come with them, was able to win a place in the household, as his previous service to the King of Tarmer left him well suited to assist Synne in the running of the household.
There were many tales being told in Phalen, and it took the party some time to catch up on some of the news that had occurred in their months away. The dragonspawn invasion of Krygarland grew ever more grim. There were tales of mass immolations among the villagers, to prevent themselves from being reanimated and used against their countrymen. Tiring of the lengthy negotiations with the Council, King Sweyrn Dragonslayer of Suthfryd had announced his intention to send his armies in, once the winter had ended, as many of the people of Krygarland's southern regions were of Fryderi descent.
The Lands of the Lost were suffering heavily from famine. The Ealdorman of Weltry, a devout Virian, had organised relief, but rumours abounded that the Lost-folk were being denied aid unless they agreed to worship the Virian God.
Meanwhile, many orcs had been pushed out of the Great Forest by the dragonspawn, and were moving east towards Huncestre. Though that fortress had never fallen, the Ealdorman was still hiring many mercenaries to prevent the creatures from despoiling his lands.
Once the party were ready, they sent word to the Great Chapel, and arranged to meet with a monk, Stilwell, who was a servant of the Vice-Priest. He invited the party to come to the Chapel, though he was also willing to come to the manor if the party preferred it.
Leofric has connected.
Hogar: "We might have to travel to the Great Forest, since from what I know that's where he was last seen."spoke Hogar "It won't be easy, but I think we can handle that after all we've done."he added, with a hint of melancholy in his voice, perhaps referencing their experiences in Coelney
Edmund: "God has protected us all the way," Edmund said confidently. "We wil be fine."
Leofric: Leofric nodded, "We already been to that cursed swampland called Mollenmere which required passage through the Great Forest."
Hogar: "Yes, though I presume we will have to go deep into it. Still, time for us to go to the Great Chapel, we already had them quite a bit, haven't we?"
Hogar: edit: had them wait
sd: on 23 February 228, the party headed into Phalen and made for the Great Chapel. There had been a number of orc raids whlie the party were away in Coelney, however the Undercity Watch had defeated a group of sappers they had found not far from the Council building, and the orcs had been forced to retreat. When the party had returned the air was thick with the stink of orcish dead, burning on the fire pits, but now there was a different smell.
Winter in Phalen was a difficult time. Many of its labourers were only seasonal, working on farms or building sites, but neither had much call in winter, so the streets were lined with beggars kneeling in the snow. Every night, some fell to hunger or cold, and the Watch came to retrieve the bodies.
Leofric: Leofric sighed at seeing sad fate of these humankind, in this ugly white tainted grey world, with so much against them. He felt moved by their plights, especially in comparsion to their own fate.
Edmund: At the beginning of their fortnight's break, Edmund had ordered a suit of superior leather armour, with silvered studs. He returned to the manor sad and angry at the sight of people begging in the snow. "Something must be done," he told the others. "Basic shelter and food at least."
Hogar: Hogar looked at the sad spectacle with unease "Orcs and dragonspawn kill many, but so do hunger and cold. I wish we could do something for that, too..."
Edmund is disconnected.
Hogar: edit: sad scene
Edmund has connected.
sd: as the party passed among the beggars, Leofric felt a tug at his belt and turned to find a slender, dark-haired woman slipping a fistful of coins into her pocket. She gave a cry of "Fuck!" and turned to run.
Leofric: Leofric nodded at that point. He spent a week discussing topics with Sigrun and learning a spell that grant the power of vision in the dark. Still, he did raised the point of learning another area of magic dealing with magic itself in the furture as he faced many great powers in his travels. He also spent a week with Edmund by the runestone, slowly recovering their powers
Edmund: "Oi!" Edmund shouted at the woman. "Come back."
Beomund: Beomund agreed with Edmund's assessment, sad to see so many hungry while they could eat well. "In my hometown the church provided such things for the needy. I set out on my voyage to build a church - perhaps we the first part of it to be built could be a shelter and kitchen."
Leofric: Leofric sighed with annoyance as he seen his silvers stolen and yelled out, "Come back!" as he gave chase
Beomund: note: the previous should come after Hogar's last comment
Hogar: Hogar eyed the fleeing thief and sighed, hesitating for a moment. Then he gave chase, but because of her lead could not reach the woman
sd: with his long strides, Beomund was quickly able to get ahead of the woman. He blocked her path up a narrow alleyway, while the others caught her from behind.
Beomund: "Hand over the coins. I have no wish to harm you," said Beomund.
Leofric: Leofric was easily out of breath as he gave chase but finally recovered from it in short form. Leofric gave the woman a careful look over and crossed his arms.
Hogar: "Neither do we."said Hogar, blocking the woman's path with the others
sd: the woman gave a sigh and handed the coins over to Leofric. "Please, don't give me to the Watch, they'll take a hand."
Edmund: Edmund shook his head as he eyed the woman. "There is enough suffering in Phalen without that."
Leofric: Leofric smiled slightly saddened as he replied, "Do not worry about that. As my friend mentioned, there are enough suffering in this world. My name is Leofric." He introduced himself, "How are you doing in this city?" He inquired after her. "You might even keep some of the silvers."
sd: the woman looked at Leofric suspiciously. As they had a better chance to get a look at her now, it seemed clear she had probably not eaten for at least a day. Her clothes were very dirty, and her only possessions were a dagger, a small belt pouch, and a ragged bedroll strapped to her back.
Edmund: "It's alright, we aren't expecting anything from you," Edmund assured her, seeing her suspicious look. "We just want to help. People shouldn't be starving and freezing in the streets. "
Beomund: "Starvation drives people to things they wouldn't do otherwise," added Beomund. "These people need opportunities - like helping in our construction project." He looked at the woman. "If you're wanting to go straight, we may be looking for hands soon."
sd: "Not much good at that," she mumbled. "Can I have some silvers?"
Edmund: "Do you have children?" Edmund asked.
sd: "Two," the woman nodded.
Edmund: "And somewhere to live?"
sd: "In the streets. Was doing farm work but need to wait until winter ends."
Hogar: "I say we give her enough to be comfortable for a while, with her children. "Hogar said, agreeing with their generosity "And later we can set something more involved up."he added talking to Beomund "Poverty is a monster too, if not one we have fought together in the past."
Edmund: Edmund sighed. "How do they expect to get farm work done next year if they let their workers starve. We are planning to take over an empty building to get people off the streets. Start up a soup kitchen to feed them. How would you fee about being part of that?"
Edmund: *feel
sd: "Always more people coming in from outside," she said. "I...I could help with that."
Edmund: Edmund took a handful of silvers from an inside pocket. "Here's something to keep you and your children going."
Edmund: "Be careful nobody tries to rob you." he added.
sd: The woman nodded.
Hogar: Hogar added a few coins "It's a rough city, and not just because of the orcs."
Edmund: Edmund explained where the manor was, and suggested the woman come next morning to discuss what they were going to do.
sd: the woman hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said she would come to see them the next day
Leofric: Leofric gracefully accepted almost all of one hundred and sixty silvers back.
Edmund: As they moved away, Edmund sighed. "Life on the streets is hard enough, even in the warm lands. Here... it doesn't bear thinking about. We have been blessed, and can make a difference."
Beomund: Beomund nodded his agreement. "Let's all keep an eye out for empty buildings that might be suited."
Leofric: Leofric nodded at that point, agreeing with them, "And hope to change other peoples' fates into better ones."
Hogar: "Yes. I remember life in the slums of Malagen..."Hogar said "It was...not good. Hopefully we can give some people here a chance to turn their lives around"
Edmund: Edmund smiled. "Malagen was at least warm and sleeping outside was bearable."
Hogar: "Not many orcs, either."said Hogar
sd: the Great Chapel was found on the western edge of the city, which was, by the standards of Phalen, relatively secure. It didn't look like a church at all, because it had originally been the manor house of a nobleman, who had converted to the Virian Way and later left the building to the Church after he was slain by the orcs. Towards the rear of the manor, the Church was having a tall tower built, however work had been halted until the spring.
The Chapel was home to the Vice-Priest, Frithstan of Muthdun, who was King Elfwine's ambassador in Palania. The three Councillors that the Church had appointed also lived there, along with a number of monks, clerks, and other functionaries. Stilwell was one of the Vice-Priest's close aides, a stout, bald-headed man in his sixties who met with the party in a side room. "Thank you for coming," he greeted them. "I should also like to pass on the Vice-Priest's thanks for the message you brought him from Coelney. It is clearly God's hand at work that would bring you into contact with what may be the only Coelneyman who has yet to come to the Way."
Leofric: Leofric gave his respect to one of the priests of the Chapel, smiling as he feeling more comfortable among such a familiar setting to his orginal home over the sea. "Indeed, we wish him all the best in his endeavour." Leofric responded warmly.
Hogar: "Guthafyr is a good man, and it was indeed a good thing for us to met him in our travels."replied Hogar
Edmund: Edmund agreed.
Beomund: Beomund nodded respectfully, his heart feeling warmed by this stout chapel of the Virian Way, after so long in bedeviled Coelney.
Edmund: "The enslaving and harsh treatment of the people in Coelney is distressingly common," Edmund said. "Guthafyr needs to be supported in his efforts to bring god's change to them."
sd: "We will be seeking to send him aid as soon as practicable, though the logistics may be daunting," said Stilwell. As he spoke he fidgeted with the simple silver amulet he wore round his neck. "Now about our business...we have been seeking news of Saint Thenghelm's fate for many years, particularly since we returned to Palania, but because we lacked some information we overlooked a clue for many years. One of our monks in Prestenbroc has now uncovered it, as he researched the saint's life exhaustively before coming to Palania. There is an old journal in the library at Prestenbroc, which belongs to a Palanian scholar who lived at the same time as Saint Thenghelm. He met him, though he did not realise who it was that he met. Palania was not always safe, so the Saint would sometimes travel under a different name. He tended to use his original name, Ruaidri - he was a Swenning by birth, you see. It wasn't until this monk, Gurthen, came from Gastony that he discovered this and realised it must be referring to the saint."
Hogar: "From what I remember, Theghelm disappeared in the Great Forest. You're saying this journal could provide us more clues than that?"
Leofric: Leofric looked interested at the mention of the old journal and the details mentioned so far
sd: "Yes, we have been able to narrow it down more than that. The scholar who wrote it lived in the vicinity of what is now Waldtun. When we realised that the saint must have gone there, we sent some men to seek the assistance of the most eminent loremaster in Waldtun, a man called Farmon, but I fear he refused to assist us as he is a staunch heathen." Stilwell paused, twisting the chain on his amulet before speaking. "I believe you should attempt to persuade him again. One of your number," he glanced at Hogar, "is a schismatic, so perhaps he will be less inclined to regard you as our underlings."
Hogar: "Perhaps." said Hogar. If he felt displeasure by Stilwell calling him a 'schismatic', he tried not not show it. "We might be able to convince him that in these troubled times it is best for men to work together even if their beliefs are not always...in harmony with the Way. Anything else we should know?"
Leofric: Leofric raised an eyebrow at the mention of Hogar's faith and nodded at the fact that men should work togethe..
Edmund: "Indeed," Edmund agreed with Hogar.
sd: "My understanding is that the man who wrote the journal felt that the saint was looking for someone, but was attempting to hide this amongst questions about the Great Forest and its inhabitants," said Stilwell. "On your way north you may wish to pass by Prestenbroc. The journal is there and so is Gurthen, and he is deeply knowledgeable about the saint's life. Of course I would recommend you visit there anyhow - the Vice-Priest means to make it the principal settlement of Virians in this land, and it is wholly free of the heathen influence so prevalent here in Phalen."
Leofric: "I am looking forward to meeting the monk, Gurthen and seeting the settlement itself." Leofric agreed as he concluded. "Were they able to open routes to Weltry by the way?"
sd: "Not yet. The Order of the Silvered Blade has been working tirelessly to clear a path, but the forest is filled with beasts and our numbers are still few. Were we able to claim Kalmar Keep, we could much more safely transport our kinsmen from Gastony, but the Council have denied us and bowed to the wishes of the heathen of Bluebrycg." Stilwell shook his head sadly.
Edmund: Edmund frowned. "That doesn't suprise me. We have bad memories of Bluebrycg."
Edmund: "Do you have recent news from Gastony?" he asked Stilwell.
sd: "Ealdorman Heorot is our direst foe in these lands. He will stop at nothing until the true faith is driven from Palania." Stilwell tugged on his amulet. "There is some news from our homeland, yes. The Regent quarrelled recently with the Duke of Westunscir, who I fear is not highly supportive of our presence here. Some of their retainers exchanged blows in the capital but they reconciled and no one was slain, so far as I know."
Hogar: Hogar frowned but said nothing
Beomund: "Stillwell, I would send letters to Gastony, if you can help help me with that," said Beomund. "I wish to write Siegemaster Wulfgard - as well as my family. I hope perhaps telling him of what I have seen will convince him to encourage the Regent to increase support for us here."
You whisper to Leofric: Leofric knew that the Duke of Westunscir was the most loyal of all the Dukes to King Elfwine, as his ancestors had only been common warriors until Canulf Red-Hand raised them up to their position in the aftermath of the war with the Dark Lord Garawn. He was known to be no friend of the Regent, who had briefly sided against the Crown during the Lordstrife and had only changed sides following the death of King Edgar, the current King's father.
Edmund: "One thing before we leave on our mission," Edmund said. "Since our return we have seen much suffering in Phalen - people begging in the streets and at risk of dying of starvation or the cold, as there is no work in the fields in winter. We wish to do something about this, as God has seen fit to bless us, find an empty place still standing to serve as a shelter and organise food. It would be good if the church here were to support us in this work."
sd: "I will have them sent - the Vice-Priest is in regular correspondence with the Regent. I believe he is entirely behind us, but some of the other lords may need more persuasion," said Stilwell. He turned to Edmund. "God bless you. We have sought to do the same ourselves, but I fear many people in Phalen do not trust us yet. I will need to speak to the Vice-Priest on this, but I am certain he will lend you all the help he can."
Edmund: Edmund smiled and bowed. "This is great news."
Leofric: Leofric nodded at this excellent update about this and decided to broach the matter of rewards delicately, "Had the monetary reward for successful conclusion of the quest been decided yet?" He asked curiously
Beomund: Beomund nodded in agreement with Edmund's gratefulness. "Also let me know if you have need of engineering expertise as you continue construction here. I learned from a man who has great experience in creating defensible structures."
sd: Stilwell nodded. "We will pay you each a thousand silvers if you are able to determine approximately where the saint lies, or two thousand if you either locate a body, or otherwise find clear evidence of exactly where he rests."
Leofric: Leofric nodded, knowing that this is a holy quest is not a man to moan about the smallness of the rewards, "That is fine by me!" He glanced at the others
Beomund: Beomund looked to the others, signaling his own agreement to the terms.
Edmund: Edmund nodded. "Thank you."
Hogar: After hesitating for a few seconds, Hogar agreed with the others
sd: the party left the Great Chapel, and spent the day preparing and seeking for more news out of the north. The Ealdorman of Norbrycg had led a long campaign against the elves, with assistance from mercenaries of the Bloodied Eye and others, and had eventually forced them to retreat though they had suffered heavy losses. There was news of elves nearer to home as well - Ealdorman Durwyn of Cranleaht was said to be gathering his men for an expedition as there were rumours of elves in the Darkholt. This hardly came as a surprise to the party, as they had fought the headless spawn of the elves themselves while searching for Synne.
Leofric: Leofric looked grim as he told Beomund about the headless they fought in Darkholt.
Edmund: "We may well meet the Elves themselves in the Great Forest," Edmund said. "Or almost anything else. It's not a very pleasant place."
Beomund: "Anything will be better than the sort of men and goblins we faced on Coelney," replied Beomund gravely.
Hogar: "We don't know that."said Hogar "Though I doubt we'd be too impressed, after what we've seen..."he sighed
sd: "Maybe I can convince my father to go and help the Ealdorman," Synne said acidly while they discussed the news at dinner that evening. "Be careful if you mean to go to that Virian shithole. If your...capacities...are discovered, I'd rather not have the Church coming after me. In the stories it's always some woman, usually a cunning and sultry one, who tempts men away from the path of righteousness and all that rubbish, and you only know one cunning woman."
Edmund: "We will do our best. None of us wants to be burnt," Edmund said.
Hogar: "We are no fools, none of us."stated Hogar matter-of-factly
Beomund: Before dinner Beomund spent some time scouting possible locations for their shelter, and sketching quick blueprints. After eating he quickly retired to his room to write to Siegemaster Wulfgard, to his own family, and - the most difficult of all - to Aisha's family.
Edmund: Meanwhile, Edmund explained to Synne and Dunstan their plans for the shelter. "There is a woman coming tomorrow to meet with us here."
sd: "Are we going to get something out of this?" Synne asked pointedly.
Hogar: "Making Phalen a better place."stated Hogar - though he didn't sound like he expected Synne to care much
Leofric: Leofric smiled faintly at Synne's question and kept on digging at his dinner thoughtfully.
Edmund: "You are not being asked to do anything. But yes, Phalen will become a better place and a healthier place. Letting people die like dogs in the street is a certain way to invite plague into the city. And sooner or later insurrection. For us, though, it is more than mere self interest."
sd: "Hungry people work for lower wages, but fine. As long as you don't mean to assuage your conscience with my money you can do as you like," Synne shrugged. At that point Atol returned from relieving himself, and Synne turned her attention to him and they spoke quietly.
Edmund: Edmund sighed and looked away, clearly finding Synne hard to take.
Hogar: Hogar silently nodded to Edmund as they finished eating
sd: the next day, the woman appeared, seeming rather hesitant, several hours after sunrise. She spoke to the party, as well as Maccus who they had convinced to begin the project in their absence, and she introduced herself as Goldwyne. When she was certain the party were actually sincere, she apologised to them - it turned out that she actually did not have any children, but she had lied to them as she thought they would regard her more kindly if they believed she was providing for others than just herself. She could not afford to return any of the money they had given her, but promised she would do everything she could to help Maccus.
Beomund: Beomund provided Maccus with his early blueprints to help him pick out a suitable building, before gathering together his equipment for the journey.
sd: Maccus and Synne, along with Atol and an honour guard, came out to see the party off. At the last moment, Dunstan rushed out, mumbling his apologies and explaining he had been searching for something for the party. He passed the party a small vial filled with green liquid. "An antivenom, I couldn't remember where I'd put it after I did some, ah, work for someone. There's poisonous creatures in the Forest, I've heard, as well as the elves."
Hogar: "Thanks."said Hogar "As always your efforts are very much appreciated."
Leofric: Leofric nodded at Dunstan's words and replied, "Indeed, your warnings had helped us in the past and shall help us in the future."
Leofric: Once they were alone and settled down on the journey, Leofric explained what he knew about the Elves, based on his new readings recently. "If I remembered my readings, They are extremely strong archers and they have this strange red crystals which they used to tip their arrows and created swords from. The red crystal is called Elfstone. The myths are chokeful of warriors who seek or/and wield a sword made of Elfstone go insane. On the other hand, they are vulnerable to fire and not that brilliant at melee fighting but such weakness are overcame by supernatural agility and movement. Worse, they are skilled with all magic and capable of summoning demons and spirits and command them.
Edmund: "Vulnerable to fire eh?" Edmund mused.
Leofric: Leofric nodded, "Indeed, they are just made of plant really..." He smiled grim at that point.
Leofric: "This meant they do not have any organs so piercing and blunt weapons are not that effective against them" Leofric finished
Hogar: Hogar listened to Leofric with interest "Dangerous foes, then. I remember facing the Headless but that was a lot of time ago and they didn't prove that dangerous. Perhaps flaming arrows might be a good thing to have against them..."
sd: Dunstan stammered out thanks and the party set out.
Winter in the mainland was different from what they had faced in Coelney. The driving wind they had known in the isles was absent here, but the chill was still deep, and grew more so as they went further and further north.
They set out north. In Tarnemuthe, they stopped and guested for the evening at the manor belonging to Benoic and his wife Othili, who they had persuaded to convert to the Virian Way at Dunstan and Synne's wedding. Othili was very interested to hear of their mission, and spent much of the night seeking any information she had about Saint Thenghelm. She was able to uncover an account of his audience with the High King Cynemar - the saint had been a short man of dark colouration. He had been plainly garbed, with his only major adornment being a ring of bone which he claimed was made of the bone of the most blessed saint Elfhelm. The ring had been set with a fire opal and it bore letters in Old Swylledd, which proclaimed the supremacy of God and His promise that the world could be reclaimed if men served Him. The saint had carried a spear and bow, in the manner of the Swennings, and at that time he had travelled with two companions whose names were not recorded, but had obviously been fellow Gastons and Virians and bore sword and mail.
Beomund: "That ring would be a great relic, if we could find it," said Beomund.
Leofric: Leofric was thrilled to hear such accounts and thank Othili abundantly and made a copy of the account for his own use.
Hogar: Hogar agreed with Beomund "That would be an important find all by itself, yes"
Leofric: Leofric decided to make a quick sketch of what the ring may look like, "Indeed."
sd: they set out again in the morning, with Othili's promise that she would pray for their success, and continued north. After about a week on the road from Phalen, they came to Bluebrycg, but decided to shun that city and continue on to the crossing at Saltanstede.
Saltanstede was built at the northernmost crossing of the Saltanow until a traveller came to Norbrycg in Upriver. Though the Ealdorman of Saltanstede was nominally indepdendent, they had long been clients of Bluebrycg, so that city could control all the crossings of the river in Norsalt. It was a relatively new fortress, built after Palania had begun to recover from the devastation wrought by Caragaur. It was not at all dissimilar in style to the more modern castles of Gastony, particularly those built on the Sharan border. It consisted of an outer and inner wall, each crenellated and lined with circular towers. To cross the river the party were made to pay a toll of thirty silvers each, and were then able to pass through the outer wall and along a long road that ended in a narrow bridge only just wide enough for a small cart to cross.
Beomund: Beomund looked over the castle's strong walls with a glint of nostalgia in his eye.
sd: the party crossed over and continued on the road to Prestenbroc.
Ealdorman Heorot's predecessor had been involved in many negotiations with the Council, and he had been persuaded to provide much of the fertile land on the eastern bank of the Saltanow to Virian settlement, much to his successor's disgust. The lands had been sparsely populated for years, as they could not be safely defended from creatures marauding out from the Great Forest or from Grantun to the southeast, however since Prestenbroc was established the lands had begun to fill up with settlers. They passed a number of farms and small hamlets on their way, which consisted almost entirely of their countrymen, save for the occasional Palanian convert. They had innumerable complaints about Ealdorman Heorot, who some went so far as to name a demon in human form. More than one caravan, when it was discovered it was bound for Prestenbroc, had been subjected to long delays and sudden, arbitrary taxes. The Church had established another settlement, Gastonford, further south in the hopes of avoiding Heorot's domain, but those lands were far more dangerous than those around Bluebrycg, swarming with orcs and dragonspawn raiding out of Grantun.
On 5 March 228, they began to draw near to Prestenbroc. At about noon, they came upon a stake buried at the side of the road, overlooking the river. The stake bore the severed head of a dragonspawn, which was beginning to rot. Every mile they came upon another such grisly marker. After eight miles, they began to come near to the settlement, and they came upon a small patrol led by a knight who carried the black, red, and silver banner of the Order of the Silvered Blade. Seeing them approach, he turned his destrier towards them and trotted in their direction.
Hogar: "Careful there. We want to avoid any trouble."Hogar said to the others as he saw the knight approach
sd: "I never thought to see an Erseman in these lands," the knight called, indicating Leofric. "I am Ser Uthred of the Silvered Blade. Are you bound for Prestenbroc?"
Beomund: "We are," replied Beomund. "How has the settlement fared of late?"
Beomund: He introduced himself to the knight.
sd: "Not poorly, but not greatly either. Many of our folk have gone to aid the Ealdorman of Weltry in his efforts in the Lost Lands, and others of my Order have gone to Krygarland. We have too many foes and not enough swords to make great headway into the forest, for the moment, but we may manage to make progress in a year or two. We have found the ruin of a fortress about halfway between here and Weltry we mean to seize, but it is infested by dragonspawn for many leagues around it. If you are willing to wield a sword in God's name, we would welcome any assistance."
Hogar: "Sounds like God's work indeed."said Hogar looking eagerly to the others
Beomund: "We have business now," said Beomund. "But I think by the time winter ends we'll be free to aid godly men in such work."
Leofric: Leofric nodded at this point, "Indeed, every little step on a journey lead to fruition. May you fares well and God watches over you, Ser Uthred"
sd: Ser Uthred spoke to one of his soldiers, who nodded. "I must continue my patrol, but Oslac here will guide you to Prestenbroc. God be with you." Ser Uthred bid the party farewell.
Beomund: Beomund gave a salute to the knight and followed Oslac into Prestenboc.
sd: after another four miles, they came to Prestenbroc, which was a wooden town in the style of Gastony, centred on a church. The town was encircled by a high wooden wall and protected by a motte-and-bailey castle on the highest hill. They meant, in time, to build a proper stone wall and castle, however Prestenbroc had only come into existence two years before and wood was in far greater abundance this near to the forest. In the long-run, the Vice-Priest meant to turn Prestenbroc into the central city of the Virians in Palania, a Church-held fief similar to Barthenfold and Meringas in Gastony, with secular lords holding land as their vassals. For the moment, the day to day administration of Prestenbroc was carried out by a council of five priests who held the title of Rectors, and were subordinate to the Vice-Priest. Oslac said the population was now a little over a thousand, though the town seemed much larger. Oslac explained that in preparation for further settlement, the Church had built additional homes, and indeed because of this Virian travellers such as themselves were always provided with room and board without charge. Once Oslac had found them a place to stay for the night, a small but comfortable cottage, he promised to find Gurthen and send him to the party.
Beomund: Beomund thanked Oslac for his help and moved into a corner of the cottage away from the doors and windows to concentrate on the magical techniques he was beginning to learn from the party's grimoire.
Hogar: Hogar thanked Oslac. When he saw Beomund go into a corner, he frowned for a moment, as if he wondered what he was going to do
Leofric: Leofric also thanked Oslac and relaxed onto one of the chair in the cottage, and pulled the hood over, ready to sleep.
sd: after about an hour, Gurthen arrived. He was younger than they had expected, in his mid twenties, tall, and handsome. When he greeted them it quickly became apparent that he was of noble birth - he was the youngest son of one of the noble houses of Alanscir, and as he had four elder brothers he had joined the Church.
He had brought the journal, a slim old leather bound book, and slid it across to the party. It was written in the ancient Gaston tongue, so only Leofric was able to decipher it. As he read Gurthen spoke. "We've had that for years, but no one realised that Ruaidri and Saint Thenghelm were one and the same person until I arrived. He travelled under that name even before he came to Palania - there is a story of him travelling among the heathen Swennings under his original name and slaying a dangerous mage. He was well versed in the dark arts, the saint, and I believe that he may have been undertaking such work when he disappeared. From the histories I've read, in the early days of the Valings there were many sorcerers who thought to set themselves up kingdoms in the manner of the Fryderi tyrants, and there were some in the Great Forest. Eventually they were wiped out by the second High King, Anderwald the Dark, but that was not for another decade."
Beomund: "Perhaps whoever Saint Thenghelm was searching for was one of these sorcerers," said Beomund. "Quite a mystery. Hopefully we can find something to clarify his goals."
Leofric: Leofric greeted Gurthen respectfully and currently leafing through the pages.
sd: "Yes. The two most eminent scholars around Waldtun are Farmon, who we already approached unsuccessfully, as well as a woman named Claennis who lives in the village of Reptun about three days to the southeast of Waldtun. They are the ones who are most likely to have the information you'd need to make further progress, though you might have a hard time convincing them to help us."
Leofric: He glanced up and asked curiously, "Any particular reasons?"
Edmund is disconnected.
Beomund: "I recall that Farmon is suspicious of our faith, from what Stilwell said," replied Beomund. "Perhaps it would be better to try Claennis first."
sd: "That's likely. I understand that they know each other, so by winning one you may win the other."
Hogar: "That might well work. I wonder if there's any motive other than religion he's opposed to helping people find the remains, though..."Hogar mused
Beomund: "Hm. Then it seems the most efficient route would be to ride northeast to Reptun, attempt to convince Claennis to help us, and then continue on to Waldtun."
sd: "I would also say - there is an artefact the Rectors are eager to have, which may allow you to identify the saint, if you find him. It is a ring of bone, set with a fire opal and Old Swylledd letters."
Beomund: Beomund nodded. "We'd heard of this ring. The bone is supposedly of Saint Elfhelm, correct? It would be amazing to look upon such a relic."
sd: "It is. He was killed by the Swennings, protecting the Prophet, and one of their chieftains made a ring from his bones. Later it was taken back and given to the saint, and he had it inscribed with letters proclaiming God's victory over heathendom."
Beomund: "A relic of two saints, one of the homeland of the Virian Way, and one of Palania... a fitting item to symbolize the crossing of the faith into this land."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jun 7, 2014 13:02:33 GMT
sd: the party rested for the night in Prestenbroc. In the morning, Gurthen returned to them, with several other priests. As they were about holy work, and the Great Forest could be quite dangerous, they were willing to arrange for the party to have a small escort of about half a dozen warriors and missionaries, if they wished, though it might take another day to arrange who would travel with them.
Leofric: Leofric nodded as he finished reading the delightful journal and told Gurthen and other priests respectfully as due to holy persons that they do not need escorts as such presence of escort may be disencouraging to the purpose of the visits to respected wise people. Nevertheless, such gesture is truely appreciated.
Edmund: Edmund agreed. "We will attract less notice from the wrong kind of people without a large escort."
Hogar: Hogar nodded "We are grateful for the offer, however, as these are troubled times."
sd: declining the Church's offer, the party set out from Prestenbroc that day and made their way north, following the eastern bank of the great river Saltanow. They passed a number of outlying Virian settlements and farms, before coming, towards the evening on 6 March, to the edge of the Great Forest.
The Great Forest was far larger than any wood in Gastony, by far dwarfing the forests of Alanscir. It stretched in a great east-west band for hundreds of leages from the Long Shore in the east to Krygarland in the west. It was sparsely populated, for the most part, however this region, Upriver, lay near the Saltanow and its many tributary streams and was home to two large towns, Norbrycg and Durleaht. Travellers were generally recommended to stay near the river, and for so long as the party did this, for the first three days, they were quite safe. Reptun, however, was further into the forest, so on 10 March, as they neared Norbrycg, they turned away from the river and headed deeper into the forest. Huge oak and yew trees towered over them. Some legends said that these trees had stood for over a thousand years, even before the Forerunners had come to Palania.
Leofric: Leofric mounted on his horse glanced around at the massive oak and yew trees. "Impressive." Leofric commented on the size.
Beomund: "Men can build great towers," said Beomund, "but nothing quite so intricate as what nature has wrought here..."
Hogar: "It is." said Hogar "And let us be careful, elves and more might lurk around us."
Leofric: "or capable against us." Leofric considered...
Edmund: Edmund gazed up at the forest canopy far above them. "It's impressive, but hard to escape the feeling the trees are watching us."
Beomund: "Let's give them no reason to think us any more of a problem than a few deer," added Beomund, glancing about.
Edmund: "That might be even more dangerous, they could see us as easy meat," Edmund said with a half-smile.
sd: the party continued on. On 11 March they were still at least a day from where Gurthen had indicated Reptun would be, when they began to hear low noise ahead of them, and, as they continued, they saw the signs of a sizeable group of people through the trees.
sd: they were a group of about twenty people, of varying ages, from small children through to one or two greybeards, along with a handful of horses. They had lit a low fire that they were attempting to keep hidden, though not entirely successfully. They had, so far as the party could determine, only a few warriors, and a number of the travellers had clearly been injured and were being tended to by their companions. Though the group was large, they had, so far as they could see, quite little in the way of provisions.
Edmund: "Think they are running from something?" Edmund whispered to the others.
Leofric: Leofric frowned with a hint of concern, "Reminds me of the Krygarlanders." After hearing Edmund's thought, Leofric whispered back, "It look like that. I am wondering who or what are after them."
Hogar: "Of course." said Hogar "Maybe we could approach and offer them help."
Beomund: "Running, or they won a fight at great cost and are hoping to avoid another one." He nodded at Hogar's suggestion, "I'm sure they would appreciate the company of more warriors."
Edmund: Edmund nodded. He stayed where he was but called out. "Hi there travellers. May we come forward?"
sd: a round-faced Fryderi man in forest green came forward, arrow nocked to his bow. "If any of you have a healing touch, it would be useful," he said brusquely. "I'm Snelund, late of Reptun."
Edmund: Edmund indicated Hogar. "Our companion may be able to help"
Hogar: Hogar stepped forth, surveying the grim conditions of the people gathered there. "We come in peace. I have some healing skills and would gladly help. But do tell, what misfortune befell you?"
Leofric: Leofric frowned slightly at the mention of Reptun and sighed for a moment.
Beomund: Beomund added "If any of your equipment is damaged, I may be of use there as well."
sd: as Hogar went among the wounded, Snelund explained what had happened. "The elves overran Reptun suddenly, the day before yesterday. All the village Thegns that I know of were killed in the attack, but we managed to gather together as many survivors as we could find and are now making for Waldtun." Hogar was able to set a few broken bones, but his greatest challenge came from one man, who burned with fever after an elf arrowhead had pierced his thigh and buried deep into his leg. The wound was beginning to fester, however Hogar managed to cut the arrowhead from the man and set his leg with a poultice to draw out the foul humours. He examined the elfstone arrowhead in his hand, which was awash with blood. The elfstone was a pink-red, like sinew, mottled and semi-translucent.
Hogar: Hogar showed it to Leofric "So this is the 'elfstone' you spoke of."
Beomund: "I'm sorry to hear of the fate of Reptun, and I hope we can provide you protection from further attack," said Beomund. "We had been riding to your village to meet with one named Claennis. Do you know what befell her?"
Leofric: When Leofric heard from Snelund the fate of the small village they were heading to, he replied with commiseration. "My condolences for all the losses." When Hogar yanked out the arrowhead and brought it over to show him, Leofric nodded at the sight, "This is indeed an accursed elfstone."
Hogar: "Sorcerous monsters."spat out Hogar referring to the elves "They attacked without any warning or provocation, I take it. Hopefully they'll pay for that someday."
sd: "I'm Claennis," a thin woman in her early forties stood up from her space near the fire. She came over to speak to the party privately. "This is very welcome, but why were you looking for me?"
Beomund: "We're on a scholarly mission, and thought you might have some information that could help us. Let's find someplace to sit and we can tell you more." Beomund looked for a spot away from the other villagers.
Leofric: Leofric looked surprised for a moment as if he was feeling pessimistic about finding Claennis and glanced at her, wondering how to ask delicate questions.
sd: Claennis sat with the party under a tall tree. She had short-cut brown hair and her face had a severe cast to it, sharp-lined and angular, though she seemed friendly enough for someone who had been forced to run for her life. "I'd be happy to help, but I fear my assistance might be more limited than I'd have wanted. My books and scrolls are still in Reptun, so I'll need to work on memory."
Beomund: "I'm sorry to ask you such questions in dire circumstances like this. If you cannot remember I won't hold it against you. But we are interested in uncovering more of the story of a certain Virian missionary of old, called Saint Thenghelm. We've heard stories leading him to this region before his death, perhaps that he was trying to find someone and hiding his own identity. But we are hoping to narrow down his goals and destination."
Leofric: Leofric looked pained at the mention of lost books and scrolls and replied sympathetically, "My sympathy regarding your books and scrolls. Still, the knowledges that we can recall are still more priceless unlike scrolls and books."
sd: "What knowledge particularly are you seeking?"
Leofric: Leofric replied with an answer for Claennis' question, straight to the point. "We are aware of his identity used for travelling which is Ruaidri. We are also aware of his attempts to seek someone in the Great Forest. Ideally, we are seeking the knowledge of what Ruaidri seeking in this lands."
sd: "I assume this person is someone who was searching for something in earlier times, not someone who is alive now." Claennis spread her hands. "The name isn't familiar, it sounds Masedan. When was he alive, and do you have any ideas that might narrow things down?"
Hogar: While the others spoke to Claennis, Hogar asked Snelund "How many of them there were? Do you think Reptun could be reclaimed?"
Leofric: Leofric frowned with a hint of mortification, "My apologies. I believed it is roughly a century and half ago. It is possible that he wa seeking someone who wish to set up tyrant kingdoms. Does that help?"
Leofric: "A sorcerer as a matter of fact." Leofric added quickly afterward
Beomund: "He was supposedly well versed in the lore of dark sorcery," added Beomund.
sd: "Forty? Fifty?" said Snelund. "Hard to say, they had their demons with them as well. Two types mostly - big ones with goat horns that are tough and strong, and those horrible eyeless ones. There are other elves deeper in the forest, they had a settlement about two days east of Reptun but that was only one and I got the impression there were others I'd not been able to find. It's certainly beyond our ability to do, but when we reach Waldtun I'll speak to the Ealdorman and we'll gather some men. Norbrycg will help as well, they've had their own problems with the elves.
Hogar: "It must have been horrible."said Hogar, mournful "I can't make any promises, but we might be able to help too. We have not faced elves themselves, but we have fought and defeated some of their creations in the past. You really have no idea why they might suddenly decide to attack? Had anything of note happened recently before?"
sd: " "That was when the Valings first became High Kings. There were a number of would-be sorcerer tyrants at the time, although more towards Gundergrad than here. The Valings made an alliance with another group of mages, the Conclave, who opposed these attempts, and eventually the last of them were destroyed by Anderwald the Dark. I know that Saint Thenghelm had an audience with the High King - perhaps he was seeking to curry favour with him by destroying one of his enemies?"
sd: "I must admit my knowledge of your religion - I assume you are Virians, from your accents - is not as great as I'd like it to be. There is another scholar named Farmon in Waldtun who knows more of these things, who I am somewhat acquainted with, if you can get us to Waldtun I'll introduce you."
Leofric: Leofric raised an eyebrow at the mention of the Conclave and nodded at that point. Clearly it has been around for a while.
Beomund: Beomund nodded gratefully. "We are. We came to speak to you first because we'd heard Farmon was somewhat suspicious of Virians... but we are no missionaries or zealots. We have scholarly interest the same as you both, and wish only to learn the truth. Thank you for that information, and for helping with Farmon. We'll get you to Waldtun safely, I promise you."
sd: "No, I don't know why they'd attack now," Snelund said. "We should probably seek to move out soon, if the elves are after us then delay will only help them. They're faster than us even without us being slowed with injured people."
sd: "I hadn't heard that Farmon was suspicious of your faith, but I don't know him well. Still, we have collaborated before so it should prove easier if you meet him through me."
You whisper to Hogar: Hogar thought Snelund had ended the conversation rather abruptly, and that he might know more than he cared to let on, but perhaps he was only unwilling to share such information with a stranger
Beomund: Beomund smiled. "He may have been suspicious only of the particular Virians who told us of him."
Leofric: Leofric smiled slightly, "It is always a pleasure to meet a fellow scholar."
Hogar: Hogar frowned for but a moment then nodded gravely "I understand. Yes, might be best for now. I hope everything will go for the better, now if you excuse me I will join my companions."he said deciding to not press inquiries for the moment
Hogar: Hogar approached the others who were speaking to Claennis and took advantage of some pauses in the conversation to tell them what he had found out from Snelund, mentioning the demons in particular
sd: the elves were known to summon many types of demons, and their forms were beyond counting. They had occasionally heard tales of strange eyeless demons, who wore unnerving smiles and were able to drain blood from their foes. The others, they guessed, were simply shock troopers. In either case, demons were known to be resistant to weapons that were not made of silver or enhanced by magic, and were not easy foes.
sd: as the group were going to set out again, Claennis took her leave, and went to gather what few belongings she had.
Hogar: add: he also whispered something to them, so that Claennis would not overhear "I suspect Snelund knows more than he told me, perhaps on why the elves attacked now, but I don't think he trusts us enough to tell."
Edmund: "What might elves have wanted I wonder?" Edmund mused
Beomund: "Perhaps when we reach Waldtun he'll be less suspicious," said Beomund, as he gathered together his equipment
Hogar: Hogar shrugged "Perhaps we could talk again to together and try to convince him to tell. The more we know, the more we can help."
sd: the party joined the survivors of Reptun on the road to Waldtun. The forest here was entirely trackless, and they knew it would be a hard thing to find their way, make good time, and to screen their movements while also looking out for any survivors.
sd: the ragged band trudged through the Great Forest. Though it was now March, there was still some snow on the ground, as it was still very cold in these northern lands, and it even snowed again briefly part way through the day. Hogar and Beomund took on the heaviest burdens, carrying the gear of the weak and wounded so they would not slow the group down, and as Snelund took the lead along with another warrior, Beomund took up the rear, erasing the signs of their passing as best as he could. There was little need for silence, as they made quite a bit of noise and, at any rate, if anyone was close enough to hear they would have seen them far off, so Edmund sang to lift the group's spirits. Leofric knew that elves hated all human metals, but particularly iron, and so whenever they stopped they hung horseshoes from the nearby trees to ward the enemy away. It was far from sure it would work, but it at least made the refugees feel protected.
Three other survivors joined them through the day, having snuck away on their own on the night of the attack. As evening wore on, they came across another, who had broken his leg earlier in the day and fallen into a stream, where he had clung grimly to a root for hours before they finally came to him. Hogar swam out and brought him back, setting his broken leg, while Edmund cast a spell to ease the agony in the man's hands.
Snelund doubted that such a large party, with wounded and horses besides, could possibly remain hidden from the elves, and therefore rather than bother trying to do so he thought that the best idea was to build a ring of fires around their camp, to try to frighten them away. They knew from the survivors that they were being chased, though only by a portion of those that had taken Reptun. Under Hogar's supervision, they set this up, with Leofric guiding the survivors and explaining how they could best help in setting up the camp for the night.
Leofric: Leofric looked pleased at the progress so far and hope that they will get to Waldtun without any problem.
Hogar: So did Hogar - perhaps they had a chance. When the camp was settled, he approached the others and quietly said to them "So...do we want to ask Snelund more about what exactly happened?"
Beomund: "Yes," replied Beomund. "If he has more information it may be important for our defense here."
Hogar: "Perhaps even more horrific things happened during the attack and he doesn't want to talk about them. Or perhaps he's really got something to hide. We'll want to be careful how we ask..."
Leofric: Leofric looked at Hogar and Beomund with curiosity, "Indeed, I do wonder to the motive to the Elves apart from killing us all naturally." Leofric whispered softly.
Hogar: "Let's ask him. Or let Edmund do that - he's the best with words" Hogar said turning to the bard
Beomund: The party approached Snelund, and Edmund explained that they wished to know everything they could about the attack, for it could be important for surviving this night and the following days of travel with the elves on their tail.
sd: Snelund was hastily crafting arrows from branches he had picked up on the way. He gave Edmund a long look. "A few times I went sneaking around their settlement. Was curious about them and how they lived. Maybe they thought I was scouting them out for an attack?" Snelund clearly knew more, but he told the party he had things to do and then needed to sleep if he was to be of use in the morning.
Edmund: "Perhaps you can give us some more detail in the morning," suggested Edmund.
Beomund: Beomund went to make sure his axe was sharp in case of a night time raid, before they settled down for sleep.
Hogar: Hogar frowned but said nothing. He was obviously disappointing by Snelund refusal to say more, but decided to not press the point
Edmund: "Perhaps we should keep an eye on Snelund tonight," Edmund suggested. "He might feel like sneaking around the elves again."
Hogar: edit: obviously disappointed
Leofric: Leofric stroke his stubbles on his chin as he considered the implication of what Snelund saying, "Maybe the Elves got woken from their stay in Hell..." He whispered to the others. Leofric offered himself to take watch as well.
Edmund: "No wonder they are so bad tempered," Edmund replied quietly, half in jest.
sd: the party rested, though they rotated watches with Snelund and others in the camp. Several hours after midnight, while Hogar and Leofric were on watch with several others, they saw shapes moving among the trees, and then a wolf howled quite nearby. At this, Snelund and the others woke, preparing themselves for an imminent attack, though they hoped the fires would give them warning and give the elves pause.
Beomund: Beomund quickly pulled on his armor and grabbed his axe and shield before moving up to the other defenders.
sd: one of Snelund's men gathered up the survivors who didn't know how to fight and moved them towards a sheltered copse of trees away from the sounds of the enemy.
Leofric: Aware that these Elves use archers, he pulled on his shield and drew his long fine sword instead and glared at the ever changing shapes.
Hogar: Hogar stood with shield and axe towards where he thought the elves were attacking from, ready to strike as soon as he could get a better look at them
Leofric: Leofric joined Hogar and Beo, clearly looked unsuitable for a fight. He however wielded his longsword with increasing confidence. However, he glanced around, noticing if there are any magic.
sd: the party prepared tensely, with Snelund drawing his bow and pulling up behind the party. Everything was silent for a time. Then they heard faint sounds of bowstrings being readied, as if waiting for a signal, however before they could be ready a pair of huge wolves howled and suddenly burst out from the trees nearby.
As the wolves emerged, other figures came out from the trees as well. Towards the front were the terrible demons, in two sorts, as Snelund had described, humanoid in shape but unlike any others. There were a trio of seven foot tall creatures with goat horns and rotted flesh, and another three horrible, unnerving beings with eyeless red heads, like huge red pimples with teeth.
Finally at the rear were the elves themselves, plant-like beings with pointed ears and thick hair like vines. They wore no clothes, but were covered with foliage. Each carried a bow, but they could also see that they carried, slung over their shoulders, long, curved two-handed swords, fashioned entirely of elf-stone, eerie pale red crystals that shimmered on edge.
Edmund: Edmund raised his bow, waiting to fire a burning arrow at the monsters.
Leofric: Leofric watched the gruesome sights among the bonfire.
Skylarious has connected.
Skylarious is disconnected.
Leofric: Leofric returns his fine proper Virian straight longsword back into its holder at the sights of the demons. Its look like he will reach over his shoulder for his other weapon of war.
sd: the elves began the battle with a barrage of arrows. Hogar, Leofric, and Beomund each blocked one with their shield, with the latter reflecting the light from the fire off the rim of his shield, disorientating his attacker
Edmund: Edmund fired at the affected elf. The fiery arrow flew straight and true, imbedding itself in what would be the elf's belly. It fell, oozing a pale red sap.
Leofric: Leofric looked delighted at Ed's masterful shot and decided to put away his fine proper Virian straight longsword back into its holder at the sights of the demons. Its look like he will reach over his shoulder for his other weapon of war which glisten sliver.
sd: Snelund fired at an elf, who tried and failed badly to get out of the way, only putting itself into the path of fire instead.
sd: the demons began to move forward, while the wolves, howling, plunged ahead
Beomund: Beomund advanced toward the enemy.
Hogar: Hogar whirled the hatchet in his hand then advanced and hurled it at one of the elves, who nimbly leapt out of the way while keeping its footing
sd: several of the elves began to reload. Two sought to cast some manner of spell, clutching strange, small figurines of mud in their hands, but it had no effect
Leofric: Leofric reached over his shoulder and drew his Erse-style sliver sword, its gleam in the flickering bonfire and faced the demons, with pure determination in his eyes as he moved to support Beomund and Hogar and a warrior.
Hogar: Hogar grumbled seeing his hatchet buried in the trunk of a nearby tree, and quickly drew his other axe, fit for melee
Beomund: Beomund swung his axe at the nearest goat demon, finding a spot just beside its ear that was vulnerable and felling it.
Edmund: Edmund fired at another elf, wounding it in the chest although it stayed on its feet.
Leofric: Leofric managed by a stroke of luck managed to slice a demon's chest. However, while it is clear he only inflicted a comestic damage, he did manage to bleed him, black blood spurting out of its wound
sd: as the demon fell with Beomund's axe in its head, its body began to crumble, as if unstable. Chunks of flesh fell away like dust before them, scattering in the wind.
Hogar: Hogar attacked one of the goat-headed demons with his axe, the blade hacking through a weak point in the thing rib-cage. The creature fell down in a spray of thick black blood.
sd: the elves reloaded, save two which fired at Beomund and Hogar, striking their shields. Like its fellow, the demon that Hogar slew began to dissolve before them, body breaking apart
sd: Snelund had his bow reloaded, however, realising suddenly that the wolves seemed to be headed his way, he threw down the bow and arrow and drew a battleaxe
Leofric: Leofric launched another attack with his Erse blade and landed it solidly on the same wound. The demon felt that blow.
Edmund: Edmund quickly drew another arrow and turned his attention to the direwolves, speeding towards Snelund. His shot hit the leading wolf in the bad leg, imbedding itself in the muscle.
Edmund: edit* back leg
sd: one of the warriors stabbed the goat demon, but failed to do it any harm
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jun 14, 2014 12:33:00 GMT
sd: several of the elves let fly. Two arrows struck Snelund, burying themselves in his arm and leg, while another elf placed the ranger under a curse that leeched the strength from his arms. Another arrow went whizzing at Hogar, but at the last moment he was able to get his shield in the way.
Beomund: As Beomund and Hogard fought side-by-side against the two eyeless demons, Beomund managed to find an opening to strike the injured one once more in the abdomen, felling it.
Leofric: Leofric made another attempt to strike the bleeding demon down. However, he overreached himself slightly, missing the demon entirely. He cursed an oath.
sd: staggering, Snelund drew his shield and prepared for the wolves to bear down on him
sd: one of the grinning demons clawed out at Hogar, but very ineptly. Hogar suddenly slammed it with his shield, and the creature's claw was driven backwards into its own chest. The momentum sent it stumbling to the earth.
sd: the warriors of Reptun fought back, with one shooting one of the oncoming wolves, burying a shaft deep in its neck, though not quite enough to bring the creature down.
sd: the goat demon slashed at Leofric with a jagged claw, but it struck the scribe's shield
Hogar: Hogar tried to follow up against the grinning demon with an axe blow, but the hideous creature managed a desperate defense, parrying the weapon with its claws
Beomund: Seeing that Hogar seemed to have the fight under control, and hearing the sounds of the wolves behind him, Beomund moved to help Snelund in his desperate fight.
sd: one of the elves let fly at Beomund, striking his shield, while another clutched a totem of a rusted blade. Hogar felt the spell try to take effect, but he focused his will and was able to defeat the attack.
Leofric: As Leofric launched another attack on the goaty demon, he was distracted by something on his nose and missed the enemy.
sd: Snelund whipped his axe around and straight through the head of the first wolf that encountered him. It fell bleeding out into the dirt, and there was an unearthly wail as the creature fell.
sd: one of the demons clawed at Hogar, raking across his head but failing to penetrate his mail coif
sd: one of the wolves bit at Snelund, snapping past his shield and gripping its teeth around the ranger's leg. Snelund gave a roar of agony and tore his leg away, ripping away a great chunk of flesh as he staggered back. The nearest of his men dropped his bow and drew a spear to come to his aid.
sd: the elves reloaded. One fired at Beomund, striking his shield.
sd: Ed shot a fiery arrow at the wolf attacking Snelund, striking its rear leg and doing significant damage
Leofric: Leofric made an impressive swordplay and jammed his silver Erse sword into its chest, clearly enlarging the bleeding wounds. The Goat Demon was unable to maintain its shape due to hideous wound. The demon dropped, disintegrating as Leofric see its fall with a merciless glance.
sd: the elves continued to fire, striking Leofric and Beomund's shield and wounding one of the Reptun warriors
Leofric: Leofric glanced at his follow fighter, a warrior from Reptun. After quickly checking if he is alright, Leofric starts moving toward two Grin Demons, muttering few words of power as magic shimmering around him, safeguarding him.
sd: the two grinning demons clawed at Hogar. One again was foiled by his chain coif, and the one on the ground failed to get past his shield.
Hogar: Again Hogar lashed at the demon on the ground, and again the thing blocked the axe-edge with its claws.
sd: the elves continued to fire, striking Leofric's shield and just missing Beomund
Leofric: Leofric arrived at Hogar's right side and attempted to take the prone grinning demon out of its existence, but sadly, he found his blow parried by waving claw
sd: the warriors pressed their attack. One struck the fallen demon, wounding its chest, while the other drove his spear into the wolf's wounded leg. The wolf ignored it and continued to focus on Snelund despite its wound
Hogar: Hogar chopped with his axe at the demon that still stood but the creature blocked the attack
sd: Edmund dodged an arrow from one of the elves as its fellows reloaded
Beomund: A charging Beomund reached the wolf and Snelund, but the momentum of his charge caused his strike to go wide of the wolf.
sd: Edmund fired back at the elf that had shot at him, striking the creature in the chest
sd: the elves let off a last volley of arrows, striking Beomund and into several shields, while their fellows began to flee into the forest
Beomund: Beomund tried to strike at the wolf, but the arrow struck his leg just as he was swinging, and he staggered in pain.
Leofric: Leofric attempted to impale the prone demon but still unable to get through it hideous hide
sd: Snelund, hobbled by his wounds, swung out with his axe, severing the dire wolf's wounded leg and killing it
sd: one of the Reptun warriors drove his sword down into a demon's chest, impaling it
Hogar: Hogar finished off the impaled demon with a powerful blow which bit deep into its chest. The creature fell down, the warrior's sword still in it, and started to dissolve...
sd: the elves fled, with one picking up their only casualty as they went. Edmund fired at it, striking it in the leg as it fled and taking the elf down, while the others escaped as the party finished off the last demon. Snelund collapsed next to a tent, bleeding profusely and beginning to tear himself a bandage from a strip of clothing.
Beomund: "Hogar!" called Beomund. "Snelund could use some help, then those of us with arrow wounds."
Beomund: *edit: the rest of us with arrow wounds
Leofric: Leofric gave his congratulations to a warrior from Reptun, and once he finished cleaning his sword of its foul black blood. He went over to fallen elves and examine the dead, curious about them.
Leofric: He however did drew his fine longsword just to be on the safe side.
Hogar: Hogar watched the elves flee back into the forest and then the demon bodies fully dissolve before turning to Beomund and the others. He took his first aid supplies and was able to pull off the arrows in their bodies and treat their wounds, greatly improving their conditions
sd: the elf that Edmund had shot was still alive and even capable of limited movement, though it was clearly not in fighting shape. Even so, it drew its curved blade as Leofric advanced, alongside one of the warriors of Reptun. The sword was of an eerie, crystalline pink-red metal.
sd: the warrior drew his bow and readied an arrow, pointing it at the elf, which, with its wounded leg, was not capable of reaching his foe. The man glanced at Leofric.
Hogar: "Be careful, we don't know what other sorcery these things have." Hogar called out to Leofric as he saw him approach the elf
Leofric: Leofric gave a gesture, at least stopping the archer for a second, "Can you communicate, Elf?"
Leofric: EDIT; stopping the archer but ensuring he keep the arrow nocked.
sd: the elf said nothing
sd: the elves had plant like bodies, covered in leaves with joints like roots dotted through their arms and legs. On the sole of each of their feet was an opening which, they noticed, had an appendage almost like a tongue that could retract back up into the creature's leg.
Hogar: While treating his wounds, Hogar spoke to Snelund "So, you said you had been around elven settlements to find more about them...perhaps you found out something interesting. Or you got noticed, or.."obviously implying that the man had not told him the whole story when they previously talked about the matter
sd: "Maybe they did, how would I know?" Snelund clearly knew more than he was saying, but Hogar and Edmund's attempts to persuade him were to no avail
Leofric: Leofric only sighed at the silent treatment. He only muttered a single word in a foreign language before nodding at the archer to kill him.
sd: the elf had no response to Leofric's Alanian speech either, and the warrior shot the elf dead.
Hogar: Hogar seemed disappointed by the failure of their attempts to get Snelund to speak, but decidd not to press the matter again - for now
Hogar: edit:decided
Leofric: Leofric thanked the warrior and asked him if he know anything about the elfstone sword causing madness, considering the people in these forests meet the elves more regularly.
sd: "You don't want to take that cursed thing," the warrior said, shaking his head.
Leofric: Leofric pursed his lips for a moment, clearly thinking the possibility. Finally, he agreed rather wistfully, "Better safe than sorry." He went back to meet with his fellows.
Beomund: Beomund busied himself making sure the camp was ready for them to finish their rest, and settling in for his turn as sentry.
Hogar: When he had a moment to speak with Beomund and Leofric, Hogar told that them he really felt that was Snelund was hiding was important. They must find a way to make him talk, he said
sd: they rested for the remainder of the night, and then set out again in the morning. Snelund had to be borne on a litter with his broken leg, so without the experienced ranger to scout and guide them they went slower than they had before.
Claennis fell in alongside them to thank them again, and while she did Hogar confided that Snelund was hiding something. Claennis frowned. "Perhaps he feels guilty," she said. "If he did something or was seen it could have brought the elves down on us, maybe he doesn't want to be shamed by it coming out."
Hogar: "That is exactly what I assumed."said Hogar "But I suspect we need to find out. It might be something very important."
sd: "I'll try speaking to him, he knows me better than you," Claennis offered.
Beomund: "Make it clear no one wishes to cast blame on him - we are merely concerned that whatever caused them to attack before does not continue to put us all in danger," added Beomund.
sd: it took Claennis most of a day of persuading and wheedling before she finally brought the group over to speak to Snelund that night, out of the eyes of the others. "I suppose I'd be dead if not for you," Snelund said to Hogar and the others, and he reached into his pack and pulled out a long wand, about the length of the ranger's arm. Its base was of finely carved wood, etched with fine patterns in some manner of golden sap. The head of the wand was a large elf-stone the size of a man's fist. "The elf king was obviously in Reverie, I noticed one of his servants carrying this around and I lifted it one day when he'd put it down for a moment."
Hogar: Hogar eyes widened when he realized what Snelund had done, stealing what was likely an very important heirloom from the elves themselves
sd: "I suppose they must have tracked it, those wolves knew I had it, though I don't know how."
Leofric: Leofric frowned for a moment and sighed, "They are capable of tracking a lost elfstone." He asked politely, "May I inspect this object?"
sd: Snelund frowned, and then handed it to Leofric.
Leofric: Leofric closed his eyes and muttered few words and opened his eyes, looking distant. Eventually, he started paying everyone full attention and sighed, "It is a small reserve of power. Nevertheless, the theft is likely to be a last straw for them."
Beomund: "The creatures hate iron," added Beomund. "If we are not going to simply leave it behind, perhaps we can use that to prevent them from tracking it?"
Leofric: "So, what are you going to do with this? Sell it?" He asked Snelund, he glanced at Edmund, Hogar and Beomund.
sd: "Yes, there are people who'd pay for this."
Hogar: "I don't doubt it. But it's dangerous. The elves would have killed you for it, had we not been there."
Beomund: "Many people have paid for it," said Beomund grimly.
sd: the party continued on towards Waldtun. Though slowed by their wounded, they nonetheless arrived on 14 March 228, exactly a year since Leofric, Hogar, Edmund and Tole had been shipwrecked off the Forlorn Coast and rescued Ealdorman Balnoth for the first time.
Waldtun was a moderately sized settlement of about fifteen hundred, with a number of tributary villages. It was located at the very edge of the Great Forest, where the land began to rise up in the foothills leading to the Old Mountains. They could see the mountains, which still teemed with dragonspawn over a century since Caragaur's invasion, at the edge of their vision to the north.
Waldtun was encircled by a strong, circular stone wall which had obviously been built in stages. Though not particularly large by the standards of Gastony, it was an old, proud settlement. Unlike most of the settlements of the north, it had not been destroyed during the wars and some scholars claimed it was the single oldest continuous settlement of Gastons in Palania. There were two great heroes of Waldtun - Odoacer, who founded the town during the earliest days of Gaston arrival in Palania and was said to be the child of the wandering god Teorhelm, and Ealdorman Morcar, who had successfully withstood five years of siege from the dragonspawn during the years after the fall of Phalen. Statues to these heroes were erected throughout the town. There were stone quarries nearby, so despite the Great Forest being close the majority of Waldtun's buildings were of stone.
Leofric: Leofric nodded at sight of Waldtun, "Look like a fine place to find safety." He commented on the sights.
Beomund: "We should find somewhere for the wounded to recuperate, and for all of us to have a good breakfast," said Beomund.
Hogar: "Good idea. "said Hogar
Leofric: Leofric smiled with agreement.
sd: the arrival of such a large party was obviously not a normal occurrence in Waldtun, and once it became clear who they were several Thegns brought Snelund to speak to the Ealdorman while other servants arranged for care for the wounded and for them to be provided places to rest. Claennis spent some time speaking to them, promising she would bring the party to Farmon once she had eaten.
Hogar: "Think it's been a year since we came to Palania, hasn't it?" Hogar off-handedly said to Leofric
Leofric: Leofric nodded, smiling thoughtfully, "Yet we seen so much, came so far since our arrival. I hope we will travel more, learn more and control our own fate by God's will." He smiled grimly "No doubt we will fight more in this cruel yet beautiful lands."
Beomund: "You said you wrecked, did you not? This, as you say cruel but beautiful land has a strange way of finding its champions, via ill-fortune," said Beomund, smiling a bit sadly. He spent much of the morning asking them more questions about their early days in Palania.
Hogar: "Yes. We came a long since back then, luckily..."
Hogar: Hogar seemed lost in reminiscence for a while before speaking again "And I suppose we have a lot of things to do, still."
sd: once Claennis had recovered, they set out to speak to the historian, Farmon. He lived in a comfortable estate near the centre of town, along with his youngest child, a boy of twelve. Farmon himself had previously lived in Tarnemuthe, however following his wife's death four years ago had gone to Waldtun.
The estate was encircled by a ten foot stone wall and an iron gate, above which was carved the eye-and-forge symbol of Cenwulf, god of skill. The serving man there went to speak to his master when Claennis introduced herself, and shortly afterwards the party were led in and left their horses in Farmon's stable before going to meet the man himself in a small drawing room adjoining his study.
"I'd heard that refugees from Reptun arrived and I'm glad that you're one of them," he greeted Claennis as the party entered. Farmon was a short, stout man in his late forties or early fifties. His grey hair had thinned considerably and formed a wreath round his bald head. He wore a single gold ring, but otherwise he was unadorned and his clothing was well made but simple. He gestured for the party to sit on comfortable leather divan while a servant brought refreshments.
Beomund: Beomund introduced himself politely, waiting for Claennis to give some details of the attack and the party's arrival before bringing up the subject of their mission.
sd: Claennis recounted the details of what had happened. "It's a great thing you've done, to help Claennis and the others survive," Farmon said. "If all Gastonlanders prove as noble and helpful as yourselves, Palania will be much better off for our alliance."
Hogar: Hogar nodded as he introduced himself with the others
Leofric: Leofric agreed with the idea as he introduced himself as Leofric
Beomund: "We're happy we could help," said Beomund. "If people back home knew what kinds of dangers people in Palania faced, I think there would be more urgency to aid you. But we did not come here for selfless reasons initially - we were actually hoping you and Claennis could help us in a historical mission. We are looking to find the resting place of a Virian Saint known as Thenghelm."
sd: "Ah, that again. I see." Farmon steepled his fingers. "Well. The Church already sought my assistance on this matter, as you probably already know, but they weren't willing to meet my price. Perhaps you will be?"
Hogar: "What price would that be?"asked Hogar, genuinely curious
Leofric: Leofric looked interested as to what the price is, "Hmm, depending on the price of course."
sd: "I spoke inexactly - 'terms', perhaps, was the better word to use. I have no issue with being paid of course but my objection wasn't monetary, I have enough that I could comfortably retire now if I wished." Farmon paused. "I think the Church didn't even understand what the nature of my objection was, they have probably misinterpreted it. The Church seemed to regard this as a simple mercenary proposition - I would help them find Saint Thenghelm's resting place, they would pay me, and that would be that. But that doesn't satisfy me. I'm a scholar and so what I'm interested in is knowledge, and also what the Church means to do with this knowledge. The saint was the first Virian in Palania that anyone knows about, and now Virians have returned, and your Church is gathering a significant degree of influence. Perhaps a disproportionate influence. At any rate, they seemed to believe that exactly what happened to this first Virian in Palania is only of interest to Virians. I don't agree."
Beomund: Beomund glanced at the others, showing some relief at the scholar's words. "Churchmen are generally well-devoted to the cause of our religion, but this devotion can lead to... inflexibility. All of us here have spent our time out in the world as well as in prayer, and we care about Palania for more than just religious reasons. I think we can come to an agreement."
Hogar: "I find myself in agreement with you, actually. Whatever one's faith is, it is part of history and thus of interest to anyone..."
Leofric: Leofric nodded at this point, "I am also interested in seeking knowledges. Sometime what is generally known or believed may not true after all. The Church view of history, as Beomund pointed out is very inflexibile and biased. The Faithful got their own view on such issues naturally. But ultimately, what we desire is the authentic knowledge, what acutally occured."
sd: "Indeed. I don't trust the Church, who appear so self-righteous they don't even understand why anyone would think to question their motives, but maybe I can trust you. For the avoidance of all doubt - I want to know what happened to Saint Thenghelm, in full and unabridged form. I intend to write about it as I've been doing some study into the history of Virians in Palania since the league with Gastony was formed. If Saint Thenghelm died a brave and faithful Virian to the end, I'll write about that. If he died a villain or a coward, I'll write about that as well. If you uncover evidence to support, say, that the Faithful's contention that the Church is an institution created by the Emperor Ceneric who was on the Virian throne at that time, I intend to write about that." He paused. "I hope you understand that it is possible the Church may become rather upset at you if you happen to share any information with me that will reflect badly on their...as you put it, view on history."
Hogar: Hogar seemed slightly amused by the mention of the Faithful "The truth is of some importance so.."he looked to Beomund, Edmund and Leofric hoping they'd accept the man's offer
Beomund: Beomund gave a wan smile. "My wife taught me the importance of facing the truth and accepting it, and that faith that is not weak can survive and even be strengthened by the revelation of error. She died hoping to bring that idea to Palania, and I think she would be happy to know that I contributed to the Virian Way becoming more clear-eyed, and to Palanians of all sorts being enriched in knowledge."
sd: Farmon clasped Beomund on the shoulder. "I know what it's like, to lose the one you love too soon," he said. "Honour her spirit, and she will continue to live on." He paused. "You are willing to meet my terms then?"
Leofric: Leofric nodded, smiling "I am willing. I will look forward to reading your thoughts on the history in the future should we are successful in finding as to the fate of Saint Thenghelm."
Beomund: Beomund nodded in agreement with Leo's words.
Hogar: "I am, yes."
sd: "Excellent. Give me a moment, I need to fetch something." Farmon rose and left the room. After about fifteen minutes he returned, clutching a large leather-bound tome. It was clearly an ancient book, though unremarkable save that a small ruby was embedded into the book's spine. He placed it down on the table in front of them, revealing that it was a copy of the Theophany. "Possibly the most common book in the world this, but this one has something unusual about it."
You whisper to Hogar: Hogar noticed that the book was slightly overlarge, particularly along the spine and front, as there was some kind of small hidden compartment.
Hogar: Hogar smiled and pointed to a few spots in the book spine and cover. "Seems like there might be something more than that ruby, there."
sd: "Indeed." Farmon opened the book, then gave the ruby a slight twist, revealing a catch.
Opening the catch revealed there was another page, sewn into the front cover. It was a painting, but a partial one, which depicted a scene near the edge of a forest, on a hill. It looked up towards the night sky, the stars of which were drawn in intricate detail. The painting itself was on a tear-shaped parchment and was clearly incomplete. From the edge of the strange tear-shaped parchment, they guessed there was either one or two more pages of the painting.
sd: "I am guessing there are three of these books. This ruby is red, one of the colours of the Prophet's Star. If we found the other two, I suspect the other parts of the painting will be there."
Leofric: Leofric admired nice painting and replied, "Which is likely to be sapphire and another with yellow gemstone.... How did you manage to stumble across this excellent find?" He asked curiously
sd: "A friend of mine gave it to me, along with a number of other books, when I moved to Waldtun," he said. Claennis suddenly interjected. "I never realised...I have one of this set, set with a sapphire. It should be in Reptun."
Leofric: Leofric glanced at Claennis with a hint of surprise, "We will go back then. Hopefully the elves has already left Reptun or at very least small group." He looked at Beo, Hogar and Ed, knowing that there is not a choice if they need to achieve this holy quest
sd: "It's likely they've destroyed my home, but this book was in storage in my cellar so it may have survived." Claennis retrieved a key from among her belongings and handed it to the group.
"What I find most interesting," said Farmon, "is why these books were made. The stars I think serve as a map to a location. What we have then is a location that is associated with the Virian Way, is clearly one the writers of these books meant to return to - or they would not need a map - but that they had obviously left behind. They clearly wanted it to remain secret, or they would not have hidden the star map. It must be quite important, to rely on this level of subterfuge."
sd: "Fortunately," said Farmon, "I already know where the third book is, so if you are able to recover the book in Reptun we should be able to unravel the mystery. There is a man in Norbrycg who has it, but when the Church approached me previously I approached him quietly and began to negotiate. As it happened I didn't go through with the purchase because negotiations with the Church fell apart, but I imagine he must still have it. I was seeking to buy it amongst a number of other books on the Virian Way so to stop him from ramping up his price, but if anyone else had approached him about the books he would have contacted me to try to start a bidding war."
Beomund: "Excellent," said Beomund. "Regardless of whether this leads us to Saint Thenghelm, it must be something of importance. I don't relish entering that forest again, but it seems the best course of action is to make our way to Reptun as stealthily as possible and also contact this man in Norbrycg. Hopefully we can have the paintings back together within a couple of weeks."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jun 15, 2014 15:30:48 GMT
sd: "It's not likely to prove easy to get to my house," said Claennis. "The warband that took Reptun was, so far as we could tell, not the entirety of the elfin force. The Ealdorman will probably drive them back in time, but by then they may have destroyed everything. We can only hope they didn't try to get into my cellar."
Beomund: "The band we fought was strong enough, and we had allies. Without a larger party of warriors sneaking into Reptun may be our only chance," said Beomund.
Leofric: Leofric frowned thoughtfully and said, "That sound like we have not got much time either."
Hogar: "As often is the case, time is of the essence. The elves are quick..."said Hogar
Beomund: "I wonder if we could use that wand to our advantage," said Beomund. "But the elves did not seem liable to a peaceful trade."
sd: "There is a tale in Waldtun that says that Horik, the grandson of Odoacer, once took the sword of an elf king, and the town was beset by disasters until he returned it with a ritual of peace," said Farmon. "Of course the whole of Waldtun participated, which is unlikely to happen now, but perhaps the basic notion could be adapted."
Edmund: Edmund nodded. "We should attempt a peaceful solution if possible. Would the elves have kept in mind that story too I wonder?"
Leofric: Leofric looked interested at the meantion of the tale suggesting the notion of peace with the eleves.
Hogar: "Peace with these things?" Hogar frowned "Sounds an unlikely prospect to me. They're monsters who traffic with demons."
sd: "By my recollection, the people of Waldtun gathered many different types of flowers and wove them in particular ways. Elves communicate by scent, it's possible that particular combinations of flowers can emulate...well, saying sorry, I suppose," said Farmon. "If you think it's worthwhile, I can go and fetch some scrolls."
Edmund: "If peace was reached in the past then the elves are not invariably vicious and aggressive. We need to encourage them to see peace as in their own best interests."
Beomund: "We should certainly look for any alternative to continued aggression... we don't want Reptun's fate befalling Waldtun," added Beomund.
sd: "Little risk of that," said Claennis as Farmon headed out to gather his scrolls. "Waldtun is far larger and better protected, and has warning. We might even be able to ally with Norbrycg," Claennis grimaced, "though that would require a mutual swallowing of pride."
Edmund: "If we can prove it happened before, there's a chance. How likely are the townsfolk, or at least its leadership, to support such a move?" Edmund asked.
sd: "Not very," said Claennis. "In the tale, Horik's sister spent years before she finally convinced him to seek peace, and Norbrycg has been at war with the elves recently and that will be weighing on people's minds. I wouldn't put much confidence in your ability to outright make peace with the elves, but if you were to offer the wand back you might convince at least slow the advance, or convince some to head home. Although the theft of the wand probably served as a spark, I'm not entirely certain this war is entirely down to that."
Edmund: "If we can find the way to talk to the elves, can they be trusted? Do they recognise the rules of parley in any way? Presumably so, if they reached agreement with Horik," Edmund asked of Claennis.
sd: Farmon returned after about twenty minutes, with his son assisting him carrying a number of scrolls and books. "Horik and the people of Waldtun performed a ritual beneath a hawthorn tree, and made a number of sacrifices and gestures of conciliation. These were largely the destruction of symbols of human civilisation, particularly iron tools and the dousing of fires, which elves hate."
Hogar: "Of course, if they don't accept our 'excuses'" Hogar spelled out the last word, as if he wasn't truly convinced with the plan "They might just attack us again."
sd: "That is certainly something to fear, particularly as...ahh..." Farmon picked up a few scrolls before finding the one he wanted, "Horik and the people performed the rite skyclad, as they believed elves disliked clothing and considered it a sign of human deceit, a hiding of our true selves as it were."
Edmund: Edmund raised his brows at that. "They probably also realised that most humans feel vulnerable when naked."
sd: "That's probably also a consideration."
Beomund: "If we could find a hawthorn tree near the edge of the forest, perhaps some of us could perform the ritual while the rest hold back in case of ambush... though if they detect us that might ruin the chance of parlay."
Hogar: Hogar frowned "This doesn't sound such a great idea to me. But we can't exactly burn the whole forest down, can we?"
sd: "A lot of people would be rather annoyed at you if you did."
Beomund: "And I don't think we can fight our way to Reptun without a much larger force," added Beomund.
Edmund: Edmund looked aghast. "Burn the forest down? What right have we to take such destructive actions."
Leofric: Leofric looked slightly distateful at the mention of doing the ritual in nude and replied, "Burning the forest is bit difficult. Beside, we need the woods for our needs/"
Hogar: "Was being a bit rhetorical there, sorry." Hogar frowned "I mean we'd want to consider alternatives to this ritual."
Edmund: Edmund gave a slight grin, looking relieved. "If it's either the ritual or warfare, there's no choice. What else would convince the elves to step down."
Beomund: "The only alternative I can think of is to show the elves we'll destroy the wand if they get too close - though I don't know that we CAN destroy it - and then grab the book and leave the wand behind when we're far enough away."
Hogar: "Destroying it might unleash some terrible infernal energies, for all we know."said Hogar "So are we going along with the ritual?"
Beomund: "I seems like our best of bad options," said Beomund, nodding.
Leofric: Leofric agreed, "We can always fall back to warefare if the ritual fails. It should be interesting."
Beomund: "Warfare in the nude? Sounds invigorating."
sd: "I am skeptical that you'll be able to avoid it altogether, but at least if it succeeds you won't need to fight an entire army," said Farmon.
sd: the party spent the remainder of the day preparing what they would need. In the stories, the people of Waldtun had sacrificed a cow, as well as engaging in the ritualistic destruction of iron tools and weapons and the dousing of flames.
The most important element was the gathering of the appropriate flowers, which took them a day of wandering through the woods. They picked or purchased bluebells, white chrysanthemum, hyacinths, orchids, cattails, and many other plants to weave into the specified wreaths, some of which were to be worn while others were to be left around the item to be returned.
The next day, they set out from Waldtun. The sacrifice of a cow was part of the rite, so the party moved slowly towards a great hawthorn tree they had been told was on the edge of the forest, where the trees began to thin and the hills began to rise, near a still pool. Feeling rather awkward and hoping no travellers happened to notice them, they stripped off. The northern air set their teeth to chattering, but after a few minutes they began to adjust.
Edmund began to sing ancient songs of conciliation which Farmon had provided them with while Hogar and Beomund dug a shallow trench around them and built fires within the trench.
To begin the ritual, Leofric produced a fresh mandrake root he had dug the night before and crushed it at the foot of the hawthorn tree. The plant gave a screech that reverberated through the Void over many leagues, while Hogar and Beomund began to throw shattered weapons and armour into the trench, scattering the hated iron tools liberally between the fires.
taking up a stone dagger which Beomund had fashioned for him, Leofric brought the cow to the base of the tree and slit its throat, the animal's blood spilling out into the earth. Leofric placed the elfstone wand down on the ground, next to the cow's carcasse, and then began to lay out the offerings of flowers while Edmund began to play his flute. If Farmon was to be believed, the echoes of his music would pass down and along whatever strange plane the elves were native to, Hell or otherwise, and come to them as they rested.
Once the wand had been put down, Hogar and Beomund moved quickly with wooden spades, shovelling dirt onto the fires to ritually douse them and thus put an end to what elves most feared. The sun had set and the moon risen before they extinguished the last flame, and Edmund completed the rite with a song upon his lute. Their naked bodies were at once drenched in sweat, but also bitterly cold. Though there was no obvious change in the wand itself, they noticed that one of the tree roots appeared to have changed its position, cradling the wand as if in an embrace.
Leofric: Leofric looked at the tree roots with a hint of surprise, wondering if the ritual have been a success. He shivered faintly in the night, "Look like it works..." He whispered
Edmund: Edmund stood silently, looking down at the wand respectfully. "It seems so. Should we leave now or wait?"
Beomund: Beomund stepped back to survey the scene of their ritual as he put back on his clothes. "A strange thing we've done... but the elves are strange creatures. Hopefully the forest will be less dangerous for us this time through."
Hogar: Hogar seemed wary as he wore his clothing, as if he expected to show up anytime soon "Hopefully."he simply said
Edmund: Edmund dressed quickly. "Less dangerous for those who live here, not just us." he said.
Beomund: "I don't relish waiting," said Beomund. "Let's move quickly - I don't imagine any goodwill from the elves will last forever."
Leofric: Leofric stood up and quickly cleaned up the spattler of bloods that bled from a cow off his lanky copper skin and quickly put on his warm heavy clothings. "Time to go then."
Edmund: Edmund kept scanning the forest around them as they moved off.
Leofric: Leofric also look around warily
Hogar: "I hope we don't regret this."said Hogar as his eyes darted back and forth among the trees
sd: the party clothed themselves and set out for Reptun. Following the advice Farmon had provided them, they kept several of their wreaths and kept them displayed on their belts. Their ritual had, at least, one effect - as they made for the village over the next few days, they were left alone, although more than once they thought they saw signs that there were elves in the region.
After three more days of travel, they came near to Reptun on 18 March 228. Claennis had explained that her home had been near to the village sawmill, on the northeastern side near to the little river that ran through the village. They climbed a small hill and surveyed the village from above. As Claennis had feared, the elves had burned every home - scorch marks were everywhere, and dried bloodstains, but at least any bodies had been cleared in the week since the attack.
Around the river there was a small scattering of elves and bound demons, as well as a small handful of headlesses, the creatures they had encountered long before on the road to Cranleaht. From the number of footprints they had passed on their way, they guessed a number of the elves had left Reptun and headed north, leaving behind only a small force. This seemed a particularly small force however - they hoped that perhaps some had headed south again, mollified by their return of the wand, though it was impossible to tell with these inscrutable creatures.
Edmund: "It seems they are retaining control of Reptun," Edmund murmured as they watched the elves.
Hogar: "You think we could just try and approach peacefully?"Hogar didn't seem too convinced by what he said
Edmund: "We have the wreaths," Edmund replied, touching his.
Leofric: "Indeed, we do." Leofric smiled with hint of grimness, "Let hope this fo well."
sd: the party approached. As they did, the elves nocked arrows, but they kept their bows lowered, as they could see the party carried the wreaths. Farmon had unearthed gestures some ancient scholars had believed the elves would recognise as signs of peaceful intent, and Edmund and Leofric used these as best as they could, keeping their hands raised and their weapons carefully sheathed. Seeing what they believed were the ruins of Claennis' home, Edmund gestured towards it, making clear that the group only wished to search that home and that they would then be away.
The elves, very slowly and at a gesture from the one who seemed to be their leader, lowered their bows, and the demons and headlesses moved out of the party's path.
The elf leader glanced at them, then, to their startlement, spoke in halting Gaston. The creature's voice was hoarse, as if it had not been used in many long years, and he spoke at a tremendous speed, a cyclone of syllables bursting forth. "Burrow-fast-hunters. Treeland-reclaim-long-time, meat-folk-fly-far-and-begone. Iron-rust-fire-douse-or-fight-more-in-later-moons." The elf gazed at them, alient intellect shining in its mossy eyes. It stepped back and put its arrow away.
sd: he = it
Edmund: After the first moments of shock, Edmund pulled himself together. He bowed to the elf leader. "We understand, we will be quick."
Hogar: Hogar was not pleased by the elf threats, but he kept his bearing and was silent, obviously intent on merely searching Claennis' home
Leofric: Leofric also bowed and nodded, "We understand..." He is ready to go into Claennis's old homes.
Hogar: "They'll allow us through, but want us to be quick. Claim they hold this land and will forever, and humans should leave and abandon fire and iron or there will be more fighting." Hogar said, trying to translate what the elf said when they were some distance from him
Edmund: Edmund frowned. "There have been human settlements in the forest for years. Why are the elves seeking to drive them out now? And will this be the case all over the forest? Think of Durleaht and Northbrycg - they are right in the middle of it!"
Leofric: Leofric looked around the ruins and replied, "Very good question, might be worth asking it when we leave. After all, the opportunity to ask or indeed, talk with them is very very rare."
Beomund: "Perhaps they only now have the strength. The fact that they can speak and have clear motives gives some hope they can be reasoned with, though."
sd: the party headed to the wreckage of Claennis' home. It had obviously been a quite comfortable place, though not of a size with Farmon's estate. As she had thought, aboveground it had been totally destroyed, but there was a trapdoor leading into the cellar in the remnants of the ground floor and it had clearly not been unlocked. Using the key she had given them, they descended and were able to recover a number of books and scrolls, as well as the precious copy of the Theophany, set with a sapphire. They checked and found that Farmon's guess had been correct - there was indeed another hidden catch, with a separate star-map hidden within.
Beomund: "Well done!" exclaimed Beomund when they found the book they were seeking. "Now let's ask any questions you wish and get out of here before the elves change their minds."
Hogar: "They did suggest we be quick about it."nodded Hogar
sd: as the party emerged from the cellar, they were startled to see another demon that they had not noticed before standing near to the ruin, with the elfin leader behind it. It was a horrific creature, with a great, distended mouth, and a second set of teeth below its neck. It stood nine feet tall, hulking and enormous, with rippling muscles. The mere sight of the demon sent a chill down their spines, though, by the standards of a demon, it seemed peaceful and not likely to imminently attack them.
Edmund: When they left the building, Edmund looked towards the elf leader and bowed again. "Forgive the question, but there have been humans living in the forest for many years. Has something happened that you wish them to leave?"
Hogar: Hogar looked at the demon for a few moments but said nothing, following the others
Leofric: Leofric glanced at the demon carefully, taking in the gristy sights
sd: The elf gazed at Edmund for a long time. It was clear that it did not fully comprehend what he had said, but it responded as best as it could. "Metal-filth-fire-filth-tree-death. Meat-men-spread-makes-game-of-us. Tree-death-ends-new-youngs. Meat-men-must-begone-treelands, end-earth-wounds, end-plant-burns. Begone."
Edmund: Edmund nodded in understanding. "They are burning the forest, and when the trees die they have no more children" he explained to the others.
Edmund: "We will go swiftly." he said to the elf leader.
sd: the elf stood aside, while its bound demon's lower mouth gave them a terrible grin. The party were able to leave unmolested and returned into the forest.
Leofric: Leofric glanced at Edmund, as if he was pressing the issue too deep. Once Edmund ended his discussion, he nodded solemnly and silently, He looked ready to leave the village.
Hogar: Hogar seemed to agree with Leofric judgement that they should soon leave the place
Leofric: Leofric sighed with a hint of relief, "We has been very luckly. I wouldn't like to go up against that demon".
Hogar: "I wouldn't mind these things so much"said Hogar referring to the elves "If they didn't consort with demons. I doubt anything good can come out of them."
Beomund: "I'm amazed we made it through without a fight," said Beomund with a relieved grin. "Perhaps there is a chance for peace with the elves... but unfortunately I'm not sure most of the townsfolk have the same silver tongue, or willingness to leave them be that will be necessary."
Edmund: Edmund looked grim as they left the village. "How can this war be averted? Humans make use of wood all the time in their settlements, but maybe there is more to this than villagers cutting the odd treee. Has there been more mining maybe?"
Leofric: Leofric frowned for a moment, "The local villager did clearly know the location of the elf settlement where they came from. How else that thief stolen the wand."
Hogar: "They seem to despise the whole concept of civilization."shrugged Hogar "And it sounds like they're birthed from trees, doesn't it?"
Beomund: "We'll have to ask about mining and other projects when we get back to Waldtun," replied Beomund, "but it could be that the elves have been planning to strike for a long time."
Edmund: "If we were birthed from trees, we would have a right to be upset if another race started burning them," Edmund said. "It's understandable. Perhaps the trees are special, and in an area where people have started doing this recently?"
sd: the party set out back for Waldtun, and after several days of travel they arrived back on 23 March 228 and went to report their success to Farmon. The next day, one of his servants returned with a cartloads of books from Norbrycg, including the third of the set of books, set with amber.
They put the three secret paintings together, revealing an elaborately painted scene of the stars over a hill. The Prophet's Star was shown, along with a number of other polar stars. Claennis believed that with careful enough study of the location and angle of the stars, as well as other clues in the intricately drawn landscape, that they could locate where it had been painted.
sd: Claennis, Leofric, and Hogar put their heads together. With their knowledge of the stars and the Palanian landscape, they determined that the painting depicted a location perhaps a third of the way between Waldtun and Weltry - the location with mountains in the distance and forest to the rear clearly showed the borderland between the Great Forest and the Old Mountains. Edmund and Farmon noticed that there were a number of coded religious references within the painting, small runes in Old Gaston barely discernible in the foreground, and the old Virian symbols of the flame and the shroud. One rune clearly referred to the ancient Saint Oswy, a contemporary of the Prophet, who had undertaken many missions amongst the Swenning heathens. There were many references to him, which puzzled him for a time until they recalled a tale in which the saint, fleeing from persecution, had hidden his religious texts in a small chest at the base of an oak tree that grew from a pool. Perhaps, they judged, such a thing could be found in this location, and that might mark the exact spot they should search. It would not be easy, but it was as good an idea as any that they possessed.
Leofric: Leofric looked satisfied with the idea they came up with and suggests so to his peers and the scholars. "Hopefully, we should be able to find this tree."
sd: after resting for the night, the party set out for their search the next day. After two days, they came to the region that they thought the star map had shown, and at this point they needed to spend another two days thoroughly searching the area.
Finally, they descended down a ravine and into a sheltered vale, where they found what they thought the painting had referred to. The oak tree had died in recent years, but its mighty trunk remained in the water. Night was already drawing on so they waited a few hours so that they could refer to the stars above, comparing them with the map. Some stars, they guessed, had changed course slightly in the long years since the painting was done, but as they looked up from the pool the Prophet's Star gazed down upon them in the very spot indicated in the painting.
sd: Hogar removed his armour and swam down. It took several deep dives before he found what he was looking for, a slanting tunnel, beneath the roots of the tree. The tunnel slanted upwards enough for the water to clear before it continued on, so Hogar was able to help the others down into the tunnel and they began to walk down it. It was a treacherous, difficult path, filled with uneven, crumbling ground, but after half a mile it evened out and the ground beneath them changed from dirt to smooth stonework. Five minutes later, they turned a corner and found themselves in a small antechamber. Ahead of them, they saw a door engraved with a symbol of the Prophet's Star, and runes written above the door frame. Though they were in Old Gaston, the message was short enough and near enough to their modern tongue that it could be deciphered.
Change is the Way and the Way is Change, it read.
Leofric: Leofric looked extremely surprised to find such funds and smiled with delight.
Edmund: Edmund grinned back. "This is very interesting."
Hogar: Hogar gasped at the writing, speechless
Beomund: "Well my lads," said Beomund. "I expect we're about to learn a few more revelations that would cause the priests back home to faint..."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jun 22, 2014 23:31:20 GMT
sd: Hogar removed his armour and swam down. It took several deep dives before he found what he was looking for, a slanting tunnel, beneath the roots of the tree. The tunnel slanted upwards enough for the water to clear before it continued on, so Hogar was able to help the others down into the tunnel and they began to walk down it. It was a treacherous, difficult path, filled with uneven, crumbling ground, but after half a mile it evened out and the ground beneath them changed from dirt to smooth stonework. Five minutes later, they turned a corner and found themselves in a small antechamber. Ahead of them, they saw a door engraved with a symbol of the Prophet's Star, and runes written above the door frame. Though they were in Old Gaston, the message was short enough and near enough to their modern tongue that it could be deciphered.
Change is the Way and the Way is Change, it read.
Leofric: Leofric's eyes glittered as he replied, "Indeed, this is perhaps merely a one side to the story. Better to be safe than sorry." He muttered some ancient words and gestures,
Edmund: After gazing at the inscription for a moment, Edmund forced his eyes down and scanned the door.
Player "Leofric." is not connected.
You whisper to Leofric: He could sense several sources of magic nearby, beyond the door. There were three distinct ones, each further away than the last - a taste like slightly charred meat, a strange ephemeral flavour he could not taste, and a taste like wine.
Further away, somewhere below them, he sensed something that immediately reminded him of the incredible power that had emanated from the Great Heartfire on Coelney. This one, however, did not dominate his senses like the Heartfire had - it seemed remote and distant, as if through a thick, unappetising film.
Edmund: Seeing that the door was not trapped, Edmund brought out his set of lockpicks.
sd: Edmund was able to jimmy the lock and they opened the door, which led to a large, empty hall. The hall was littered with cobwebs, and here and pieces of ancient debris had been pushed to the corners, but there was nothing of interest in the hall save another door on the wall opposite.
Leofric: Leofric frowned for a moment, clearly he can sense something beyond the door. "There are three different magic in an area front of us, each one is further than the one before. However, interestingly enough, below us, there is that same feeling of the power we came across in the Great Heartfire although, it seems that it is dampened or a connection to it somewhere else." Leofric looked faintly unsure about that statement.
Hogar: Hogar surveyed the room, looking a bit disappointed - but Leofric's comments seemed to give him hope they were on the right track. However, he warned them "We still want to keep our eyes open for any traps, whetever magical or not."
Beomund: "So there might be a connection between the magic of the ancient practitioners of the Way and the Great Heartfire... fascinating," said Beomund quietly. He nodded his agreement with Hogar and began to move forward with his eyes scanning the floor.
sd: this room itself was untrapped, and the party were able to cross to the door and open it. They found themselves in a large, common dining chamber, littered with broken tables and chairs. In various parts of the room there were burned or damaged scrolls or books, along with old cutlery, mugs, plates, tankards, and a gold drinking horn.
Edmund: Edmund looked at the scrolls and books. "I wonder what caused the damage?"
Hogar: "When I travelled to Mount Maragar, I felt something similar to what we experienced facing the Heartfire..."said Hogar, replying to Beomund's comment "Though it was fainter. It's as if everything's connected..."he trailed off
Leofric: Leofric pointed at one of the piles of scroll and warned the others that he can sense burning taste from it. He glanced at Hogar and nodded, "Maybe all these powers share the same foundation." He mused.
Hogar: "Burning taste? You mean there is some sort of trap or ward?" Hogar frowned
Beomund: "So this is more than just a repository - people stayed here once." Beomund moved to flip through a few of the less damaged books and take a look at the horn, staying far from the scrolls Leofric pointed out.
sd: everything in the room was written in Old Gaston, and although Beomund could make out the occasional word such as 'God', 'Blessed', or 'Will' that was near to its modern form, it was impossible for him to read it thoroughly
Beomund: "These are in Old Gaston," called Beomund to Leo. "Perhaps you can make something of them." He moved on to look at the golden horn.
Leofric: Leofric smiled faintly as he took over from Beomund at reading these scrolls with care.
Hogar: "You know Old tongue, don't you?"Hogar told Leo "Perhaps you might find something of use there."
Hogar: edit: the Old tongue
Edmund: Edmund was looking at the pile of books. "I'd be very interested to know what it in these. Were they burned because they contained contentious ideas? Maybe whoever did wanted to expunge a connection between the Virian way and, say, knowledge or practice of magic."
sd: Leofric sifted through the scrolls. Most were partial, in no obvious order, and appeared to be journal entries or notes, referring to people who had lived in this compound years ago. Being obviously written by different people at different times, it was all but impossible to piece them together, and most concerned rather trivial events. After a short time, however, Leofric was able to find one scroll that was largely intact, and he read and then translated it for the rest of the party.
sd: Can God create a rock so heavy that He himself could not lift it?
Those of us who have preached the Way to the heathens will often have heard this question, or some variant thereof, from the sneering unbeliever. They would have us believe that Almighty God is an entity that not only does not exist, but cannot exist. Their logic is flawed, and fails to grasp the true wonder of God’s plan, however we shall return to this shortly.
Of course, this question is facetious. Nevertheless, within this question and its ilk are notions which are important to interrogate and understand. What these questioners grasp towards is comprehension of the nature of God – an understanding of what it means to be all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good.
As is often the case, to understand these concepts and answer these questions, it is best to instead examine parallel concepts and answer different questions, to shed light on the original enquiry. Within the realm of theology, the most common questions follow along such lines as what is the meaning of life?; what will happen after we die?; why is there suffering? and how can we serve God/the gods?
These are worthy questions, revolving around the important nature of the relationship between ourselves and the divine. Yet their conception is incomplete, flawed, and one-sided. They posit a reality in which God (or the gods, or whatever divine conception is present within the relevant theological apparatus) are the ones who act, and we are the ones who are acted upon. They presume that the divine Will grants meaning, and we merely receive meaning. They imply that the Will of the divine is paramount, and our own, irrelevant. They erect a conception of a relationship that is one of subordination, a master-slave relationship.
We believe that God is the Father of all humanity, and His love for us is infinite. And the relationship between parent and child is a more meaningful comparison, for although the parent imparts wisdom to the child and thus shapes them, so too the child shapes and alters the parent.
The sublime questions of theology are not simply about our relationship to the divine, but to the divine’s relationship to us. We should indeed ask what is the meaning of (our) life, but what is rarely considered, but equally important, is this:
What is the meaning of God’s life?
Our own lives are processions of challenge and difficulty, of want and feeling, of unexpected change. We may achieve some measure of meaning through meeting these challenges, through seeking to remain true to ourselves through difficulty, through seeking positive feeling and abjuring negative ones. We are constantly seeking to change ourselves, or are being changed by circumstance. Our meaning is achieved through grappling with our own limitations – but what limitation does God have? What challenges can He face? How can God change?
Thus we may answer, and return to our original query. Can God create a rock so heavy He himself cannot lift it? Yes, and this is what He is doing.
Edmund: Edmund listened with a growing expression of awe and fascination as Leofric read the words. After a period of silence in which they all absorbed what they had heard, he took in a deep breath. "Those are... brave ideas. Like going along a ledge that narrows and narrows, above a bottomless abyss."
Hogar: Hogar seemed puzzled for a while by what Leofric said but then spoke up "Brave ideas indeed. Not necessarily correct, of course..."
Beomund: Beomund listened raptly, and nodded at both Edmund's and Hogar's words. "I'll have to think about the argument more, but... it's like nothing I've heard before. No one could say such a thing among most of the faithful, and yet it is compelling if nothing else. It makes me sad that all this thought has been gone from our people for so long."
Edmund: "When you postulate ideas such as these, surely you cannot judge them as 'correct' or 'false'?" Edmund said. "Whoever wrote this is setting their mind free to consider without the usual restraints."
Leofric: Leofric absorbed in thought as he considered the scroll in question and replied, "Yet, it is fascinating to read the early thoughts of the ancient Viriran theologians. Whatever they are correct or not is another question entirely." Leofric nodded at that point, "Maybe a correct way, and the only way, it does not exist. Which was never the case in the first place." Agreeing with Beomund, "I agreed, it is of a great losses that such scrolls never see the light of the day. One should boarden its mind as much as possible and respect them for what they are."
Hogar: "Perhaps they might see the light of day, at the proper time..."suggested Hogar "Still. Should we check more scrolls or the door?"
Edmund: "We should ensure these scrolls are kept safe and do see the light of day," Edmund said, looking at Leofric.
Hogar: "Even if not true, they are worthy historical documents." Hogar agreed
Beomund: Beomund nodded his agreement as he began checking for more legible scrolls. "We want to avoid the scroll from which you sensed magic, Leofric? There might be a chance it is protected because it is particularly important..."
sd: Leofric looked through more of the scrolls. After a significant amount of time, sifting for salience amidst the minutiae, he was able to piece together some kind of narrative.
Leofric was able to find one scroll which was dated as 12 June, in the 65th year of the Virian Way, and it appeared to be written shortly after the group settled amongst a Forerunner ruin. It appeared that the sect named themselves as 'Changers', and had existed for some number of years in Palania, wandering in the Great Forest before settling here. The scroll named their leader as the Blessed Sister, and her conceptions on God and magic were of a totally different nature from those of orthodox Virians.
From other scrolls, they eventually discovered the Blessed Sister's identity - her name was Diera, and she was a relative of the Prophet, albeit a distant one, sent to Palania in her youth with her brother. Although her relation to the Prophet granted her prestige, her leadership was clearly down to her ideas, for her brother Wulfhelm was mentioned numerous times and he had obviously not held any particularly important post among the Changers.
Diera had come upon a revelation whilst wandering the Great Forest, contemplating the nature of God. She attempted, as best as a human could, to contemplate what it would mean to be all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good, and she realised that the result would be stagnation, an inability to change or grow, almost a curse, already knowing the result of all events before they occurred. She had come to believe that if she had had these attributes, she would wish to be rid of them, and she believed God desired the same thing.
Edmund: "We must bring these scrolls with us and meditate on them," Edmund insisted. "There is so much to contemplate..."
Edmund: He nodded suddenly. "I thought the names were familiar! Do you recall, Leo, the scrolls we found in the Plague Fields? Wulfhelm and Diera were children of the Prophet's cousin, sent to someone to foster, and he was to bring them up in the Virian Way and find spouses for them. What happened that Diera ended here?"
Hogar: "Perhaps we might find more behind that door."said Hogar "Though I doubt we will find more scrolls or written knowledge..."
Leofric: Leofric agreed with Edmund's conclusion and replied "I remembered these two. We will find out more no doubt. " He went over to the pile of scroll that give him such burning taste and examined closely it closely. "Well, it is not a trap..."
Edmund: Edmund began to wrap the scrolls they had already looked at carefully in cloth and stow them away in his pack.
sd: Leofric examined the scroll, which, he decided, contained some manner of spell that could be learned with effort. Around it, he was able to read a few other snippets from other scrolls. The Blessed Sister had taught the Changers that the Prophet had, unwittingly, begun to use magic, and thus had destroyed Ancalagon and other foes. She believed that in his later years, he had begun to revise his earlier opinion on magic, and had come to the same understanding as her, that God had gifted magic to humanity as a tool to reshape the world, themselves, and Him.
Leofric: Leofric raised his eyebrows in surprise and told the others "Well, that is going to put a fox among the chickens. The use of magic have always been considered as dark acts as written by the Prophet himself. Still..."
Beomund: "There's already so much heresy we've found," said Beomund. "What's a little more." He gave a slight smile.
Edmund: "If this is true, then the Prophet's later views have either been accidentally lost, or covered up. This is not a good thought..." Edmund said with a frown.
Hogar: "Deogol said he believed the Prophet to have been a mage like him, and he might not be the only one in the Conclave to believe, that, Leofric."Hogar suggested "Perhaps you might want to speak to them at some time about this..."
sd: there were a number of small rooms off to the south, which had obviously been storerooms and a kitchen. The party searched them quickly, but there was little of use there.
Leofric: Leofric agreed with Hogar, "Worth a try. I will have a talk with her when I get back."
Beomund: Beomund moved to check the northern door.
Leofric: Leofric joined Beomund at checking the door.
sd: the northern door was unlocked and untrapped, so the party were able to make their way through and into another hallway. To their left, the hallway had collapsed and rubble was piled high there, however there was also a hole in the wall which led to a rough, unworked path that snaked down. On the wall opposite to them there was another door.
Edmund: "Shall we check this door first?" Edmund suggested. He looked closely at it.
Leofric: Leofric replied, "Could do. We can check the tunnel later."
Leofric: When the door is found safe, Leofric told the others, "There is another taste of magic in this room as well."
sd: the door opened into a narrow hallway. There were three doors leading into rooms directly opposite to the door, and at the end of the corridor on their left was another large, thick wooden door, carved with the same Changer motto they had seen earlier on entering the compound.
sd: *two doors
Leofric: Leofric pointed at the door at the end of the corridor and told them, "It is through there."
Hogar: "Shall we check this first then?"
Edmund: Edmund nodded. "Save that till last," he said, indicating the carved door.
Leofric: Leofric nodded agreeing with Edmund, "Let check the other three doors then." Leofric went on]
sd: this area appeared to have been a living space - there were many doors leading into rooms which contained the wreckages of beds, chests, chairs, and other domestic items. Here and there they were able to find a few coins or bits of jewellery decorated with Virian iconography, however the most valuable things were further scrolls.
These continued to detail the nature of the Changers - they had clearly settled here around 65 VY, shortly after the coronation of the first Valing High King, Cynemar. This had been after ten years of wandering, in which Diera had slowly built up a following of several hundred converts.
At this time, a number of would-be sorcerer kings had risen to challenge the growing power of the Valings, and amongst the Changers there had obviously been significant controversy over this, covering a period of many years. Diera's brother Wulfhelm and a number of others had wanted to take the opportunity to found a realm that would be based upon the Blessed Sister's ideas, however the majority were against this, including Diera, who believed there was a powerful source of magic here. Reading an account of these debates held in later years caused a name to suddenly leap out at them - one of the Changer leaders, Ruaidri, had sided with the Blessed Sister, saying that they were wisest to stay here rather than risk destruction at the hands of the Valings.
Leofric: Leofric looked at the scroll with a hint of surprise, "So our Saint Thenghelm may be one of the Changer leaders... and a powerful source of magic... Very interesting. I think with every scrolls we uncover, the Church is going to be deeply... unhappy."
Beomund: "This is an even more monumental find!" exclaimed Beomund. "The Changers might merely have been a brief-lived sect of no import, but if Saint Thenghelm believed in Diera, it will be hard for anyone to dismiss them. Except of course by refusing to believe what we have found."
Hogar: "Which is definetely a possibility."
Leofric: Leofric mused for a moment and replied, "I seems to recalled that the Virians are particularly tenacious in Tohringland. Maybe they know something about the Changers. Still, our scholar in Waldtun is going to love this."
Leofric: Leofric continued toward to the big door that were to be searched last, "Maybe the big door is a room for the leader..."
sd: it proved, rather, to a library, filled with shattered tables, ruined books, and overturned bookcases. Leofric could sense multiple sources of magic amongst the piles of books scattered across the floor.
Leofric: Leofric frowned for a moment and nodded confidently, "None of them doesn't feel like a trap." He starts searching for any worthy scrolls and books.
Edmund: "Who did this?" Edmund murmured as he moved among the books. "Were they attacked or did they have to leave suddenly? Were they all killed? We have found no remains."
Hogar: "Perhaps it was some sort of magical accident?"
sd: among the first pile, Leofric found another magical scroll. There were books which reiterated the theology of the Changers, the belief that God desired the capacity to change that he had gifted to humanity, as well as other notes about the day to day running of the compound. One, dated 70 VY, explained the arrival of a Swenning, Ruaidri. Ruaidri had explained he had been raised by a Swenning clan wizard, and that he had begun to learn the art of magic before his clan was defeated and he was taken and raised to be a Virian. He could scarcely unlearn the magic he had been instructed as a pagan, and when his abilities eventually came into the open he had fled from Maseda and come to Palania, before finding the Changers. The Blessed Sister had thought highly of the man and quickly raised him up to a prominent position.
Leofric: Leofric shivered at this place, "True and it is almost too quiet. I was expecting this place to be more like Hylltoft..." Leofric stared at Hogar, "That does not bear thinking about either. I guess we will find out more as we divine more in depth."
Hogar: Hogar nodded "Yes, that is true. This is a mystery we must solve, whatever it takes."
Leofric: Leofric smiled slightly, clearly finding it all exhilarating and replied, "Well, a member of the Changers got far as Bexcheap."
Leofric: Leofric explained the name to Beomund as a name of village they reached in the heart of Plague Fields.
Beomund: "There must have been a concerted effort to wipe out the memory of the changers," said Beomund.
Beomund: *edit: Changers
Leofric: Leofric have to agree with Beomund's point and wonders who could have done this.
sd: the party searched further, looking through the last of the scrolls. Though the details were scant, it became clear that only a few years after Ruaidri's arrival, the sect had suddenly suffered an attack, and they had lost the compound for a time before reclaiming it. From the notes, it appeared that this had been in 72 VY, a hundred and fifty six years before the present day. The Blessed Sister and many others had been slain in the attack, and in retaking the compound it became clear that while many of the attackers had been mercenaries, their leaders had been other Virians, and the Changers believed that they had been sent by the Judges to destroy the sect. In the time that the compound had been under their control, much of the Changers' lore had been destroyed, and when they finally retook the compound they were heartsick and fell to infighting amidst allegations of treachery. Eventually, several groups had gone their separate ways. Wulfhelm, his children, and some others headed south, meaning to establish a land for the Changers where they could be safe from fear of attack, while others went east or west into the Great Forest, in small groups that sought to blend and hide amongst the rest of the populace, until the time came when they could come out into the open again.
Edmund: Edmund looked up in excitement. "This means there could still be Changers, or those brought up in their lore, hiding among the population!"
Leofric: Leofric agreed with Edmund, "And the possibility of Wulfhelm's descendants still out there."
Hogar: "Sounds likely. I do think you might want to share some of this with the Conclave, Leofric...Especially members you think are particularly trustworthy"
Beomund: "I think we will have to consider sharing it more broadly, even if the church won't like it. This sort of knowledge should not be hidden from people," said Beomund.
Edmund: "It seems likely Diera never had children," Edmund said. "We are going to have to be extremely cautious who we tell."
Leofric: Leofric reflected and replied, "We will see. Beside, I would be interested to see the fate of Saint under the cover of Ruaidri. Maybe he led the attack on the Changers?"
Leofric: "I meant, was he killed in this fight or something else." Leofric explained his position. "I think we will find out in that tunnel."
Edmund: "You mean he was a spy who won their trust and then betrayed them?" Edmund asked Leo.
Beomund: "Perhaps... but he joined them by demonstrating his magical ability. It seems unlikely he would have been allowed to keep working with the church."
Hogar: "He may have kept them in the dark, too..."
Edmund: "It would seem pointless but men act for the strangest reasons sometimes..."
Leofric: Leofric reflected on this, "But then, Sihtric in Mollenmere did mentioned that Ser Hengest and his companions were mages. Maybe they are aware of this as well? Should we consider that as a fact, I don't know but we will see. I am increasingly wanting to have a look at the tunnel."
Edmund: Edmund agreed.
sd: the party headed towards the collapsed passage. Clearly, it had led to another section of the Changer compound, however the amount of rubble was great and Beomund was doubtful they could shift it without bringing the roof down upon them.
The passage through the wall, on the other hand, was obviously not shaped by human hands. It wound down and around, deep into the ground. Leofric, concentrating, sensed that the remaining magical source he had felt could perhaps be reached by this route, though it was not clear exactly how.
Edmund: "Something seems to have come up from the depths. Do we really want to follow it down?" Edmund asked.
Hogar: Hogar looked at the passage, worried "Something...likely not good. I think it would be worth the risk, but let's be extremely careful. We don't know if whatever did this is still around."
sd: the party continued along the winding passage, descending down fifteen or twenty feet below the level of the compound before beginning to climb again. As they went, they increasingly noticed large numbers of insects climbing along the walls, and here or there bits of webbing. As they went, the webs became more and more numerous and solid.
Leofric: Leofric nodded warily, "Still, the Changers believe there is a source of great power here. I believe that is worth checking. Personally, I would not be surprised if there are still some down here. These kinds of things does happen with unpleasantly high rate.
sd: they made their way onwards, winding up and down, left and right, in a seemingly random fashion. The passages narrowed as they went, and they found more and more webs as they went. Beetles crept underfoot, and a spider about the size of a hand dropped down from the roof and landed on Leofric's shoulder.
Leofric: Leofric jumped at the sudden weight on his shoulder and glanced at the crawling sprider and gave a small yelp of surprise and flicked it off quickly as possible while maintaining calm.
Leofric: "I don't like them very much" Leofric told the others moderately.
sd: the party continued along the path. At some points the webs began to block the passage, and thus they had to slowly hack and burn their way through. As they did, the air was suddenly pierced by a woman's scream somewhere ahead of them.
Hogar: Hogar eyes widened in surprise as he held his axe tight in his hands
Hogar: edit: and he held his axe tight, as if expecting some kind of monster to attack them suddenly
Leofric: Leofric frowned, "Maybe it is a trap... Stay calm" He whispered to others, warning them not to move too quickly.
Leofric: among the webs
Beomund: "How could anyone be alive down here?" muttered Beomund, moving forward quickly but cautiously along with the others.
Leofric: Leofric replied pithly, "Maybe they are not alive but undead..."
Hogar: "It could be magic meant to lead us into a trap." replied Hogar running beside Beomudn
Hogar: edit: Beomund
Leofric: He reconsidered that... "Or... if they are like spiders, maybe they got some all webbed up for later use..."
Edmund: Edmund grimaced. "Are we going down?"
Leofric: "Well, it is possible that magic source is used by the creature or the creature itself." Leofric shrugged among the webs, "Do we even have a choice? I don't like the idea of leaving any monsters or potential enemies behind us."
Edmund: Edmund shrugged. "There is that."
sd: they rushed forward, down the last little passage, and then out into a broad cavern.
the cavern was divided in two by a ledge about fifteen feet high. On the ground below, on a large web, there was a woman in faded leathers, stuck to the web. A huge spider stood nearby, looming over her, webs spinning between its sickening legs.
You whisper to Leofric: as soon as they entered, Leofric sensed that the woman was an illusion, and began to look around for the source of the spell.
Leofric: Leofric quickly warned the others and quietly, "The woman is an illusion." Leofric glanced around.
Edmund: "That explains a lot," Edmund said with a grim smile. "An illusion to draw us to our deaths, trying to save her."
Hogar: Hogar's frowned as Leofric spoke up "Sorcery? But who could do that here? The spider?"
sd: there was a sound from the ceiling of the cavern, some twenty feet above, and far away, and the woman blinked out of existence. "Then die!" a voice hissed. Another great spider emerged from the darkness, and around them they heard the sound of more scuttling limbs moving to the attack.
Edmund: Edmund swore quietly and drew his bow.
Leofric: Leofric eyed Aranea on the ceiling of the cavern, "Of course, An Aranea!" and he followed up with a bolt from his crossbow. Alas, the Aranea was nimble enough to avoid the shot.
sd: the aranea rolled away from the bolt, sending out a glob of web and swinging from the ceiling. Once it had righted itself, it murmured some words and cast a spell towards Leofric, however the scribe countered and dispelled it before he could be affected.
Leofric: Leofric narrowed his eyes at Aranea, watching her ever so carefully.
Edmund: Edmund watched the great spider too, as he raised a hand and cast a spell over the arrows.
sd: apart from the aranea which remained fastened to the ceiling, the spiders began to advance, scurrying up the cliff on their long legs
Hogar: Hogar hurled his hatchet at the giant spider on the ceiling. The weapon struck one of the creature legs and then cut through a thick web-strand. The creature twisted hideously and fell down on floor of the ledge
Leofric: Leaving his crossbow behind, he drew nearer to the running spriders, reaching for his longsword.
Hogar: edit: and fell down on the floor of the ledge, hurting itself.
Leofric: Leofric quickly drew his fine longsword out, its fine blade glistening in the torchlight and smiled with grimness at these approaching spriders
Leofric: He glanced at Atranea and his eyes widen at the spell and warned Edmund, "Hey, Aranea is trying Tiring spell on you!"
Edmund: Edmund immediately held the arrow with one hand while he brought the other up, muttering the words to avert the foul creature's magic. "Thank you Leo."
Edmund: Edmund fired a fiery arrow at the horror but it missed.
Hogar: Hogar readied his heavier axe, preparing to face the spiders in melee
Leofric: Leofric draw his shield, strapping on his left arm. He moved carefully, ensuring that he is protecting his head, left arm and chest.
Beomund: Hogar moved forward beside the others, his hammer at the ready.
Beomund: *edit: Beomund
sd: the aranea began to cast a more complex spell, sibiliant syllables dripping from its maw
Leofric: Leofric warned the others that this foul creature is casting a spell that might drain strength of the target and it might even be Edmund!
Edmund: Edmund frowned but he continued grimly reloading his bow.
sd: the first of the giant spiders closed into range with the party. Their enormous legs stabbed out like spears, making it difficult for the party to get close enough to attack them effectively.
Leofric: Leofric moved in and attempt to strike the middle spider but making its legs is getting into the way.
Leofric: edit: finding its legs getting into the way
sd: at the last moment, the aranea paused in its incantation, and its spell failed.
Beomund: Beomund struck the nearest spider in the leg, temporarily crippling it with a crunching sound.
sd: the spiders stabbed out with their huge legs at Beomund and Hogar. Though they blocked the blows, the spiders were able to wrap their limbs round them, trying to drag them into reach of their mandibles which dripped with venom
Hogar: Hogar lashed out with his axe at the hideous spider-limb gripping him, wounding the creature which writhed in pain but kept its grip
Leofric: Leofric managed to strike a blow on the giant spider and managed to inflict more wounds but not serious enough
Beomund: test
Edmund: Edmund fired again at the great Aranea. This time his arrow struck home, hitting on of the monstrous legs, and breaking the creature's concentration on its spell.
Beomund: Beomund struggled against the spider holding him, holding his hammer near the head and bashing at its legs with the haft, finally striking it in the wound left by Leofric's blade, causing it to flinch in pain.
sd: the spider attacking Hogar dragged him in close to its dripping mandibles
Hogar: Hogar desperatively bashed at the leg gripping him with the haft of his axe, forcing the limb off his shield
sd: the aranea tried to cast a spell at Edmund, but failed
Leofric: Leofric attacked Beomund's spider again at the same leg but doesn't seems to cause that much damage
Beomund: Beomund continued to pound at the injury on the spider's leg, until finally the hairy limb was torn off. The creatures released him and fell back, writhing in agony.
sd: one of the wounded spiders dragged itself away from its foes while the others moved in
sd: the spiders advanced, one of them making for Edmund
Edmund: Edmund moved back, carefully avoiding the webs.
Hogar: Hogar slammed the shaft of his weapon into the spider again, turning it into a ichory mess
sd: the aranea once again tried, and failed, to cast a spell
Leofric: Noticing that a giant spider making its way to Edmund, he took the advantage gained from changeover of a giant spider. He muttered some protection spell but failed to do so. "You need to get through me!"
Edmund: Edmund fired again at the Aranea, striking a leg and seeing with satisfaction that it had damaged the monster.
Beomund: Finding his balance after being released by the spider, Beomund saw another scuttling into the fray. He leapt forward, bringing his hammer down into its cluster of eyes. There was a squelching sound, and the spider was driven to the ground.
Hogar: Hogar took advantage of the poor situation of the spider he had been attacking to slip to a distance more favorable to his axe
Leofric: Leofric threw himself in the fray with the approaching danger toward Edmund and managed to landed a signicant blow but alas, not that serious
Edmund: Edmund whipped out another arrow and fitted it to his bow.
Beomund: Beomund moved up beside Hogar and struck the wounded leg of the spider he was fighting.
sd: the spider attacked Leofric, but stunned by his powerful attack, it stabbed wide
Hogar: Now fully free of the hideous monster's grip Hogar lashed out with his axe, biting deep into its wounded leg, destroying it. The thing collapsed, a hideous mess
Leofric: Leofric attacked the spider once and plunged his longsword into a leg and impaled it, its blade can be seen jutting out of other side
sd: several of the spiders were already downed, so the aranea and the remaining one attempted to flee. One of the spiders was able to scuttle away through a hole concealed at the southern edge of the cavern, however before the aranea could escape Ed struck it with another two arrows. Shearing through the creature's leg, it lost its grip on the ceiling, tried to shoot out another web, and plummeted to the floor twenty feet below. The impact smashed another leg and its midsection heavily, leaving it stunned in the dirt. As the mighty spider struggled to rise, Edmund put another few arrows into her, slaying the creature.
Edmund: Edmund breathed out with a whistle. "That was an unpleasant experience. But God was with us again."
Hogar: "It's a good thing you realized that was an illusion, Leofric!"said Hogar, relieved "Otherwise I fear we'd have been their lunch...."
Beomund: "An appropriate place for that to be so," said Beomund in satisfaction, responding to Ed.
Edmund is disconnected.
Leofric: Leofric sighed, "Yes! It was a trap after all. But thankfully, we are able to win this fight!"
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jun 29, 2014 13:32:40 GMT
sd: although one of the spiders had escaped, the party had slain the aranea and escaped unscathed. Once they had time to catch their breath, they were able to block the hole the spider had escaped from.
There was another hole in the ground on the northern edge of the cavern, and the party went to examine this. It was a very tight squeeze, however when they shone their light into it they saw the ground sloped upwards and above that was a larger, more open space.
Leofric: Leofric nodded at the sights, wondering if he can find this source of magic. "Will restore my sense of magic back. Give me a moment." He made some gestures and did it twice although he does look slightly tired.
Beomund: Beomund volunteered to go first as they investigated the space above. For his size he was adept at working in such tight spaces, having fought as a sapper in the war.
Hogar: "Do you sense the magic coming from there, Leofric?"Hogar asked him as he finished his spell
Edmund: Edmund spoke quietly to Leofric. "That damned spider spell has done you no good. If there are any more sent our way, I will do my best to save you from them."
Leofric: Leofric nodded at Edmund's words and thanked him, "I will bear that in mind."
sd: they scurried up the narrow pathway and found themselves in a short corridor. To their right was a collapsed staircase, which, they guessed, would have once connected to the other collapsed corridor they had found above. Ahead of them, the corridor curved off to the left.
You whisper to Leofric: Leo cast his spell and concentrated his senses. Once again, he felt something similar to what he had at the Great Heartfire, a sense of some immense source of power, but again it seemed far away and somehow smothered, concealed, or far away. He also realised he felt other magic within the area - but it seemed to be seeking to evade his sense, as if darting behind cover.
Edmund: Edmund peered around. "I wonder how the stars came to collapse. Unless it was deliberate, by the defenders.
Leofric: Leofric frowned for a moment
You whisper to Leofric: Leo concentrated his will, recollecting the lessons Sigrun had taught him, carefully probing for the magic that he sensed that was trying to avoid his senses. With a supreme effort, he hunted down the first dweomer and a taste of flame came into his mouth - some manner of fireball spell he guessed, a trap of some kind. And with that the second magic suddenly came to him as well, for it was the very same spell, simply in a different area of this section of the compound. He then turned to the third dweomer, and he ruthlessly put forth his Will and tracked it down despite its efforts to evade him - a curse of some kind, which filled his mouth with a taste like decay.
Hogar: "What is it, Leo?"
Leofric: Leofric wrinked his nose with hint of dislike and replied to Hogar's question, "I can sense two auras which feel like traps that use a a ball of flame and a third feel like a curse that is rotting."
Edmund: Edmund frowned. "Nasty. Any idea how far off they are?"
Hogar: Hogar grimaced "Fire I feel we could deal with, but a curse of rotting..."
Leofric: Leofric nodded with a hint of moderation and replied, "We will deal with that if it come to that." He took out a potion he got from Dunstan and drained it in one go. Looking at Edmund, responding to his question, "In this area at least, I will know if we get near to them."
Hogar: "Do you think the traps might be disarmed or avoided? Otherwise, I'll lead the way if you wish." he said, not sounding too excited at the prospect but likely believing himself the most enduring by far
Beomund: "We disarmed the fire traps on Coelney," said Beomund. "Keep an eye out for any mechanisms."
Leofric: "I am sure they could be disarmed by sheer force of the Will." Leofric looked thoughtful, "But we will see." He looked at Hogar and agreed with him, "Lead the way." He smiled at Hogar.
Hogar: "I shall. "Hogar said setting off, his shield ready "But warn me when I get closer to the traps."
sd: the party continued along the corridor and soon found themselves at an intersection. There was a large symbol of the Prophet's Star carved in relief on the wall ahead of them. The Changer motto had once been carved above it, they guessed, for they could still see here and there where the letters had been, however this had been obliterated with some manner of chisel.
There were passages to the right and the left of them. The left was a relatively short passageway ending in a large, heavy wooden door, while on the right was a corridor that branched off into a number of side rooms. Leofric guessed that the spells he had detected all emanated from an area ahead of the party, beyond the wall they now faced, possibly in a room or area beyond these passages.
Leofric: He stroke his unshaven chin and glanced at the others and told them, "I think it is likely that it would be beyond that wooden door. Might be worth checking the side rooms first before we cross that threshold."
sd: the party went to check the side rooms, noticing, as they did, that there was a strong wooden door along the northern wall. This door seemed stronger than those which led into the side rooms, probably leading further into the complex.
There were a dozen side rooms, which they guessed, from their relatively spacious and comfortable nature, must have belonged to some of the Changer leaders. Every room had at least one empty bookcase as well as broken desks, chairs, and tables. By all signs, however, they had been picked over carefully - they found the occasional scrap of paper and were able to make out a few words, but nothing which seemed particularly useful.
sd: the party scoured the area, and, after a few sweeps, Ed and Beomund were able to find what appeared to be some kind of hidden compartment near to the bed in one of these rooms. Within, they found a handful of gold and silvers, as well as a silver medallion. This one was studded with ruby, sapphire, and amber, in the shape of the Prophet's Star. On the reverse was etched in Old Gaston the words 'Change is the Way; the Way is Change'. Most interestingly, however, were a few scraps of parchment on which was a lengthy entry in the Old Gaston script.
sd: Leofric translated the document for the group:
We have finally retaken our home, but if this is a victory then I pray God never grants us a defeat, for its cost has been horrendous.
In God's name I curse the vile traitor Ruaidri, the most abominable of deceivers and murderers! The Blessed Sister granted him her favour and knowledge, and he has rewarded her by bringing in his cohorts and murdering her in her sleep, along with many others. He has somehow sealed the Wyrd from us for now. This wound might have ended me, but I can know peace now, because I know God will not allow me to die until I have had the chance to avenge myself on him!
We have not been able to get our hands on the traitor himself, but he had with him five other Virian cohorts, of whom we fought four. Every one of them met our magic with their own! The one who wounded me claimed they were 'tainted', as we were, but that they still served God while we had gone beyond His love and dared to claim to know his mind and intent.
If only we could have interrogated one! But they all fought to their deaths, and the mercenaries they hired did not know or care about their employers, so long as they were paid. Those we have captured say that the man who wounded me was the leader of the Virians, but they treated one other with the familiarity and comradeship that comes from long experience with one another. Were these the only ones of their kind, or might the Judges have more of these murderous hypocrites at their beck and call? I hope they do not, but fear that they do.
Ruaidri and another remain near to the Wyrd, and have somehow tapped its power to prevent us from entering. Some of the mercenaries claim the Virians had hired reinforcements who would be coming here. I believe this a lie to make us flee in fear so that Ruaidri can complete his work at the Wyrd, and if Wulfhelm, Alkmund, Godrun and the rest have their way we will fall for their ploy! We can overcome this barrier with enough time and wisdom, but I fear we may not get it. Now that the Blessed Sister is dead we have no one to unite and direct us. What madness is this, to scatter and hide when we have this place to call our home? God save us from our folly...
Hogar: "The Wyrd."Hogar mused "Is that the source of magic you perceive?"
Leofric: Leofric frowned at the document and nodded, "Yes, that is most likely. Also, it was somehow dimmed which might be explained by the presence of this barrier."
Beomund: "So Thenghelm did betray them..." muttered Beomund. "This Wyrd - I suspect it is something like what Aescwine was using."
Beomund is disconnected.
Hogar: "Earlier I had been considering Thenghelm may have sincerely adopted some of their beliefs, but it seems that wasn't the case."said Hogar to Beomund
Leofric: Leofric frowned with a hint of anger, "They didn't deserve this fate, long forgotten they are. I am acutally coming to the conclusion that there may be a secret order of the Virians capable of casting magic in Maseda. Bit like that Ser Hengest and his companions. But then, are we any different?" Leofric considered that.
Hogar: "Well, I'm no knight." Hogar smiled briefly "Still. You think the barrier is still up, isn't it? Should it be brought down?"he asked
Leofric: "Also, it seems to me that Wulfhelm, Alkmund, Godrun and the rest are the ones who decided to flee, scatter themsleves to the winds to hide. Still, I want to know what happen to this Thenghelm." Leofric smiled with hint of grimness. When Hogar asked his question, "Well, we will need to see the barriers beforehand."
sd: they decided to return to the other door they had seen at the intersection before they made for what this note had named the Wyrd. Opening the door, they found themselves in what they guessed had been some kind of drawing room, with a circular table against the wall, a number of tables, and a small cabinet that had probably once contained drinks. There was another door on the wall opposite where they had entered, and this was open a crack, leading into a quite large room.
Leofric: Leofric glanced around the room and nodded, "The fire trap is in the room beyond" He told the others as he helped them to search the room for any clues.
Hogar: Hogar went to check the cabinet, though he did so carefully
sd: they checked this room carefully - in the cabinet there was a small wine glass, which they guessed had been left as part of the glass had chipped off, but it was possible it could fetch a price. Otherwise, nothing had been left here.
Hogar: Hogar shrugged "I guess it's time to check the trapped passage."
Leofric: "Indeed." Leofric replied as they made their way to the other side, through the door although it was clear he was very wary.
sd: they found themselves in the largest room they had found themselves in while in the compound. There was a side area which had probably been a library along the southern wall, which had probably once been behind a curtain which was now gone. The room itself had obviously been well furnished, with a large, comfortable bed, a number of cases and chests which were open and had been picked through, and a large table which adjoined a small area which they guessed had been set aside for the preparation of food. As Leofric concentrated, he guessed that one of the fire runes was nearby, but not, he thought, in this room - rather, it was just behind the north wall, though there was no obvious passage or door there.
sd: they checked the wall and rather quickly found that there was a hidden doorway here, which clearly led to some kind of passageway in which the fire trap was contained. The doorway itself was hidden behind a panel which swung out, though Edmund quickly realised that the door itself was trapped, and would trigger perhaps a spear or arrow from a hole in the wall on anyone who sought to open the door without the key.
sd: Beomund and Edmund managed, between them, to disarm the trap, and Ed quickly went to work on picking the lock.
sd: Edmund quickly picked the look, and while he did this the rest of the group searched the room. Looking in the library, they found another secret compartment in the wall, hidden behind a bookcase. Opening it, they found more money and another Changer medallion, several pouches full of black powder, and another document written in Old Gaston.
Hogar: Hogar looked at the black powder with curiosity "Think I heard about this sort of substance somewhere. Helps focusing if properly burned and inhaled, from what I understand." he spoke up
Leofric: Leofric looked at Hogar with a hint of surprise as Hogar replied on what they may be and went on to read the document,
sd:
In the Conclave we sometimes would translate documents which suggested that the Forerunners had sources of powerful magic, but we never found one and nothing they taught me prepared me for this.
The light! The great light within the Wyrd is incredible beyond my capacity to describe. A mighty golden cord, the ring round this reality, infinitely strong. It is the greatest effort of my will every time to not allow myself to be drawn into it and gone for all time.
When I have mustered the courage to dare go near to it, or rather allowed my soul to go approach it, I can sense the limitless power there, the very essence that brings imbalance and change to the world. Is this the very Spirit of God, His manifestation in the hundred and forty-fifth? Or is this just a connection to God's Spirit? Might I see His true form if I allowed myself to merge into the great cord?
Was this what the Prophet saw on Mount Maragar? It is mad to wish it, as I only saw him before he sent me here when I was a child, but I wish I had known him well enough to ask! The only time I have ever felt this sense of power and possibility was when I made my pilgrimage to Mount Maragar as a child. When I go near to the cord I feel its power and knowledge flooding into my soul. Was this how God made His Revelation to the Prophet?
I do not know, but I know that the great cord is holy and of God, for nothing else could have such power and glory. And I swear that when I have allowed myself to concentrate upon it I have sensed its incredible might, and can feel its power and knowledge flooding into my soul, and yet I swear that I have sensed something else as well. Hunger? Might it even be named loneliness?
It will be a long time before I can go so near as today, for I know if I tried now I would surrender and allow it to claim me, and I have more to accomplish in the hundred and forty-fifth before I can know that bliss.
The great cord desires to know my mind and experience my essence. I feel the thirst to understand my imperfections and to know wonder and uncertainty. How must it feel to already know all things, to be incapable of growth, stuck in a stasis?
I know in my soul that this is what we were made for! If I only knew the way, I believe that with an effort of will, my dissolving soul might bring forth a final blessing through union with God. And how much greater would this be if we were to all put forth our Wills? A new reality, the hundred and forty-sixth, might finally arise, and bring about the Great Change to God Himself, to bring Him the Capacity to Change. I swear I will gladly see my flesh torn and my soul burned to do this. I will give everything of myself to see this done. It is God's Will!
Hogar: "The golden cord....I don't think any of us will ever forget that, how could we?"said Hogar "This fits with that I thougt about the Prophet and Mount Maragar!" he added, obviously feeling the revelation was of great importance
Leofric: Leofric looked faintly stunned at the information he read out and nodded, "Look like you are right after all, Hogar. Maybe this is what the Prophet experienced after all. And Diera was once a member of the Conclave as well." Leofric frowned for a moment as it may be that Diera broke the vows in some way.
Leofric: "Yet..." Leofric paused for a moment before continuing, "Are we meant to mess with something like this. After all, we still do not know the nature of the Golden Cord although I already seen it twice. Still, this whet my interest!"
Hogar: "Perhaps we shall see it another time in our lives. And soon."said Hogar "Think you are ready?"
Leofric: Leofric folded the document away ever so careful and nodded.
sd: the party headed into the secret passage. It was a short staircase which led down into a very large, high-ceilinged, circular chamber. Looking towards the chamber, they realised that here, for the first time, there were signs of the fighting that had occured here - there were bones on the floor, along with broken and rusted weapons and shattered arrowheads.
It was hard to concentrate on this, however, for Leofric sensed that the source of the fire trap was nearby, and would spring on anyone descending the stairs. He searched and saw a barely discernible rune on the wall - there was no way to disable this through conventional means, but if he put forth his will it might be possible to prevent it from activating.
Leofric: Leofric closed his eyes and focused all his Will on it.
sd: Leofric was able to reweave the dweomer, preventing the fire trap from activating, and the party continued down into the great chamber. As they went, their hairs stood on their arms, as they sensed something like they had at the Great Heartfire. This, clearly, was the chamber of the Wyrd.
It was a very large room, with a ceiling far above them, with tall pillars engraved with the runes of the Forerunners of old. In the middle of the room, there was a set of concentric marbled steps, leading up to a great dais upon which there was an altar of silver. A pile of ash remained upon the dais.
There were, altogether, perhaps six or seven sets of bones here - it was impossible to tell which might have been Changers and which might have been Thenghelm's men. This room, alone, had not been picked clean - whatever barrier the saint had erected during his attack had obviously dissolved in the long years since. Any hopes of finding further documents, however, were dashed, for it was clear, from the piles in one corner, that these had been burned while Thenghelm and his men held the place. There was a scattering of candlesticks, censers, rings, and other jewellery. The weapons were all useless, although they noted with interest that one sword appeared to have an Erse style to it, while another was also of a clearly non-Gaston type, though Beomund could not place it.
Leofric: Leofric whistled at the scenery in front of him and noticed the weapons, "It looks like these mercs came from over sea then...."
Hogar: Hogar eyes glanced at the room, until they focused on the ash. He stood in thought for a few seconds before speaking: "Ash...do you remember Aescwine's notes? That's what one of his priests turned to when he merged with the golden cord..."
Leofric: He went on to examine the dais, curious as to the mighty power of the Forerunners. Leofric nodded with agreement with Hogar, "Yes, that sound like what happen."
Leofric: edit: happened
Hogar: "Of course, it could just be ash from something else."Hogar shrugged, second-guessing himself. He looked at the remains of Thenghelm's men and their weapons, but said nothing
sd: they ascended the dais, and their eyes were immediately drawn to something within the pile of ash. It was a ring of human bone, set with a fire opal, and engraved with runes in in the tongue of the ancient Swennings.
Leofric: Leofric examined the ring and sighed for a moment, "So who would thought a simple request by the Church could lead to this..."
Hogar: "Thenghelm's ring."stated Hogar matter-of-factly
Leofric: He glanced around the dark room, lit by faint light of their torch and shivered for a moment. He knees down and plucked the ring from the ground and exmained the ring, "Yes, the "Saint" himself
sd: the party tried putting forward their wills towards the source of magic they had sensed, but they found this was completely impossible - though they could sense it, somehow the saint had managed to prevent it from being accessed, so instead it hung in the back of their minds. It was like the phantom itch of a severed limb, discernible but forever beyond their reach. Perhaps, they thought, with an enormous expenditure of time and resources, it might be possible to undo the saint's work. From Aescwine's notes, however, it had taken them many months to access their own Wyrd - and that had not been blocked in this way. In all likelihood, accessing this Wyrd again would take the work of a lifetime.
Hogar: "If this is his ring, then these are his ashes." Hogar said. There was a hint of sadness in his voice. "I...can feel the magic. It is very distant, though. Too far, I suppose."
Leofric: Leofric nodded, "It look like he decided to sacrifice himself to seal it. I wonder what he himself think of the whole sad affair. Clearly, he and the other leaders believe that the Changers are wrong and they are right.
Leofric: He paused for a moment, "But that's only a point of view"
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jul 12, 2014 11:00:29 GMT
After learning the secrets of the Changers, the party deliberated on what to do. Eventually, they came to their decision. Beomund carefully collapsed the entrance they had found and concealed it behind debris, although this was a lengthy process as it was underwater.
They first headed back to Waldtun to speak to Farmon and Claennis, who they told everything. Knowing the possible danger this information could put the party in, if they were known as the source, he agreed that he would spread it slowly, piece by piece, to conceal the source. He also agreed that he would do more research into whether any of the Changers had survived, and where they might have gone, though his immediate suspicion was that the party should look to Tohringland.
In Prestenbroc, they spoke to the Rectors and returned Saint Thenghelm's ring and ashes. They gave a more careful version of what had occurred, explaining that he had died fighting heretics, but avoided mention of possible heirs to the Prophet or of the magical nature of the Changers. This had required them to keep back some of the documents they had found, but fortunately the Changers' habit of referring to Diera as the Blessed Sister worked to their advantage here. The Church seemed pleased with what they had found and rewarded them handsomely for the return of the ring. With this completed, they were able to turn their gaze southwards.
It snowed one final time on their way south, not far from Bluebrycg, but winter had retreated and by the time they arrived back in Phalen it was gone entirely. The flowers began to bloom, and the fields were busy with activity. In Phalen itself, the dire situation of the winter began to fade, and people were able to find seasonal work in the fields or in building work. There were still many beggars and working poor throughout the city, but Goldwyne and Maccus had been busy at work while the party were away in the north. With some funds coming from the Church, they had begun to make something of a difference, providing food and a place to rest for those worst off in the city. Although Maccus had a keen mind for commerce, he admitted supplies were constantly low as demand far outstripped their ability to help, and he said more money was needed if they were to avoid having to scale it back. Fortunately, they would have many months now to build up contacts before the winter came again and the situation was truly desperate.
As winter lifted, travel was easier and more tales came from the lands around Palania and further abroad. The King of Suthfryd had now committed his troops to a campaign in Krygarland, and were engaged in hard fighting along the river Krygar. There were stories from Fryderi traders to say there had been an uprising against the sorcerer-king in Balagost, and tales of fighting around Chepworth as the dragonspawn sallied out of the hills.
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jul 12, 2014 11:14:09 GMT
When the party arrived back in Phalen, Synne explained that representatives of the Council had visited quietly and were seeking the party's assistance with a mission of extreme importance. While they were free to reject the offer, the Council wanted the party's assurances that they would keep the contents of the discussion secret. The mission was urgent to the security of all Palania, and to divulge the contents of the discussion would be regarded as treason and punishable by death.
The party agreed to the request for discretion, and thus met quietly in the manor with the Council's representatives. They were led by Councillor Rypen of Phalen, who had come to Dunstan and Synne's wedding. He was accompanied by Councillor Ealric of Bluebrycg, as well as Norhan, a Councillor representing the Virian Church.
Rypen explained that the Council were preparing for the possibility of a major military campaign against the pirates of the Kalmar Isles, who were in control of a strategically important archipelago to the southwest of the Palanian mainland. For years they had raided the coasts, taking away slaves and looting settlements, and harassing traders from Frydenland. Since the League between Palania and Gastony had been formed, they had also attacked many ships carrying Virian settlers to Palania. To the Church's great distress, they had also made it virtually impossible for any Palanian converts to fulfil the Certainty of Pilgrimage and travel to Mount Maragar in Gastony.
The party had heard that the Council had voted to forgo such a campaign, and had instead adopted the proposal of the Ealdorman of Bluebrycg, to focus their efforts against the dragonspawn in Grantun. Councillor Ealric had come specifically to reassure the group on this point. The Council had determined that it would be unwise to announce their intentions to their possible enemies, given the likelihood that the Kalmar pirates had spies on the mainland. They had decided therefore to stage a fake vote, to trick the pirates into relaxing their guard.
This ploy seemed to have succeeded, for their reports indicated that many pirates were now off raiding as winter had ended. The Council wanted to strike now, while they were away, and so they proposed for the party, in coordination with other Council forces, to serve as an elite strike force, to seize one of the Kalmar forts as a staging post for further campaigns. The party's task would be to take and hold the fort for as long as it took for reinforcements to arrive from the mainland.
The Council would need two weeks to quietly gather troops on the southwestern coast, with Wunfjorthr serving as base of operations.
As a reward, the Council would, as an immediate payment, provide the party with 2000 silvers each, half up front. The more lasting reward, however, would be for the party to each be granted the honorary title of Thegns of Phalen.
As they would be Thegns in service to the city rather than any individual lord, the party would be exempted from the military service that typically went with that rank (save in circumstances of general conscription, which would apply regardless). The party would gain the right to vote and indeed to stand in Council elections, as well as to make petitions to the Phalen councillors on matters of interest. Finally, the group would each gain stipends from the city, receiving 10 silvers each week for the rest of their lives, so long as they remained resident in Phalen.
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jul 12, 2014 11:16:29 GMT
sd: after speaking to Farmon, the party headed to Prestenbroc and gave back the Ring of Saint Thenghelm, along with certain details of how the Saint had died. They carefully avoided mention of possible descendants of the Prophet, as well as the magical nature of the Changers, but the representatives of the Rectors seemed satisfied with what they were told and rewarded them handsomely for returning the ring.
They then made the long journey back south. It snowed one final time on their way south, not far from Bluebrycg, but winter had retreated and by the time they arrived back in Phalen it was gone entirely. The flowers began to bloom, and the fields were busy with activity. In Phalen itself, the dire situation of the winter began to fade, and people were able to find seasonal work in the fields or in building work. There were still many beggars and working poor throughout the city, but Goldwyne and Maccus had been busy at work while the party were away in the north. With some funds coming from the Church, they had begun to make something of a difference, providing food and a place to rest for those worst off in the city. Although Maccus had a keen mind for commerce, he admitted supplies were constantly low as demand far outstripped their ability to help, and he said more money was needed if they were to avoid having to scale it back. Fortunately, they would have many months now to build up contacts before the winter came again and the situation was truly desperate.
As winter lifted, travel was easier and more tales came from the lands around Palania and further abroad. The King of Suthfryd had now committed his troops to a campaign in Krygarland, and were engaged in hard fighting along the river Krygar. There were stories from Fryderi traders to say there had been an uprising against the sorcerer-king in Balagost, and tales of fighting around Chepworth as the dragonspawn sallied out of the hills.
The Council, meanwhile, contacted the party with an offer of work, to help reclaim the Kalmar Isles which were infested with pirates. Owing to the secrecy of the mission, they needed a few weeks to begin to gather troops, giving the party time to rest and study before setting out on this dangerous endeavour.
Edmund: Edmund talked over the situation of the shelter. "How much is needed to keep supplies going during the warmer months do you think?"
Edmund: * with Maccus
Beomund: Beomund, still holding a deep hatred for pirates, eagerly agreed to the mission. He spent his time prior to it brushing up on his strategic training from his military days, as well as walking under the stars and naming the constellations - useful for a sea voyage, and also an excuse to get out. He seemed withdrawn for most of the two weeks they resided, his thoughts far off.
sd: Maccus consulted some of his notes. "Four thousand silvers. I might manage with two thousand but it would be tightwork."
Edmund: Edmund shook his head. "No need to scrimp in such important work. We earned good pay working for the church. I can give you the sum needed. I will leave some with Dunstan as well, for emergencies."
Hogar: Hogar eagerly accepted the mission, obviously eager to face the pirates, but also sounding pleased by the promise of Thegn status.
Having grown closer to magic though his recent experiences, he spent some of his own private time studying the grimoire until he felt he could at least attempt minor cantrips of protection and strength.
He did mention his new studies to the others, who had obviously far greater experience in the use of magic, and also studied a scroll they found in Hylltoft to learn a spell that would enhance coordination. Obviously he expected that such power would be useful in battle.
Hogar: add: When Edmund spoke to him to ask for further funds for the shelter, he agreed and provided a thousand silver. "Hopefully with a warmer season things will go better for the people of Phalen." he said
Beomund: Beomund nodded his assent and sent his share of the money to Maccus without comment.
Edmund: "We are building a solid future for them," Edmund said with a smile. Apart from his concerns with the shelter he had spent some time before their next mission studying one of the scrolls, learning a new spell which created strange visions from mist or small objects. He also spent days at the Bard's college, the prospect of becoming a Thegn having sparked a desire to learn about politics.
Leofric: Leofric was away from the manor for two weeks. Still, it seems everytime his friends saw him, he became more alive and restful. This is because he was mediating by a local Runestone to restore his high power. Still, he found himself that he does not have time for anything apart from a long discussion with Sigrun, his mentor about the adventure he and his friends went on in the distant north as well other topics. Leofric also spent some time discussing with Maccus about the potential plan for the school as he used to be a teacher back in homeland.
Leofric: When Maccus pointed out the needs for the funds, he immediately offers his share, 1000 silvers as well. He also left 4000 silvers as advance payment for the potential school just in case anything happen to him.
You whisper to Leofric: Sigrun was very interested in what they had discovered. "That was a very confused age, we don't know enough about what was happening then. Too much was lost when Phalen fell." She paused. "If we could reach Manehtar's library, we might be able to uncover information about these matters. He was the wisest of the Conclave in the age just before the dragon's attack, but left us and preferred to hoard knowledge rather than share it. Unfortunately his home was in eastern Phalen, and we're now not sure exactly where. There may be entrances in the Under-City, but it would take a long search..."
Leofric whispers: Leofric leaned back, considering this option and nodded, "We seems to have a knack for finding hidden entrances." He smiled faintly, looking serious. "This is something I am happy to look into in the distant future. I will mention this to my friends if you do not mind and see if they are up for it as well." He promised her.
Leofric: Once Leofric came back from his visit to Sigrun, and joined the group at the dinner table. Once they were on their own, he relayed his discussion with Sigrun, "As far as one knows, the Conclave is not entirely sure what happened during that time period. However, she pointed out that a mage called Manehtar who is wisest of the Conclave in the times before the dragon's attack. After he left the Conclave however, he kept his hoarded knowledge in his library whose location is unknown except somewhere in eastern Phalen. Sigrun suggested that there could be entrances in the Under-City." Leofric looked interested at this possibility, "Something to keep in mind in the future maybe?"
Hogar: "That sounds very interesting, Leofric."said Hogar "If one day we have the time, we will want to look for this secret library - the knowledge could be very useful."
Leofric: "Hmm" Leofric nodded, "She did say that it might help us and the Conclave to discover potential more information about the matter I spoken to her today. Beside, any knowledges are useful!" He gave a helpless shrug with that.
Hogar: "Knowledge is power. It could help us dealing with the Plague Fields. Or if not, in other endeavours..."Hogar trailed off.
sd: on 1 May 228, the Council contacted the party again with more details of their mission. Their target was to be the northern isle of Sokholm, which was a strategically vital site. Any ships seeking to hit the mainland from Kalmar had to pass by Sokholm, and pirates returning from the north and making for the eastern isles of Kalmar would also need to pass it by.
based on what little information the Council possessed, the various isles of Kalmar each had their own lord and the pirate captains generally went about their own business, only uniting when attacking a particularly juicy target or when attacked themselves. The leader on Sokholm was a Fryderi woman, Ragnhild, who was reputed to be a necromancer of some brutality. She rarely left her isle, putting her ships in the hands of her wight captains. The Council hoped that when she died, some of these might break free and venture elsewhere - a threat, of course, but one that could be dealt with later, and the loss of many ships might be of great assistance in the Kalmar campaign.
Their base of operations for this campaign would be the village of Wunfjorthr, the largest settlement of Palanian Fryderi on the southern coast. When contacting the party, the Council suggested they should ride there at once - Lady Sarina, the wife of the Ealdorman, had recently uncovered information of a possible defector from Sokholm nearby. Such information as they could provide might prove crucial, but only if they acted quickly and decisively.
Hogar: "Necromancy? Wight pirates?"said Hogar frowning "This won't be easy..."
Beomund: Beomund had to be roused from his bed, in which he lay fully dressed with a mostly empty bottle of liquor overturned beside him. Bleary-eyed, he did his best to listen to the Council's information. "Well we'd best leave then..." he said hoarsely.
Leofric: Leofric gathered his possessions and made ready for the great task ahead, willing to act quickly... and decisively. "So we are facing a necromancer! That should be interesting! This give me a chance to practise my 'civilised' language." His tone recalling Lady Kasyra.
sd: the Lady Sarina had been present for Dunstan and Synne's wedding, though the party themselves had not spoken to her. Synne wrote them a quick note of introduction, though she suspected it wouldn't be needed. "She's the one who actually runs things in Wunfjorthr, Ealdorman Skeyrne just does as she tells him," she said.
Hogar: "Just as well."said Hogar "We might as well ride there now, unless there's anything else you have to do...?"Hogar turned to the others.
Leofric: Leofric thanked Synne for the letter of introduction,
Leofric: EDIT: And the useful information, commenting on the fact that such state of affairs may be more common than people think.
Beomund: Beo shook his head at Hogar's question, rubbing his temples.
Edmund: Edmund took the letter and thanked Synne. "This bids fair to be a most interesting and challenging adventure," he said with smile.
Leofric: Leofric told Edmund afterward, "Another one to add to your repertoires? Hmm?" #
Hogar: "Will make quite a tale, I don't doubt it!"said Hogar in response to Leofric and Edmund
Edmund: "I've been working on some songs about our previous missions," Edmund admitted. "Not finished yet though."
sd: the party made their way along the southern coast of Palania. After stopping in the village of Renhalh, they continued on towards Wunfjorthr.
This region of Palania was home to a predominantly Fryderi population, who had settled all along the western and southern coasts during the years following the attack of the dragon. This different culture was most notably evident in the buildings - the Fryderi lived in extended clan halls, as opposed to the Gastons of Palania who tended to live in smaller groups. There had, however, been significant intermarriage in the hundred years since Fryderi settlement had begun, and almost everyone had at least some Gaston blood. They had adopted some Gaston customs, and most significantly the Gaston tongue, although they maintained their own religions and many also spoke Low Fryderi. At a very low level, they had also maintained the Fryderi practise of slavery, though they saw only a few of these as they rode, and they did not appear to be particularly worse treated than the free labourers - certainly they did not suffer the destitution that affected many of the free poor of Phalen.
Edmund: Edmund looked with interest at the surroundings, the buildings and particularly the labourers - slave or otherwise.
Leofric: Leofric listened carefully, attempting to pick much of this Low Fryderi as possible.
Beomund: Beomund glanced at the slaves as well as the other laborers as they rode, but seeing they did not look to be treated horribly he focused back silently on the road and to holding onto the reins, looking haggard.
Edmund: Edmund rode up beside Leofric and spoke quietly to him.
Hogar: "They don't look like they are treated too harshly." spoke Hogar to his companions "Though it is of course best to be a free man..."he added with a hint of sadness
Beomund: Beo looked over to Hogar for a long moment, but then just nodded.
Edmund whispers: "I'm concerned about Beomund." Edmund said looking at their companion riding ahead. "He's been hitting the bottle hard, but I think he is doing it to forget something."
Leofric whispers: Leofric sighed with a hint of sadness, "I am not sure what he is trying to forget if that is what he wanted. Maybe he want to forget his beloved wife instead?" He told Edmund in confidence.
Edmund whispers: "He seemed to reach a low point when we returned to the Manor. Perhaps he needs action to forget this sadness. I wish we could do something to help but I think we have to wait for him to speak first..." Edmund looked sympathetically at Beomund's slumped shoulders.
Leofric whispers: Leofric followed Edmund's sights and have to agree with him, "Agreed, I hate to pry about it. If push come to shove, we can ask him." He looked like he really did not want to do that, just his care for respecting Beo's privacy.
Edmund: Edmund nodded at something Leofric said, and rode on, clicking to his horse to encourage it.
sd: the party continued on to Wunfjorthr, a large coastal village of around eight or nine hundred. The majority of its people were fishermen, but there were farms here as well, and some nearby hamlets housed loggers who went into the nearby woods, though these were said to be home to many monsters and were highly unsafe.
They were led to the home of Ealdorman Skeyrne, a strong stone hall with an iron gate. Lady Sarina was in her mid-thirties, a small woman with dark hair and piercing eyes. She had a trio of Thegns with her as her guards. "Welcome, Gastonlanders," she said. "My husband is in Swithdun so I'll be hosting you. Let's retire and speak privately - what do you drink?"
Edmund: Edmund bowed gracefully. "Good day my lady. Wine or ale, unless there is something for which this area is famed?"
sd: "Our mead is the sweetest you'll ever taste," she replied.
Edmund: "That would be splendid," Edmund said with a smile.
Hogar: "Greetings."said Hogar welcoming the lady with a slight bow "Mead will be fine. "
Leofric: Leofric gave a small bow in greetings, "Greetings, my lady. I would like some of the mead." He smiled very slightly but business like.
Beomund: "Mead then, my lady, thank you," said Beomund, having steeled himself for the encounter and seeming more alert than he had for the entire journey.
sd: Sarina led the party to her study, and took a seat at a desk of polished oak. One of her servants lit the fire while another fetched their mead. "Would you care for a game while we talk? Malind here," she indicated the youngest of the Thegns, "has wanted someone he can practise against." The Thegn reached into a drawer and retrieved a wooden board, on which was painted five overlapping circles, each consisting of multi-coloured squares, and laid it out on a table. There were also tokens of jade and ivory. "I doubt you'll have played Tylaren before, but Malind is only learning himself."
Leofric: Leofric nodded, "I heard about Tylaren, it is a game designed to teach the basics of military strategy. Unfortunately, I had not an opportunity to play this game."
Hogar: "Never played myself."said Hogar smiling "But from what I know it's a game of strategy - a fine pastime for a warrior!"
Edmund: "I have never heard of it but I would like to learn this game," Edmund said, looking with interest at the board.
Beomund: "I've been trying to brush up on my strategic training," said Beomund. "I wouldn't mind a game, though I'm sure Hogar at least would find me no challenge."
Hogar: "We'll see about that. " Hogar commented with a wry smile "Even the best can make mistakes - and I'm far from that myself!" he added, sounding only moderately confident in his abilities
Edmund: Edmund sat down first, picking up the rules quickly.
sd: Malind played against Edmund first, as Sarina began to speak. "Over the last few years," she began, "my coast has been raided a number of times by a particular ship. We captured one of the pirates once and found that it was a pirate ship based out of Sokholm, and it was led by someone called Daelric - he was one of the few ship captains from Sokholm that actually remained among the living. As it happens, the ship was seen again about two months ago, but there was no raid at all, and since this time someone matching Daelric's description was seen at a settlement not far from here. Perhaps he has fallen out with this necromancer." As she spoke, Malind overcommitted himself foolishly, sending his cavalry forward on an ill-advised foray that Edmund's archers cut to pieces.
Hogar: Hogar tried to keep his focus on both the conversation and the game "Can you be sure it's not a trap and he's not meant to be a double agent?" he inquired
Leofric: Leofric stroke his chin and replied, "Or spying. Still, if he is this Daelric and have fallen out, then the information we can glean from him would be very valuable indeed." He glanced at Hogar and nodded, "That had occured to me as well."
Edmund: Edmund thanked Malind for the game and took a sip of his mead, nodding in approval at the taste. "You think if he is the same man he would be willing to speak to us?"
sd: "If he were a double agent I would have guessed he would approach me or another lord, rather than seeking to hide amongst a mystery cult," said Sarina. "Still, it's possible. When you take him into custody we'll find out." Edmund, rather quickly won the game at this point, as his counterattack rapidly seized Malind's capital.
Edmund: "Mystery cult?" Edmund asked as he made way for Hogar to take his place.
Leofric: Leofric looked at Lady Sarina with interest on the mention of Mystery cult He took a drink of the mead and smiled with approval. Clearly he enjoyed the taste.
sd: "The cult of the Whirling Lord," she said. "Hedonists, lechers, and drunkards mostly. Not somewhere to look for real enlightenment, but they are known to practise healing - they have enough drugs to make it easy - so they are popular among the local people. This presents a problem, as it makes it rather difficult to simply attack them and take Daelric captive."
Hogar: "It could be an elaborate ruse, of course. The leader of the pirates is likely very cunning, after all...." said Hogar before sitting down to play the game, looking with interest at the game board, obviously already thinking of possible strategies
sd: Malind employed a more cautious strategy this time, and he and Hogar engaged in a tight game. "She is, I've heard. Interesting, that the pirates would have a woman for their leader. I suppose that having the capacity to raise you as an undead abomination overrides their sense of superiority."
Edmund: "There's no reason why a woman shouldn't be a leader in any sphere," Edmund said. "But I suppose pirates are rather traditionalist in their attitudes."
Beomund: "Well, I suppose rape and pillage are traditional for some," said Beomund.
sd: "They are some of the oldest traditions there are," said Sarina. Malind suddenly caught Hogar in an offensive and brilliantly counterattacked with his mages, quickly putting his foe in an impossible position. "I suppose magic would be the undoing of a Virian player," Sarina said with a smile. "Brand was not a bad player either, until he converted."
Edmund: "Brand?" Edmund asked puzzled.
sd: "He was one of our mages here. He became a Virian about a year ago, for reasons I'm not particularly sure of - I must admit I don't know why anyone would follow the Virian Way - and he ran off saying he would serve the Church." Sarina shrugged. "I imagine he's killed himself by now."
Hogar: Hogar frowned at his loss for a moment but then smiled at Malind and congratulated him on his victory "A reasonable assumption." he said turning to reply to Sarina's comment "Though even these can often be wrong, in these times...." He stood up and motioned for Beomund to take his place, as the man has expressed an interest before.
Beomund is disconnected.
Edmund: "If this man has become a Virian, he is unlikely to have killed himself. Perhaps he met someone who convinced him of the Way," Edmund said.
sd: "At any rate. The Whirlers, as they're called, live on the edge of the forest to the east. They are known to engage in some light banditry, against those who aren't Fryderi, so you might be able to goad them into an attack if you look like you're particularly vulnerable or carrying something useful. Or you might sneak in and take Daelric away. Probably the wiser option. You could even try to talk them into handing him over although I'd probably have to offer concessions." Sarina looked annoyed at this possibility. After a cagey opening, Beomund went on the offensive, tearing through Malind's lines with his cavalry."
sd: "Do you think so? Virians are forbidden to use magic, which is a particularly absurd restriction. Gods know what you're meant to do if, as in Brand's case, you are capable already." Sarina watched Beomund drive through and take Malind's capital.
Edmund: Edmund looked at Leofric, then he answered, "We have met others who have converted, having lived what would be unacceptable lives if they had been Virians at the time. What a man has done before is not the issue, but what he does after he finds the Way."
Hogar: "I don't think trying to negotiate with them would be a good idea - their requests would be unreasonable, I expect. Fighting them or simply abducting Daelric sound like better plans to me. However...how many of the Whirlers are there?" Hogar asked
sd: "Twenty-five? You'd not have to fight the whole group of course. If you pretended to be carrying something valuable they'd send some people out to try to take it I expect - either Daelric would lead them, or you could just take captives and we could do an exchange."
Edmund: "Can you give us a plan of the village?" Edmund asked/
sd: "I don't have one to hand, but I can get one prepared for you," she replied.
Edmund: "Do you think they know what Daelric is? His history? Or do they not care?" Edmund asked, frowning.
Leofric: Once Beomund and Malind finished their game. He took over Beomund's position and shook hand with Malind, "First time for me, hope it will go well" He told Malind as they started their game
sd: "I suspect they do. There is a price on his head in this region, he would need to tell them or else run further away. Perhaps he has friends in the cult."
Edmund: "It would seem so. If they are prepared for banditry, they would hardly baulk at selling out a pirate otherwise..."
Hogar: "Perhaps they could be offered a pardon if they were to give him up and give up on banditry." said Hogar "I'm not convinced it's a good idea, but it's an option to consider if really wanted to avoid bloodshed."
sd: "I don't like offering pardons to people who defy me, and I'm not sure of the wisdom of speaking to them. If you fail, they'll know what we want, while with the other options you might fail and still they wouldn't realise exactly what you were after. But if you prefer to take a more peaceful route, you can offer a pardon in my husband's name and make it clear to them that they don't want to oppose me again." Leofric got the initial advantage in their match, but Malind suddenly countered, and the two contended, back and forth, each employing aggressive styles. Malind nearly took a victory, but Leofric was able to repulse the attack by redeploying his cavalry.
Leofric: Leofric was rather tense with his game and sighed with a hint of relief as he managed to score a victory, "I hope to play again." He told Malind with a board smile as he shook hand with Malind.
Edmund: "A tight game," Edmund said, as he leaned on the back of Leofric's chair. He looked up at Sarina. "We would obviously rather avoid bloodshed. These people have done us no harm, as yet."
Hogar: Hogar stopped for a moment from the conversation to congratulate Leofric on his victory, then turned back to the woman "Can't disagree. Is there anything we should watch out for should we attack them directly? "
sd: "A few are mages - nothing major, just a few cantrips. They are somewhat fond of poisons as well."
Hogar: "That's something to watch out for, then." said Hogar "Still, we have faced far worse foes than bandits that know a few cantrips. I think we'll also want to speak to the locals, perhaps they have some sort of accomplices among them."
Edmund: "Do they use these poisons on arrows or other weapons?" Edmund asked.
sd: "Arrows mostly, I believe. They prefer ambush tactics and skirmishes to a straight up fight."
sd: the party spent the afternoon asking around for information about the Whirlers. They were the only devotees of the Whirling Lord in the region, although their sect had actually had some success converting Gastons elsewhere in Palania - the Whirlers were fond of parties, dancing, singing, and orgies, and these were things that appealed to licentious persons in all cultures. They healed people, supposedly through the power of their faith, although the more common rumour suggested their capacity with drugs was the true reason, and there were endless tales of the citizenry trading sexual favours for medicine, for themselves or their loved ones. They were known to regularly overindulge in their passions and sleep late into the day, but despite this and their dangerous location they survived. They fought without fear and some believed their drugs gave them unnatural strength and willingness to continue fighting, whatever their wounds. The Whirlers were considered somewhat controversial among Fryderi for unlike other cults, they had almost entirely jettisoned any worship of ancestors - the faithful of the Whirling Lord regularly had uncertain parentages, after all.
Hogar: "They might be more dangerous foes than mere bandits." Hogar stated "Still, I think we can take them, if we have a good plan..."
Edmund: "I don't like the sound of these Whirlers," Edmund said. "Fighting while drugged to the teeth so they don't feel fear or pain..."
Hogar: "So how will we handle them? Ambush? Or some other form of deceit? Salina didn't seem to like the idea of negotiating with them too much."
Hogar: edit: Sarina
Edmund: "We need to know more about them before we do anything," Edmund said with a frown. "I don't feel happy about being pointed at these people and expected to attack them. I suggest we approach carefully and see if we can find out more."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jul 16, 2014 21:49:32 GMT
sd: the party left Lady Sarina's manor and began to prepare their action against the Whirlers, to try to take the seeming deserter, Daelric, hostage.
Hogar: "We'll want to be careful with Daelric himself - as a former pirate captain he might be a dangerous man himself."said Hogar
Hogar: "Leofric, perhaps you could try scrying for the location of their camp? You must be quite accomplised at such sorcery by now!" he added "I'm confident you can find it."
Beomund: Before leaving, Beomund asked Lady Sarina whether there was any chance of giving Daelric a pardon if he cooperated.
sd: Lady Sarina waved her hand. "I've assumed he'll ask for a pardon, you're free to offer that on my husband's behalf."
Leofric: Leofric looked thoughtful at the Hogar's idea and nodded with a hint of caution. "That is a possibility I am willing to try. I have not tried this distinct spell for a while."
Leofric: After a short discussion with the group, it was concluded that it might be good idea to go inside to avoid alarming the good people.
sd: the party were granted a place to stay with some of Sarina's cousins, and after heading to their rooms Leofric cast his spell and put out his senses towards the camp of the Whirlers
You whisper to Leofric: he let his mind wander and his sight rolled away from his body and onwards through the world. He let his vision go up into the sky and then he soared into the sky like a bird, gazing down on the land below. He passed a number of birds on his way, and one or two, he guessed, realised that something was there, though not what, as their behaviour was extremely erratic and one actually followed vaguely after him for a brief time.
After passing over the fields around Wunfjorthr, he drew near to the edge of the forest. He feared for a time that his magic was not strong enough to allow him to project his vision so far, but fortunately the village of the Whirlers was just within his reach.
The settlement was not very large, consisting of about a half dozen large halls. A few of the cult grew crops, but the majority grew strange plants Leofric suspected were used in their drugs. As Sarina had said, there were perhaps twenty-five or thirty of them. They went about unarmed but Leofric saw weapons in various places in the village, and he guessed they would be able to defend themselves.
After maybe an hour, he eventually spotted a person who appeared to be Daelric, from the description Sarina had given him, leaving one of the halls and making his way inside another. Leofric moved his eyes and was able to see that Daelric was speaking to a tall Fryderi woman, but there was little else he could tell.
Leofric whispers: While Leofric was slightly unnerved by the reactions of the birds although he did enjoyed flying through the sky. Still, after glancing around the camp, he concluded that there is little else he can see. He memorised the appearance of this tall woman. Eventually he dropped the spell.
Leofric: Leofric opened his eyes, smiling as he did so. "Well, that was interesting experience" He composed himself shortly after..
Hogar: Hogar seemed relieved to see Leofric come out of his magical trance "What did you see?"
Edmund: "Judging by your smile, it's something good," Edmund said.
Leofric: "As it turns out, I just managed to find this cult although its location is at the very limit of my power. The village they are living in is not very large. I did see about twenty to thirty cultists, although while they were unarmed, they do have weapons dotted around the village. I did managed to spot Daelric having a talk with a tall Fryderi woman so he is there after all. They do have a handful of guards dotted around the village although they look a bit disorganized."
Edmund: "Maybe they are disorganised because they are drugged," Edmund said with a sniff.
Hogar: "I'm not worried about their organization, but their magic and reputation for persistance in combat." said Hogar "So shall we approach by stealth?"
Leofric: Leofric smiled slightly at that option and replied, "We do know which building Daelric is staying in, so maybe stealth is an option after all?"
Edmund: "Stealth or maybe we could use trickery? Could we get away with any excuses?" Edmund asked.
Beomund: "The best outcome would be to convince him to come with us - he'd likely provide better information than if we kidnapped him. And sneaking out would be dangerous." He looked to Edmund. "It's an interesting idea... but we probably don't strike these people as the sort who would head into their village without an agenda. We'd need a good plan."
Edmund: "I could maybe enter the village under the guise of a travelling bard... but then what about the rest of you. Can you be there for any reason?"
Beomund: "I could be a tinker looking for work making repairs," suggested Beomund. "It's not unheard of for entertainers and professionals to travel to villages together."
Leofric: Leofric frowned for a moment, "Frankly, I would not like to see you alone at grave danger. Maybe I can come along as a scholar studying beliefs, legends... which is true in my case."
Edmund: "We could be travelling together for safety," Edmund said, warming to his theme. "Hogar as our bodyguard, unless he also has a special reasob."
Edmund: *reason
Hogar: "I guess I could claim to be a travelling healer, perhaps intent on learning of their magic?" suggested Hogar "But bodyguard would work. My armor and weaponry would stick out, anyway."
Beomund: "The healer story might put them less on edge - any aid we can render to them would likely help," suggested Beomund.
Edmund: "Leo, how did Daelric look when you saw him? Did the woman seem friendly towards him, and was he relaxed or tense?" Edmund asked.
Leofric: "Very friendly with him and he is very releaxed..." Leofric replied.
Edmund: Edmund sighed, "I'd hoped he might not be on good terms with the village people. Though maybe she was a visitor not a local..."
sd: the party decided they would try to infiltrate the village and seek to convince Daelric to come with them in exchange for a pardon.
The village of the Whirlers was on the very edge of the forest northeast of Wunfjorthr. It was not very large, consisting of a half dozen large halls, of which the central building was a communal temple and meeting point for revelry. It was dominated by a great statue of the Whirling Lord, who was presented as having a lithe and athletic body. The most interesting part of the body was the head. The god's face was made up of many part-layers, showing numerous expressions of delight and joy, meant to demonstrate that the Whirling Lord was forever in motion and by the time a mortal could think to perceive his face, it would have already changed as he experienced some new form of ecstasy.
The Whirlers were self-confessed hedonists, and their faith taught them that the Whirling Lord had made people to experience every marvellous sensation and to enjoy them all. When greeting the party for the first time, they produced a multi-coloured powder they snorted up into their noses, and clearly expected the party to do the same. Leofric and Edmund made excuses while Hogar and Beomund partook - Hogar proceeded to suffer hallucinations for much of the next day, which the villagers found amusing but did not particularly assist in their mission.
eventually, thanks largely to Edmund's fantastic music and singing abilities, they managed to make some friends in the community. Alongside their other excesses, the Whirlers did not practise marriage and considered monogamy an unnatural deviation from human nature. The village had a High Priest and a High Priestess as their leaders, who had, by all accounts, slept with everyone in the village. They were, again, amused by the party's obvious discomfort with this notion, but apart from a few amorous overtures they did not attempt to force the issue.
Casting a spell that made himself appear compelling and alluring, Edmund was able to win admirers amongst the cult's women, and through these contacts, he was able to arrange for the party to meet with Daelric (leading to comments from the women that they didn't believe that the pirate's preferences ran in that direction). Nevertheless, the pirate came to speak to them, having only a tall Fryderi woman, Skendni, one of the cult's priestesses, for company. Daelric himself was of slightly above average height, his features a mixture of the lean strength of the Gastons and the moon-faced Fryderi. His eyes were uneven and slightly disturbing, and he carried a cutlass at his waist. "So, you visitors wanted to speak to me?"
Beomund: Beomund's cloud of depression had already seemed to pass by the time they reached the village, as he had something to focus on beyond the past. He accepted the cultist's drug with little hesitation, having some experience with unusual substances, and afterward his eyes appeared only slightly glazed as he walked, smiling, with the others.
Leofric: Leofric merely eyed and listened to anyone and everyone in the village with interest, especially the women and their apparent carefree lives in this ugly grey world.
Hogar: Despite his usual resilience and vigor Hogar seemed to be heavily affected by the drugs he took, but he eventually recovered enough to try to help with the party attempts at infiltration, and even managed to cast a spell which helped Edmund's play his music. He also seemed somewhat taken with the massive statue of the Whirling God - perhaps thinking these people were more than thoughtless hedonists and has some philosophy behind them...
Hogar: edit: replace last part with 'and had some sort of complex philosophical outlook.'
Edmund: Edmund seemed to enjoy the attentions of the women, and the success of his music.
Edmund: Now he looked at the ex-pirate with a smile. "We had heard of you," Edmund said carefully. "From a lady whose house we stayed in on our way here."
sd: "There's lots of ladies that speaks of me," Daelric replied immodestly. "What was her names?"
Edmund: "Sarina. Of Wunfjorthr." Edmund said, watching Daelric's reaction.
sd: If Daelric was concerned, he didn't show it. He grinned widely. "Nots one that speaks kindly of me I suppose."
Edmund: "Her attitude was rather negative, I have to admit. But she did have a proposition to make, which you might consider," Edmund said smoothly.
sd: "I always listens to propositions from beautiful ladies."
Edmund: "This proposition is to lend your expertise, and in return she and her husband are prepared to expunge the record of all those... unfortunate incidents which have caused a rift between you."
Leofric: Leofric frowned for a second at the phases coming from this 'gentleman'.
Edmund: "This proposition is to lend your expertise, and in return she and her husband are prepared to expunge the record of all those... unfortunate incidents which have caused a rift between you."
Hogar: Hogar didn't seem too taken with Daelric's behavior and odd way of speaking, and simply let Edmund handle the talking
sd: "Unfortunate incidents? I hardly sees why she's bothered, I only freed her a few mouths that she'd not wants anyway. Stills...what expertise do you mean? I have many of them."
Edmund: "Your special knowledge of the Kalmar Isles, and their peoples."
sd: Daelric paused. "You have proofs of this pardon, yes? Papers, agreements, seals?"
Edmund: Edmund confirmed that they did. "You would be prepared to assist in this?"
sd: Daelric held out his hand.
Edmund: Edmund produced the written pardon, then held out his hand for it. "Information first."
sd: "I will give you some informations, then you give me the pardons, then I speak the rest of what I knows. Fair?"
Leofric: Leofric replied softly, "I think that sounds fair. Daelric"
Leofric: , agreeing with Daelric
Hogar: "Fair enough."said Hogar, joining with the others in agreement
Edmund: Edmund nodded. "Firstly, we need to know where the human settlements are on the islands, and what else - goblins and so on."
sd: Skendni produced parchment and quill, and at Daelric's prompting she slowly drew a map of the isles to present to them.
sd: "Three peoples mainly in Isles - Folk like me, gobs, and orcs. Main settlements are Folk - gobs and orcs not so ready to stay in one places. Many thousands in isles, maybe fifteen hundreds on Sokholm."
sd: "Also some cyclopes near to Sokholm. Not friends of Ragnhild, she had ones killed and raised as her bodyguard. Cyclopes avoid her and stay at home. The eye-lands, somes call them." Daelric grinned at his own joke.
sd: "Can sees pardons now?"
Beomund: Beo looked over to Ed as he handed over the papers, then pulled a bottle of fine liquor from his pack, brought from Phalen. "Care to share a cup as we ask a few more questions?"
sd: "I cares to share several cups."
Edmund: "Tell us about Ragnhild," Edmund said.
sd: Daelric held out his hand.
Hogar: Hogar sighed but said nothing.
Leofric: Leofric glanced at Edmund, thinking that Darlric is willing to give the rest of the information anyway. Beside, it would be unwise to not to give them information
Edmund: Edmund handed over the papers. If he was reluctant to do so, he didn't show it.
sd: Daelric looked them over for a moment. "Very prettys," he said, and handed them to Skendni to ask her to check what they said. She confirmed their contents to him, and the pirate relaxed and glanced over at Beomund. "Drinks would be appreciated, and any other informations you want, ask."
Beomund: When they found a spot to sit and some cups, Beomund poured. After a toast, he let Edmund repeat his question about Ragnhild.
sd: "Ragnhild is about forties, was once slaves, freed self and took over in Sokholm five years ago. She is humourless, boring persons. Wanted to make me undead and I kept refusings, had to run or she might have just forced it. She has an amulet of sorceries, armours her, keeps her strongs with suffering of souls. Not a nice person."
Hogar: "Does she have any specific plans other than continuing with piracy?"asked Hogar "Building herself a kingdom on the Palanian coast, perhaps?"
sd: "Not so ambitious yet, I thinks. Would rather strengthen her positions in Kalmar than go elsewhere. Look to Salomar, perhaps, for that, otherwise happy to continue as she is. Thinks she means to turn herself into powerful undead when she learns way, lives for many years."
Beomund: "What sorts of defenses does she have? Do you know of any weaknesses in the keep?" asked Beomund.
sd: "She has ways in and out of keeps you might uses. Not sure where they are, she never tolds me. Keep is strong, double-ringed. Maybe a hundred, bit more, there at full strength, likely less now. She meant to raid."
Hogar: "Anything of note about her captains? We know apparently most are undead by now, perhaps all now that you left..."asked Hogar
sd: "Most are undeads, but not alls. She has an orc, and a gob, that lives. Or lived, when I left. Bakik is the orc, Flathriss the gob. Bakik stays at Keep, he likes his huntings. He killed the cyclops as is her guard now, and he hunts smilodons in hills for sports. Flathriss stays at Suthyll, alongside Plafraith, who is a dead one and is commander there. He is only free-willed wight as serves her, but seems to serve her willingly. Other captains are wight slaves, ship captains."
Beomund: After a few moments of silence Beo added another question: "This is not so pertinent, but... have you seen any Erse slaves on the isles? Perhaps an Erse woman, tall and beautiful with long black hair... though I don't know how she would look now."
sd: Daelric frowned. "Never heard of Erse. What are Erse?"
Beomund: "Skin and features much like my friend here," said Beomund, gesturing at Leofric.
sd: Daelric shook his head. "Never seen before. Very stranges."
Beomund: Beomund nodded and leaned back with a slight frown, seeming unsurprised.
Leofric: Leofric sighed at that and asked "Do you recall anything like this on the isle?" He gave a short description of the appearance of the runestone...
sd: "No such stones on Sokholm. Perhaps elsewhere on isles."
Leofric: Leofric nodded at that reply.
Hogar: "Perhaps she replenishes her magical energies in...other ways." Hogar said, understanding what Leofric may have been thinking about
Leofric: Leofric asked another question, "Could you describe appearance of Ragnhild please?"
sd: "She is ugly womans in forties. Very thin. Wears blues mostly, or reds, has heavy amulet of bronzes and golds. Dark coloured."
Beomund: "Are all of her compatriates loyal?" asked Beomund. "Or might anyone have expressed enough doubts they might be turned?"
sd: "All she keeps around. If not loyal, she turns them. But there's a few that are not her friends. Cyclopes hate her, and also there is a man called Gelundi, lives in forests on south of island. I doubts you could win him over - he is...a wild man. Others are loyal. She keeps worst punishments for those captured, not on the Folk or others on the isles."
Hogar: "This 'wild man' Gelundi...would he be some sort of sorcerer? Or merely a woodsman?" asked Hogar, curious
sd: "He is wolf-man. Shapechanger. He and his broods hunt forever, likely to eats you if you come near. Ragnhild tried to hunt them a few times but to no good, Gelundi nearly killed Bakik the last times he tried to catch him."
Hogar: "He could make an useful ally if we could somehow convince him..."suggested Hogar to the others "But that's a big if."
Leofric: "Hmm..." Leofric considered the possibility, "We would be interested in a rough plan of the keep and its surrounding as well."
Beomund: "Or we could somehow lure the cyclopes to follow us and perhaps distract her troops. We have options to weigh."
sd: Daelric had Skendni draw another rough map, of the keep itself
Beomund: "One more thing," asked Beomund. Do you know a good secretive place to land on the island? Or at least where her ships are least likely to patrol?"
sd: "Eastern coast, half way along. Rockiest shore, no enemies nearby. Not well patrolleds."
Beomund: "Thank you Daelric, it's all been helpful." Beomun clanked his cup and took another swig. "Might you be interested in helping guide us on our little expedition? You would be well rewarded, and help ensure you won't have to worry about Ragnhild anymore."
sd: Daelric laughed heartily. "I already do not worries about Ragnhild. Would you leaves this to go on long voyage with death at the end? No."
Beomund: Beomund smiled. "We've all been on journeys with death at the end and come back again. You should provide the drinks when I meet you next." He looked to the others. "Are we ready to leave?"
Leofric: Leofric glanced at this friendly priestess and told Daelric, "No, I cannot exactly blame you on that!" He glanced at Beo, "Aye, onto more dances with Death."
Hogar: "And undeath."said Hogar "I can't blame you either, considering the life you lead here seems pretty...pleasant. Hopefully you won't waste your pardon by getting into trouble again."he added, though he didn't sound too hopeful
sd: "Good lucks then, I hope I meets you again, and you are still among the livings." Daelric toasted to their health, downed a last drink, and departed.
sd: with this information in tow, the party left the Whirlers behind and headed back to Wunfjorthr. In the time they had been gone, several ships had gathered nearby, and more were preparing up and down the coast, though secretly and slowly to avoid detection. The Councillor of this region, Untrim, had been given overall command of the fleet, and was eager to be off as soon as possible.
sd: leaving a message about what had happened with Sarina, they set sail on Untrim's ship, the White Lightning. On the first day, as they left the coast behind, three other ships came with them, staying far enough away to not be easily visible, but near enough to come in case of emergencies. There were perhaps fifty to sixty soldiers on each ship, although the Councillor made clear that for the first part of the mission, the party would have only the resources of one of their elite units - the larger their group, the larger the risk of discovery, after all.
Towards dusk on the first day, the other ships drew near, and slowly a handful of people from the other vessels came aboard the Lightning. Untrim summoned a council of war in his command quarters, and called for the party to dine and plan with him.
Leofric: Leofric had a sense of excitement although with sense of forboding about the coming fights.
Beomund: Beomund arrived looking more alert and ready than he had since they first set off from Phalen.
Hogar: Hogar was obviously looking forward to the war council
Edmund: Edmund seemed preoccupied. He had never felt comfortable about travelling on the ocean since their original shipwreck.
sd: Untrim, an old Thegn in his fifties with greying hair, met the group in his command quarters belowdecks. When the party arrived, three other captains had already arrived and had seated themselves at a great round table laden with an enormous amount of food - fish, meats of every sort, cheeses, fresh bread, fruit, vegetables, and fine alcohol of every sort.
As the party entered, Untrim introduced them to the three captains. To his immediate left was Deoneath, a Captain of the Undercity Watch and specialist in skirmish and ambush warfare. Deoneath was a small, diffident man who seemed strangely cold and emotionless. Even here, in formal settings while eating a fine meal, he wore dark gloves which they guessed he very rarely removed.
The second was draining a glass of brandy as they arrived, and poured himself another from a crystal decanter. When this man spoke the sound of home was clear in his voice, for he was Ser Kennald of the Order of the Silvered Blade, an experienced demon hunter. Despite this grim job, he was an easy-going man, amiable and pleasant.
The last of the three captains was the largest and the loudest, the Thegn Scirman of the warlike people of Tarnemuthe. He had scars all over his face and arms, but wore them with pride. Scirman seemed the kind of man who was quick to anger and quicker to laugh, and he introduced himself rather than waiting for the Councillor to announce him.
Hogar: Hogar sized up the three captains for a moment, seeming fairly pleased by each, and then sat himself between Beomund and Ser Kennald
Beomund: Beomund sat with Scirman to his left.
Leofric: Leofric gave his proper respects to all members and moved to only empty seat left.
sd: "Before we begin, gentlemen..." Untrim raised his glass. "To our success, and to Palania!"
Edmund: Edmund raised his glass too.
Beomund: "To Palania," echoed Beomund before taking a long swig.
Leofric: Leofric lifted his glass warmly as Palania is his current home, "To Palania"
Hogar: Hogar joined in the toast, his voice echoing with the those of the others.
sd: Kennald drained his brandy and poured another. "The information you pried from that pirate will be very useful, though it's a pity to have to pardon the likes of him," he said.
Beomund: Beomund nodded. "Indeed, though he seems unlikely to cause significant trouble in the future, and at least he showed some moral worth by refusing Ragnhild's abominable demand to become undead - many others did not it seems, or at least failed to leave her service."
sd: "If he's with the Whirlers, he probably refused because he'd rather that his cock kept working!" Scirman laughed. "But this necromancer...how are we to approach this? Me and my boys, we're up for scaling the walls, kill them all when they're still surprised."
Beomund: Beo grinned. "My kind of fight."
Hogar: Hogar smiled for a moment at Scirman's joke, then spoke "A simple plan, but these are sometimes the best, aren't they? Still, we'll want to carefully consider this. This woman will prove a dangerous foe, no doubt."
Edmund: "Daelric said she had her own ways to get in and out of the keep, which we might be able to use," Edmund said.
sd: "The necromancer is the key to this," Deoneath said quietly, then nodded to Edmund. "Indeed. I think we should find these passages and use them. In all likelihood they'd lead to her own chambers - if we kill her before they can react, they'll be thrown into chaos. Her undead might even break free and start attacking their erstwhile compatriots. At any rate, it anyone can find a secret passage, it's the Undercity Watch."
Edmund: Edmund nodded. "It would shorten the odds against us."
sd: "A dishonourable route, and dangerous," said Ser Kennald. "She is guarded by the undead. They don't sleep like normal men, you realise this? I have been giving some thought to this orc, Bakik. He sounds a rash and foolish sort. If we could draw him and some of the other defenders out, we could destroy them in the field, then hit the Keep while they are still undermanned."
Edmund: "We could do both," Edmund suggested.
Hogar: "You all make good points."stated Hogar sounding very serious "This is not an easy decision."
sd: "The more complicated we make the plan, the more likely we are to get found out or to mess something up," Scirman said. "Maybe draw some of the buggers out with an attack on that village there, set some things on fire, then when the orc and his people ride out from the Keep we go for the bitch."
Leofric: Leofric frowned for a moment reflecting on many potential issues
Beomund: "Not a bad idea," said Beomund. "Our group and Deoneath could wait near the keep to sneak in when we see enemies leaving. "Scirman and Kennald could perhaps attack the village together, since if that's the plan there wouldn't be much concern about stealth for them."
Beomund: edit: shouldn't be a quotation mark before Scirman
sd: "Razing the homes of helpless people who are stuck under the boot of a necromancer is hardly an honourable course of action," Kennald frowned. "But it may be the best choice."
Beomund: "You probably don't even need to do much of that," said Beomund. "Hold some hostage, or attack whichever pirates happen to be there - whatever will draw the attention of the keep."
sd: "If we do this, the necromancer will be on her guard," Deoneath pointed out. "Better to simply kill her without warning."
Hogar: "She apparently has some sort of sorcerous amulet of protection and an undead cyclops bodyguard." Hogar stated "So even if we catch her unaware she won't go down easily. It does seem sound like slaying her would win us the battle, however."
Beomund: "We'd have to execute the plan perfectly and get lucky enough for her not to be surrounded by her servants in that case though. An undead cyclope and the orc who killed it would be dangerous foes beside her. If we go in without a distraction, we'd probably want the others ready to strike in case our plan does not succeed."
sd: Deoneath grimaced at the mention of the undead cyclops. "Not the sort of foe I am used to, I fear. It wouldn't even fit in most of the Undercity. I have procured some silver arrows at least for the occasion."
Edmund: "That would be most useful if you have them to spare," Edmund said.
sd: "Of course, I'll give them to you if we won't be accompanying you," he said.
"Ultimately, this is your choice," Untrim said. "I would prefer that you avoid antagonising the Folk, to the greatest degree possible. Whatever they've done or not done, the Council wants these isles and can't have them infested with orcs and goblins, so the Folk need to come over to our side."
Beomund: "You've given us much to think on," said Beomund. "Let's eat and swap a few stories whilst we mull over our options."
sd: Ser Kennald agreed and poured himself another brandy, while Scirman launched into a colourful story about the time he got stranded alone on the wrong side of the Saltanow amidst hundreds of orcs.
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jul 27, 2014 10:47:12 GMT
sd: the council, at this point, turned to drinking and merrymaking, so there were no further decisions made that day. The next morning, after they had time to recuperate, Councillor Untrim sent them a message asking them to let him and the other captains know their plan by the end of the day.
Beomund: Beomund relayed the party's plan: They would sneak in with the Undercity Watch, hoping to find the sorceress's chambers without raising the alarm. Meanwhile the other warriors would wait farther away and slowly sneak closer. Once the party signalled them (via a member of the Watch who would return to the secret entrance), or if a long enough time passed to suggest they had been unable to signal, the warriors would assault the fortress and hopefully distract the defenders enough to keep the sorceress vulnerable.
sd: with this plan in mind, Deoneath came to meet with them, poring over the map that Daelric had provided them. "The tricky part will be finding the entrance," he said. "The longer we have to search, the harder it will be to keep everyone hidden."
Edmund: "Do we not have any clues?" Edmund asked.
sd: Deoneath shrugged. "This defector you met didn't know. It sounds like from what you've said that the sorceress likes to be able to move about unseen, so the exit, or entrance to us, will have to be somewhere hidden outside the walls of the keep, and probably somewhere under cover. Until we actually come near enough though, I don't know how much more we can guess at."
Hogar: "I guess we'll have to risk it, and be quick about it."said Hogar
Leo: Leofric nodded, agreeing with Hogar, "Beside, we do have surprise on our side for now."
Edmund: "As long as everyone is loyal of course," Edmund muttered, just loud enough for Leo to hear.
Leo: Leofric smiled slightly worried at Edmund's thought
sd: they still had two days before they made landing, so they continued to plan with Deoneath. As they would be working closely together, he introduced them to his men.
The men of the Undercity Watch were not as skilled at a straight up battle as the Palanian Thegns or the knights of Gastony, however their time fighting in the Undercity had given them exceptional skill at ambush, skirmish warfare, and stealth. As the passages of the Undercity were often too narrow to permit the swinging of swords or axes, they instead preferred the spear, dagger, or bow. Despite its dishonourable connotations, Deoneath himself had learned the poisoner's trade, though he feared this would perhaps not be very useful against the undead.
There were nine men of the Undercity Watch altogether. Deoneath relied most closely on the advice of a man called Rahere, the oldest of the company, who did not have the look of a warrior but, Deoneath explained, made up for this with his cunning.
Leo: Leofric was pleased to meet such members of the Undercity Watch who serves extremely important roles in the city. He suggests that poison can be useful against the sorceress herself.
Hogar: "Or against any other living foes we may face inside the keep, of course."said Hogar
sd: the ship continued on. The sea itself was calm, so their nights were not too difficult. This ship, at least, had cabins belowdecks where they could sleep, unlike that which they had sailed in from Gastony, where they had simply had to crowd together in the hold or even sleep on the deck itself.
That night, as they slumbered, a feeling slowly came over them. It hung at the back of their minds, niggling like toothache, uncomfortable and unreachable. It vibrated within the Void. Then, suddenly, it gave a throb and it burst. They suddenly felt arcane energies pulsing through them, driving them awake as they struggled for a moment to control the surge of power. Then it dissipated and went, however as they held the mystic energy it seemed firmer and stronger than before.
Edmund: In the morning, Edmund spoke to Leofric. "Did you feel... something happened last night. I believe God is lending us extra strength to face this evil sorceress."
Leo: Leofric frowned for a moment, "Yes, I felt that as well."
You whisper to Leo: "Good gods, did you feel that too?" Sigrun suddenly spoke into his head.
Leo: Leofric touched his temple as he focused elsewhere
Leo whispers: Leofric shuddered inward and replied "Yes! I did! My friend just commented on it about it."
You whisper to Leo: "I'll get in touch with some others and see if anyone knows what on earth that was," said Sigrun.
Beomund: Beomund was intrigued yet concerned upon his waking. He confirmed with Hogar that they had each felt it. "Hopefully it was not some sorcery of our enemy..."
Hogar: "Could be, but I doubt it. For one I feel fine now." Hogar replied
Leo whispers: Leofric nodded inward and replied, "And may there be an answer and I will pray that it is not a dire omen! Will keep my eyes and ears out for anything stranger than usual."
Leo: Leofric is uncharacteristically silent...
Edmund: Edmund looked at him concerned, but didn't want to break his concentration.
sd: they continued on towards Sokholm. On 12 May, they met again with Councillor Untrim, who explained they would now embark on their smallest ship, which had the best chance of remaining hidden, and that would come up to the shore in the evening on 13 May. He handed the party a banner. "We'll keep sailing as near to Sokholm Keep as we dare. When you've taken it over, fly this and shoot flaming arrows into the sky, and we'll come to reinforce you."
Leo: Leofric commented privately to his peers that the event was felt as far as Phalen and likely to be felt further than that.
Hogar: "Really?" Hogar's brow furrowed "That's interesting, ominous, perhaps. Do you have any idea what could have caused it?"
Leo: Leofric shook his head and replied, "Not yet. The Conclave are looking into it. We will just have to pray that it is not a dire omen."
Hogar: "Your mentor contacted you?"asked Hogar "I'm sure they'll be able to find something about it. Hopefully the necromancer won't benefit too much from this.."
Leo: Leofric nodded at that implication that Sigrun contracted him.
Edmund: "Have they any idea where the event originated?" Edmund asked, frowning.
Leo: Leofric shook his head, "It would be difficult to figure where. The Void can be felt anywhere in the world. You could say that humanity in this corner of the world felt it as well all other monsters in the known and unknown parts of the world.
Leo: Leofric thanked Councillor Untrim for the banner and will pray for victory on the fort.
sd: their ship continued on and the next night they arrived at the spot Daelric had indicated, along the eastern coast of Sokholm. Ser Kennald, Deoneath, Scirman and their men all disembarked, with the knight and the Thegn and their parties preparing to find cover in the nearby wood until such time as the party called for them. "Don't be long, I want to kill something tonight," Scirman said by way of farewell, patting his sword hilt.
Hogar: "We'll do our best."smiled Hogar in return
Leo: Leofric despite the very seriousness of the situation they are in grinned in response. "Indeed"
Beomund: "We'll be sure to leave a few for you," added Beomund.
Edmund: Edmund nodded. "May God be with us all tonight.@
sd: though their specialism was underground, the Watchmen were competent outdoorsmen as well, and they carefully and stealthily led the party up the coast, towards Sokholm Keep. The isle was not especially large, and after about two hours scaling the cliffs along the northeastern shore, they came within eyeshot of the keep, a square stone castle squatting on the coast. Ominously, it was utterly lacking in light, but the Prophet's Star shone brightly overhead to light the party's way.
Deoneath knelt by the edge of the cliff and looked out towards the Keep. The land around the Keep was flat and cleared of trees to prevent a stealthy approach, however there seemed to be a small wood to the northwest, between the Keep and where Daelric had marked the village of Falath. "That seems as good a place as any to look," said Deoneath. "But it won't be easy to get there."
sd: they left one of the junior Watchmen behind on the cliff, to keep watch and let the other parties know, before heading out. Edmund and Deoneath led the party stealthily across the plains. There was no easy cover, so they had to circle south and climb up steep hills, clinging to the rocks to remain hidden. Beomund went behind them, obliterating any sign of their presence. He and Hogar took the heaviest of their companions gear, allowing them to creep more easily.
Eventually, they reached the wood and Edmund and Leofric put their knowledge of nature to work, working out what areas looked most as if they had been disturbed, while Deoneath checked for tracks.
Eventually, they discovered a very well hidden grate in the shade of a very tall boulder, accessible only by crawling. It was not actually designed to open from this side - in the side of the boulder, they noticed, there was a small niche which continued all the way down, and they guessed Ragnhild would signal that she wanted in by dropping something in the niche. Deoneath toyed with the idea of them doing the same, but decided that in all likelihood she arranged with her servants, particularly the undead, to know when she would be likely to use this, and it might raise their suspicions. Instead, Beomund and Edmund crawled to the grate and rapidly worked out how they could lever it open quietly, revealing a dark passage below.
Leo: Leofric smiled with delight at this find and quickly as it seems. He prepared for the fight that is yet to come.
Beomund: "I have experience in infiltrating forts and fighting in tight spaces," said Beomund quietly. "I'll go first."
sd: Deoneath looked down into the passage skeptically. "Wait," he said. "You are...I'm told...not unfriendly to unorthodox approaches. Do you mind if Rahere has a look?"
Hogar: "Careful, I doubt most of the forts you infiltrated had the danger of undead guardians lurking in them."said Hogar
Beomund: Beomund raised his eyebrows ad Deoneath's words, but nodded, glancing at the others.
Edmund: "We would be happy to let Rahere do so," Edmund replied.
Hogar: Hogar mused for a moment over the implications of what Deoneath had implied, but did not protest "Anything that can help is welcome."
sd: Rahere murmured a few arcane words and looked down into the passage. "The sorceress has left a spell down there, if you'd dropped in she'd have found out you were there," he said. "I'll deal with it, it's a common sight in the Undercity."
Edmund: Edmund watched and listened with interest.
Leo: Leofric looked at Rahere with interest.
sd: Rahere cast a second spell and kept his concentration. "It covers the entrance, make your way down and continue on, I'll bring up the rear. Once we're past the threshold I'll be able to drop my spell and she'll be none the wiser."
Hogar: "Quite 'cunning' indeed'." chuckled Hogar softly, pleased with the mage's performance "Your help is invaluable."
Beomund: Beomund nodded gratefully and moved to enter the passageway.
Leo: Leofric agreed with others, "Most valuable!" He went in making sure that other good fighting folks in front of hium.
sd: "I'll take the point. With me, Beomund?" said Deoneath. "Rahere, Burghelm, torches."
Beomund: Beomund followed closely behind Deoneath.
Edmund: Edmund indicated to the others to remain for a moment. "Perhaps we should ensure we have sharper blades and burning arrows before we enter the den of undead."
Edmund: He lightly touched the blade of Leofric's sword and Hogar's axe, and then passed his hand over his own arrows, quietly muttering the words of the spells.
Beomund: Beomund whispered his own beside Leofric and Edmund, granting them protection.
Beomund: *edit: his own words
Hogar: Gathering close to the others, Hogar tried his own magic - it took several attempts, for he was still unskilled, but he cast a spell of agility on Edmund and then one of protection on himself
Leo: Leofric thanks Edmund and Beomund as he watch the reactions of the others carefully.
sd: Rahere watched them in amusement. "Praying, Virians?" he asked.
Hogar: "We are not exactly...orthodox, either."said Hogar, realizing what Rahere meant
Leo: Leofrc smiled faintly, "We are using an alternative way of praying I guess;"
Edmund: "We communicate with God, and he protects us," Edmund said with a smile. "It has worked so far."
sd: "There are some Virians in the Watch, they're learning how to look the other way, or at least most of them are. Not quite to your extent," said Rahere. "I can't keep this up forever so we might want to get a move on."
Leo: Leofric agreed and moved on into the darkness
Edmund: Edmund moved forward to enter the dark passage.
Hogar: Hogar nodded and set off with the others
Beomund: Beomund just smiled at their exchange about the magic, and moved onward.
sd: they continued on along a winding corridor, eventually coming to a corner which then narrowed and ended with a sturdy wooden door.
Leo: Leofric whispered to the others, "Maybe it is worth hearing through the door if there is anything going on."
sd: "We should also check something..." Deoneath said, looking carefully at the walls.
sd: Deoneath continued along to the doors, not seeing anything, however Hogar, following up after the Watchman, noticed there were very small, almost imperceptible holes in the walls. Within, he could see the glint of metal, which he realised were sets of spikes.
Leo: Leofric sighed for a moment as he realises just how foolish it was just to wander to the door.
sd: "I'm glad that's not set to trigger when we step here," Deoneath said. "Probably when we open the door. We'll need to disable this..."
Leo: He glanced at Beomund and Edmund and gestured to them, "They are good at the disabling anything like that."
Beomund: Beomund and Edmund were getting used to working together on such tasks, and quickly discovered the workings of the trap's mechanism.
sd: with the trap disarmed, they listened at the door, but heard nothing, so Deoneath opened it and they found themselves in a large square room. To the right there was a switch on the wall, which, they guessed, would be Ragnhild's way of disarming the trap they had just passed.
The room was well organised, and contained many items that had obviously been gathered in case the necromancer needed to leave in a hurry. There were various clothes, particularly cloaks and heavy boots, as well as purses of money, a dagger, provisions, and a full backpack against one wall, as well as a trunk against the far wall. In one corner there was a shelf holding a key, another purse, and several salves and other medical supplies. Directly opposite them was another passage leading on.
Edmund: Edmund looked over the items. " Could be worth taking, but better watch for traps."
You whisper to Hogar: looking over towards the shelf with the salves, Hogar noticed that the ground there seemed strange, the tiles slightly off, as if they would give way under their weight.
Hogar: Hogar pointed at the floor towards the shelf. "Trapped" he said "Floor would likely collapse if we walked there."
Edmund: Edmund nodded. "I thought it was an ideal place for a trap, though I couldn't see it myself"
Leo: Leofric glanced around carefully and smiled when Hogar's point out the traps. "Very wary, this soccessor."
Beomund: Beomund and Edmund disabled the trap with ease. "Child's play," said Beomund.
sd: having disabled the trap they were able to quickly retrieve the items from the shelf. The coin pouch, they noticed, contained only coppers.
sd: Hogar went and checked the backpack, which had various supplies - a bedroll, rope, riding gloves, and other such supplies. Rahere meanwhile flipped open the trunk, which contained salted meat and other long-lasting foods.
Hogar: Hogar shrugged "Nothing out of the ordinary, it seeems."he said
Beomund: "Funny that her escape route will prove her downfall," said Beomund as he moved on to the next passage.
sd: the party continued on, along another winding passage. as they rounded a final corner before a second door, they noticed Deoneath was about to step onto a pressure plate, and were able to pull him back in the nick of time.
Beomund: Beomund almost accidentally activated the plate as he worked on disabling it, but Edmund warned him, and together they manged to disable it.
Edmund: Edmund wiped sweat from his forehead and gave Beomund a grin.
Leo: Leofric looked relieved as it is very tense travel so far
sd: after thanking Beomund and Edmund for rescuing him, Deoneath crept ahead to the door and listened, then moved back. "There's someone in there," he said. "A few someones. No breathing, so dead ones I'd guess. I can hear a bit of scuffing, and something metallic scraped lightly on something. We'll want to take these ones out fast."
Leo: Leofric nodded, clearly ready to storm the door and literate the bones from its hold
Edmund: "Could be sharpening a dagger perhaps," Idris considered.
sd: "Might be," said Deoneath, drawing his bow and preparing a silver arrow. "Passage is narrow, one of you probably wants to go first."
Leo: Leofric glanced at Beomund and his mighty weapon in his hands
Hogar: Hogar readied his axe, but let Beomund go first
Edmund: Edmund nocked an arrow to his bow.
Beomund: Beomund took a long breath, then signalled to his companions beforebarging in to strike.
Edmund: Edmund quickly put his arrow away and drew his sling and a silver bullet.
sd: they burst through the door, finding themselves in a large room which was almost entirely bare, save for a table, a gong, and a passage ending in a staircase. There were four undead there - two skeletons and two zombies.
Ed and Deoneath quickly flung themselves in the way of the gong, barring the path for a skeleton which Leofric then brought down. Ed hurled his silver bullet after one of the zombies, which was nearest the stairs, and struck it heavily, knocking it sprawling. Before it could rise Deoneath and Hogar had run over to it and despatched it, while the others entered and destroyed the remaining undead. It was done very quickly - only one of the foe had even managed to swing their swords, and had failed to land a blow on one of the experienced Watchmen.
Beomund: "Someone might find them," said Beomund. "Perhaps we can find a way to prevent the gong from being used."
Leo: Leofric focused on the next passage carefully.
Edmund: Edmund came over to look at the gong.
sd: as Beomund and Edmund worked out how to remove the gong proper from its stand, Deoneath went to look up the stairs. "Seems to lead up into a small room," he said. "Floor is different up there, wooden, and the rooms are more even. Possibly part of the castle proper."
Beomund: "No sign of anyone inside?" asked Beomund as he hid the gong under the stairs.
sd: "No. Rooms not even large enough to fit us all inside."
sd: *room's
sd: "There's a crate or two there, and a barrel, seems she probably hides the entrance there."
Beomund: "Good thing it seems she wasn't expecting anyone to discover this route," said Beomund. "Let's move on."
Edmund: Edmund scanned for traps as they moved forward.
sd: Deoneath and the party continued on, with the others bringing up the rear. Deoneath lowered himself carefully and peered under the door jamb for a while. "There's light out there," he said. He called silently for the others to extinguish their own torches, which they flung behind the staircase. The others listened as they did, but they couldn't hear anything immediately on the other side of the door. "She obviously doesn't want her servants, or at least the ones that can think, to know where this is. Probably works out to our advantage, this hallway is probably near to where she is and won't have so many guards," Deoneath said.
Leo: Leofric nodded, "Sound like it." He agreed,
Hogar: Hogar nodded "We may have a chance then."
sd: the party headed out into the corridor, quickly checking another small storeroom next to them, though there was no hidden passage here.
They were in a long diagonal wooden corridor, with fine stone walls. Far ahead of them were two more rooms, and off to their left a wide passage curving off to the left. Deoneath and Edmund stealthily led them down the corridor and they peered around the corridor. It continued on for about fifty feet before opening up to the left and right. Two undead stood here at guard. Halfway along the passage, there was also a large, unguarded door.
Hogar: "Perhaps with some...support we can kill them quickly before they can raise an allarm."suggested Hogar
Hogar: edit: alarm
Leo: Leofric frowned for a moment and whispered, "Let see if I can sense the magic in this keep...."
Leo: He muttered and gestured with his hands, clearly focusing.. elsewhere
You whisper to Leo: Leofric concentrated, and immediately was struck by a powerful taste of decay. This was clearly a powerful necromantic spell or artefact, and its location was on the other side of the wall they were leaning on, only a short distance away.
Leo: Leofric looked like he was about to get sick. He whispered to them that there is a powerful necromantic magicial artefact or spell behind them which is not far.
Edmund: "Could it be the amulet we were told of?" Edmund whispered back.
Leo: Leofric looked thoughtful and replied, "Maybe. Just maybe."
Beomund: "We're close then. Let's take out these two creatures."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Aug 2, 2014 16:13:19 GMT
sd: Deoneath peered around the corner at the two undead. He had a silver arrow in his hand ready to nock and fire. "What's the plan?" he asked quietly. His voice was quite calm.
Beomund: They quietly whispered together briefly, determining that they could approach the undead under the cover of illusion to take them out quickly.
Hogar: Hogar nodded and added "Hopefully we can take them out without raising the alarm."
sd: Rahere took Beomund and Hogar back down into the tunnel so he could work his magic without risk of being heard. When they returned, Beomund had taken on the appearance of a zombie, with the remnant of a great wound in his neck, flecked with long-dried blood. Hogar appeared as a skeleton, his feet clicked on the floor, and his ribcage creaked as he moved.
Leofric: Leofric looked impressed by the appearance of the illusions.
Hogar: Hogar looked at himself and Beomund and was quite impressed - perhaps disturbed by the realism of the illusion. He nodded and began to gesture and cast a spell of agility on Edmund.
Leofric: Leofric smiled faintly and wished them "Good luck. You does looked extremely convincing,"
Edmund: Edmund smiled in thanks, making the sign of the Prophet's Star as they set off.
sd: "I'll maintain the spell after you attack," Rahere said suddenly. "I have an idea..."
Leofric: Leofric glanced at Rahere, curious as to what he came up with
sd: as Beomund and Hogar advanced, the undead guards glanced at them, but did not seem to see through the illusion and permitted them to approach. Coming forward, they saw that the hall opened out to either side and there were more undead around the corner to the left.
Beomund: As they reached the enemy, Beomund glanced at Hogar to make sure he was ready, then turned and swung his hammer into the skull of the skeleton warrior beside him, knocking it senseless.
Hogar: Hogar attacked just after Beomund, swinging his axe in a wide arc at the zombie's head and tearing out a huge chunk of flesh, though the undead thing still stood.
sd: "Now, attack!" Rahere shouted. "Come out, Ragnhild! I'll make all your creatures my thralls!"
Edmund: Edmund looked at Rahere in surprise but quickly returned his attention to what was occuring at the other end of the corridor.
sd: the Watchmen readied their weapons and rushed towards the fray
Edmund: Edmund smoothly drew out the special flute and raised it to his lips, playing a martial air as he moved forward.
Leofric: Leofric grinned at Rahere's thought and nodded at the excellent way to annoy Ragnhild and starts running toward the fray as well with his Erse style silver sword and shield ready to counteract anything toward him.
sd: the wight and other undead in the hallway moved towards the battle in the corridor.
sd: Deoneath shot one of the oncoming zombies with a silver arrow, piercing its leg
You whisper to Leofric: as he advanced, Leofric thought he heard sounds coming from the large room on the right hand side of the corridor
Leofric: Leofric frowned for a moment and warned the others that there may be other enemies in the large room on the right.
Beomund: Beomund hammered again at the skeleton beside him, though he inflicted little damage through its sturdy helm.
Hogar: Hogar swung his greataxe at the zombie's head but hits its shield, although some of the force of the blow carried through
You whisper to Leofric: from within the room where he had sensed magic before, a new taste suddenly came, filling his mouth. The bilious flavour that came to his throat was instantly familiar - fear, followed by a strong taste of rot
Leofric: Leofric quickly told the others that a spell is getting casted in the same area where he pointed the magic out.
sd: Leofric moved to the door he had heard sounds behind and opened it, revealing a wight that had stood and drawn its own blade. It turned coldly on Leofric, eyes burning.
Leofric: Sighing for a moment as he eyed the Wight and prepared himself for the fight. "Got a wight in here." Leofric muttered back.
Beomund: Beomund, tired of fighting the skeleton warrior, struck with all his might, the hammer crumpling the helmet and smashing its skull. He turned to see more zombies and a wight bearing down on Hogar.
Hogar: Frustrated by the zombie's resilience, Hogar cut off its shield straps with a skillfull blow of his weapon. The shield dropped to the ground with a clang, spinning.
You whisper to Leofric: his hold on his spell began to dissipate as he prepared to face the wight, however Leofric felt the same spell that he had noticed before being cast in the room across the corridor
Edmund: Edmund drew his bow and fitted one of the silver arrows he had requested of their allies, heading towards the door where Leo had calmly announced he was facing a wight!
sd: Deoneath and one of the young Watchmen fired at an oncoming zombie, arrows slamming into its upraised shield
Leofric: Leofric narrowed his eyes at the Wight and braced himself for the fight.
Hogar: His foe now unshielded, Hogar attacked again. The zombie raised its ball-and-chain attempting a defense, and might have succeded against a less skilled fighter, but it was to no avail now and Hogar's greataxe sent its head spinning in the air.
sd: one of the skeleton warriors, which had hung back with a bow, turned and opened the large door behind it. It swung open to reveal a hallway, and several more undead began to move towards the fray
Edmund: Too far from the door, Edmund fired at one of the zombies which had appeared at the end of the corridor, wounding it slightly in the head. His lips moved in silent prayer.
Leofric: Leofric engaged the wight with a single move of his slivery sword but it defend itself with skill.
Hogar: Hogar swung his axe at the wight, but the undead was a skillful fighter and raised its kite shield to block the attack.
sd: one of the big Watchmen had advanced to confront the wight with Leofric. He brought his halberd high overhead and smashed it down onto the monster's scaled helm, leaving a great dent and smashing bone from its skull
sd: one of the skeletons fired at Hogar, but failed to penetrate his armour
sd: suddenly another door opened, and a huge sound as a very large creature came out into the hall, footsteps reverberating off the walls
Leofric: Leofric grinned at the impressive blow made by the big Watchman and managed to follow up with a overhead swing, smashing into it again, causing even more crunch. Clearly, it is feeling that. Alas, the wight is still standing.
sd: one of the young Watchmen advanced on a zombie, stabbing at its chest. The wound was only light, but the Watchman kicked out as he struck, driving the zombie to the floor
Beomund: With the wight nearly surrounded, Beomund struck a powerful blow to the side of its head, not quite felling it. He noticed Hogar moving to swing again, and stepped aside...
sd: the veteran Watchmen also joined the fray, one stabbing a zombie hard in the chest
Hogar: Hogar raised his axe high above his head and then brought it down with all of his strength on the head of the wight facing him, hideously splitting its skull in two despite the helmet it was wearing.
sd: one of the skeletons fired towards the battle, inadverently striking a zombie
sd: Deoneath fired at an oncoming zombie, striking its shield
Leofric: Leofric attempted another blow but it seems that the wight recovered and blocked it.
sd: Rahere cackled evilly. "Yes, send me the cyclops, stupid bitch!" he cried, and began to murmur arcane words.
Hogar: Hogar swung at one of the zombies beside him, his axe clanging off the creature shield but battering its leg in the process
Beomund: "More enemies coming through the door," said Beomund to his nearby allies.
sd: one of the veterans stabbed the zombie that had been knocked to the ground, lightly wounding it
sd: "Stand aside, let me deal with him," they heard a woman say.
Edmund: Edmund fired at one of the zombie, hitting it in the arm but without damaging it much.
sd: one of the big men smashed his halberd down on the fallen zombie, seriously damaging it
sd: the wight slashed at Leofric, but his mighty blade struck the scribe's shield. He could feel the unholy strength in the creature's arm as he parried.
Leofric: Leofric replied as matter of fact, "Ah..."
sd: Deoneath paused at the sound of the woman's voice, and retrieved a vial from his bag.
Leofric: Leofric quickly made another attack, raising his sword and for a moment, it look like Leofric made a serious mistake that allow the wight a great advantage. Still, Leofric twisted his sword around and destroyed the skull. It fell at last. He smiled at this small victory and told the Dreadnought that did the most of the damages, thanking him "Good one!". He then starts toward to where the others fighting in the main fray.
Beomund: Beomund swung at a nearby zombie, but was distracted by the sight of more enemies arriving, and his swing went wide.
Hogar: Hogar took down the zombie between himself and Beomund with a quick blow to the head
sd: Rahere broke off his 'incantation'. "Going to challenge me directly then? Brave idiot!"
sd: one of the veteran Watchmen slammed his spear heavily into one of the zombies, tearing at its face
sd: "Your soul will fuel my spells, braggart!" the woman shouted, moving towards the corridor.
Edmund: Edmund fired at a fierce looking zombie, hitting it soundly in the chest.
sd: one of the big Watchmen slammed his halberd down on the fallen zombie, finally slaying it
sd: one of the skeletal warriors shot at the young Watchman, but he dodged nimbly
sd: more undead streamed into the corridor, as did an orc, a big grey-skinned creature with a two-handed axe. Beomund could, just around the corner, also see a woman in red step into the hall. Around her neck was a jet-black amulet that pulsated with a strange light.
Leofric: Leofric moved into the corridor.
sd: Deoneath dipped an arrow in the vial, nocked his bow, and waited. He moved towards the wall, trying to get a good angle of fire.
Leofric: Leofric glanced over at the battle before him.
sd: one of the young Watchmen tried to recover his spear from the fallen zombie, but only succeeded in driving it further into the corpse, forcing him to let go of the shaft and grab for his bow
Beomund: Beomund casually smashed the nearest zombie to the ground and turned to face down the large group of enemies moving toward them, and their sorceress mistress.
sd: Ragnhild raised her hands and began to chant a spell
sd: one of the veteran Watchmen blocked an arrow with his shield as more enemies rushed into the corridor
Leofric: A shield dropped with a clang and Leofric moved his hand wistfully and starts muttering his spell.
You whisper to Beomund: distantly, Beomund heard the sound of a horn blowing
sd: "You think you can take over my minions?" Rahere laughed uproariously
Leofric: Leofric kept on chanting his spell and eventually he cast his magic
You whisper to Leofric: as Leo finished casting his spell, a number of sensations came over him as he sensed the magic from both Ragnhild, Rahere, and his companions. From Ragnhild, there emanated a thick, hard rotting taste, as well as a sharp biting taste like a powerful liquor. The spell she was currently casting had a flavour like the grave.
sd: the two young Watchmen fired at the oncoming orc, peppering it with two powerful shots that pierced its arm and leg. It gave a roar of rage and pain as it flung its axe aside, arm hanging useless at its side
Beomund: Beomund struck at the nearby skeleton. It managed to intercept his blow, but he swung with enough force that its arm was still damaged.
Hogar: Hogar lashed out at a zombie, tearing off a large chunk of its head with a powerful blow
sd: Ragnhild cast her spell, gesturing towards Hogar and Beomund. She stopped for a moment, and then laughed. "You charlatan, sending flesh and blood at me! Don't worry, you'll be true undead soon enough!"
Leofric: Leofric warned the others that Ragnhild have spells protecting her and assisting her attack.
sd: two of the veteran Watchmen took blows from the undead. Out from the hallway, they could hear the sound of another set of reinforcements coming up the stairs
sd: Deoneath moved along the wall, poisoned arrow at the ready, until Ragnhild came into view. "No. You get to be the corpse today, necromancer," he said, quietly and confidently. His arrow shot out towards the sorceress and pierced deeply into her, burying itself into her flesh. Her face contorted with pain, then turned pale as the poison tore into her system.
Leofric: Leofric knelt and picked his shield up and strapped it back onto his arm.
Hogar: Fighting even more fiercely now that their deception has been discovered, Hogar split asunder the head of another zombie
sd: Rahere quickly cast another spell, then spoke in Ragnhild's voice. "Fuck, we're lost! Run for your lives! RUN!"
sd: fighting through the poison, Ragnhild snapped her fingers, causing dark power to wash over Beomund and Deoneath, seeming to shred at their innards from within. The necromancer's face was ashen and she was clearly struggling against the venom.
sd: "Kill them," she said to the cyclops, stumbling back against the wall.
sd: a goblin that had entered the hall shot a young Watchman, driving through his armour
sd: one of the veteran Watchmen took another blow, his leg nearly crumpling under him.
sd: Deoneath, ignoring his pain, drew a silver arrow and began to draw a bead on the cyclops
Leofric: Leofric starts running toward to the fray.
Beomund: Beomund continued to hammer away at the nearby skeleton through its defenses, nearly knocking its arm off.
Hogar: Hogar attacked at the zombie that had wounded the veteran, but the thing blocked with its shield
Edmund: Edmund narrowed his eyes, searching for a target. Finding the wounded Orc he fired a fiery arrow which plunged into its leg. Blood spurted out from the vicious wound.
sd: stumbling back towards the doorway, Ragnhild began to work another spell, somehow keeping her concentration despite the poisoned arrow Deoneath had embedded in her arm.
sd: the skeletal warriors attacked Beomund, Hogar, and a Watchman, but all their swords were blocked away
sd: the orc, pierced with many arrows, still managed to draw a hatchet, though it could not even stand
sd: one of the zombies continued to hammer away on the wounded Watchman, and finally, under the weight of its blows, the man fell with his leg shattered. The undead gave a victorious cry and pressed their attack, while the cyclops heeded its mistress's order and began to lumber towards the fray. "This could be tricky," Deoneath said, aiming.
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