Ancient Domains Of Mystery, forum overview / Stories / ADOM Role-Play 2
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Duke Ravage Moderator on this forum Gravebane Zombie Last page view: 5873 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds ago. |
A sudden pattering of feet behind them and a sharp increase in the intensity of the stench told them exactly where the hobgoblins were. At least a score of them were behind the four adventurers. One of them was mounted on a huge wolf and was carrying a scimitar in one hand and a small shield in the other. Except for this equipment, he was naked. He appeared to be the leader of the group. His mount paced him forewards a couple yards, and he shouted something in a rough tounge. Restlessly his command shifted forewards slightly. Konan moved in front of Meridon and Fire, as did Iridia. The fact that neither of the two were particularly adept at combat made this a good move. All four of them brought out their weapons, and Meridon began chanting something in an arcane language. ivan.sourceforge.net [Edited 1 time, last edit on 7/11/2002 at 02:20 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Tha Messiah Registered user Angel of Death Last page view: 7987 days, 22 hours, 38 minutes and 22 seconds ago. |
The goblins let out a war cry and charged screaming something in their insane tounges.Konan and Irida easily fended off the initial attack.The second attack however was much stronger.Konan swung his sword at the irriating little creatures.Blow after blow landed on the goblins.The goblins were no match for Konan and Irida.They were trained fighter.However Konan was tiring and from the corner of his eye he noticed that Irida was having the same problem."There's too many of them" screamed Konan.Irida recoiled in horror as she noticed another horde of goblins rush to help the leader."Watch out!" she screamed as she saw the leader and a few of the goblins charge straight for Konan.He was outnumbered.Before anyone could move the room was a bolt of fire zipped across the room heading straight for the chief.Konan's jaw dropped as he noticed that all that was left of the goblins was a pile of ash.Irida turned around to see Meridon smiling "Just thought i'd even the odds."The rest of the goblins still looked ready to fight.Konan and Irida were too tired.Konan turned to Meridon "We could use some more of that magic now"."Sorry Konan I need more time."Fire who had been quiet for some time spoke up "Let me handle this."He threw a potion right at the goblins feet. The potion exploded spuring a green liquid all over the goblins.The rest of the party watched in amazement as the goblins dissolved right before their eyes.Meridon looked at Fire "Ingenious.Acid potions"."Well so much for the goblins.Lets go look for the healer.We cant waste more time." THE MESSIAH,I'm here now,Worship me. [Edited 1 time, last edit on 7/11/2002 at 02:21 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
. Realizing the urgency of their quest, they started walking at a pace which was, considering the warriors' fatigue, grueling. The orc looked behind them, then stopped. . "Wait! wait," Fire said, digging through the rags that passed for one of the dead hobgoblin's clothing. "Ah, I knew I saw something," he said, holding up an orange potion and a sharp, though crudely made, knife. Fire ran to join the group. "This'll come in useful, you'll see," he said confidently. "Carrot juice. One of the ingredients in my best recipes." . Though formerly inclined to doubt Fire, his companions had seen the effects of Fire's acidic explosion and knew enough not to comment that carrot juice seemed a strange ingredient for alchemical experiments. . "Ye'll be lookin' fer the lower levels," Konan said. "Knowin' them, if they've captured the healer, they'll have put 'im someplace hard to get at." . "I'm afraid you may be right," Meridon replied. "Ah, here we are." Ahead, a dark stairway plunged down into the depths of the caves. . Iridia took a torch from her backpack. "Always keep these for emergencies," she said, using some flints to strike a spark and set it alight. The light splashed onto the stairway, illuminating it; and the adventurers climbed down the stairs and into the room below. . Here the smell of hobgblins was even stronger than it had been in the levels above; unidentifiable debris littered the passageways and provided hiding places for numerous rats, lizards, and insects. They kept themselves at high alert, fending off attacks from vermin and the occasional goblin. The caves still seemed strangely deserted, despite the score of goblins that had attacked the party earlier. . As they turned a corner, they could see that the end of what had seemed yet another dark passageway opened into a lighted room. They could hear coarse goblin laughter. . Meridon was the most light-footed of the group. "I'll check it out. Wait here," he said. . Stealthily, he made his way down the corridor and peeked into the room. Half a dozen large, burly goblins lounged around the room. One was poking with his foot at what seemed to be a bundle of rags; another lashed out at the bundle with a spiked club. . As he looked more closely at the object of the goblins' derison, Meridon stifled a gasp. It was an old man, dressed in white robes that were now tattered and blood-stained. His hands and feet were bound with thick ropes. Though his face was bruised, his blue eyes flashed anger and courage at the ruthless goblins. . Meridon backed away quickly and reported to the others. "I've found the healer," he said. "There are about six of them guarding him. He doesn't look too good." . "Think we can take them?" Iridia asked. . "Maybe," Meridon said. "But we have to do something, or Jharod will die." Die Gedanken sind Frei [Edited 1 time, last edit on 4/2/2002 at 00:07 (GMT -5) by Iridia] |
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Sam Unregistered user |
Fire took out a obisidian potion out of his sack. ''If this blinded me then it'll blind them.'' chuckled Fire.He added some cooked rat's tail, cooked roach and something fluffy to the potion. It now turned into... water? ''What the hell do you think ya gonna do with water?'' Iridia shouted. ''May look like water, but enhanced potion of blindess. Breath in the mist and ye be blind for a week unless ye has a potion of farsight which I always have in a bundle.'' Fire said. He also smiled. ''Meridon, if ye be kind, do you have a spell that makes us immune to breathing?'' Fire asked. Meridon looked doubtful but after all he IS a wizard. ''Ill see what I can do..'' was the answer. [Edited 1 time, last edit on 7/11/2002 at 02:24 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Duke Ravage Moderator on this forum Gravebane Zombie Last page view: 5873 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds ago. |
IC: He rummaged through his pack a bit, but all he was able to produce was a ironbound tome which had "LIGHTNING BOLT" scribbled on the front cover. "Sorry... My order didn't know the incantations to many spells." ivan.sourceforge.net [Edited 1 time, last edit on 7/11/2002 at 02:25 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
"All right," Iridia said. "No problem. The way I see it, if we don't want to get ourselves blinded for a week, we'll have to go in there, get the healer, and get out. Someone will have to stay behind with that potion, throw it at those big guys back there, then drink the farsight potion and follow us back." The group considered Iridia's suggestion. Die Gedanken sind Frei |
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Duke Ravage Moderator on this forum Gravebane Zombie Last page view: 5873 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds ago. |
"I would stay," said Meridon, "but my spells will come in handy if the operation turns to a fight." "If it does turn into a fight, it will doubtless be a melee. And unless you want to fry us with that lightning bolt of yours, you won't be able o use your spells." Iridia pondered what to do. "Doubtless it will turn messy, considering the eye those guys are keeping on that healer. It might be best if you did stay behind, Meridon." "If it's going to turn messy, at least I can soften them up a bit first." Meridon leaned determidly on his staff; he wouldn't take no for an answer. He was going. "You'll need all the melee fighters you can get. Iridia and Konan should go as well. Besides, I know how to use my potions best. I'll stay behind." With that Fire took a potion out of his sack, examined the lable, and took a sip. "Anyone else want some dwarven ale before we do this?" ivan.sourceforge.net |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
"No, but thank you, friend," said Iridia. "We'll save it to celebrate our victory." Konan grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for, then?" he demanded. "Nothing! Ah...wait," Meridon replied. Touching each of their foreheads in turn, he intoned a short charm over each of them. "A blessing," he said. "For luck." While Fire chose a convenient doorway from which to ambush the goblins, the two fighters headed down the long hall, followed by Meridon. A burst of goblin laughter caused them to quicken their silent pace. Soon they stood at the doorway where Meridon had first seen the healer. Meridon mumbled a spell. From his hand whooshed a bolt of pure lightning, hissing and crackling as it bounced around the room. One of the healer's tormentors doubled over as the bolt hit him square in the stomach, but he wasn't disabled for long. Iridia and Konan took two goblins each, parrying blows, watching for the smallest slip in their opponents' defenses. One of the goblins would have proved a hard opponent to either of the warriors; but fighting two at a time taxed every resource they had. The wounds were unavoidable; but they gave as good as they got. Both struck a goblin each, damaging and slowing the brutes. Meridon headed straight for the healer. "I'm a friend," he said quickly. "I've come to help." Thrusting his arms under the old man's shoulders and knees, he picked the healer up and carried him towards the door. Iridia and Konan began retreating, following Meridon out the door, but not before Konan's plank-sized sword found the neck of one of the goblins. Konan roared in triumph as a goblin thudded to the ground. The two fighters backed down the hall, drawing the goblins into their trap. When Meridon had carried the healer to the staircase, Iridia shouted, "Run! They'll kill us!" Both Meridon and Iridia ran towards the stairs, leaving the goblins behind. Intent on their apparently fleeing quarry, the goblins didn't see the alchemist waiting in the shadows with his latest creation. With a cry, Fire hurled his potion into the midst of the ruthless trio. It exploded into a white, seemingly harmless mist--but Fire's vision was already dimming, fragmenting into silver sparks and slivers; and he knew the goblins would be losing their sight as well. Quickly, he plunged his hand into his pack, feeling the bumps on the potions, and grabbing one of them. He drank. Konan and Iridia had reached the stairs, where Meridon and Jharod waited. Konan took Jharod's thin frame from Meridon's arms; it seemed the old man had finally allowed himself the relief of unconsciousness. A multitude of war cries jerked their attention towards the hallway. Fire's farsight potion pieced the slivered bits of his vision back together. The goblins stumbled through the hall, aimlessly waving swords and axes in his general direction, then trying to find their way back to the room they had been lured out of. Fire grinned at the sight. "Not so tough now," he thought. He stepped back into the doorway as one of the goblins blunderingly swiped a sword at him. Something under his foot gave way and squealed. Suddenly, the doorway he had used for cover became the entrance to a room as the door burst open! Fire whirled around just in time to see at least two dozen goblins headed straight for him, armed and angry. He backed into the hallway, placing himself between his companions and the goblins, grasped his staff, and took a potion out of his bag. Almost immediately, they were upon him. Fire threw the potion into the crowd, listening to the satisfying thunderclap that caused three of them to stagger. How many more potions did he have? He brandished his staff, braining the first goblin and deflecting the blow of a second. The goblins came on faster now; Fire was finding it harder and harder to parry their blows. Though his potions took their toll on the goblins, he was running out of them; and now, the goblins were getting through his defenses. He was going to lose. He was going to... Suddenly he felt someone beside him; a dwarven axe whirled, taking the arm off a goblin that had been just about to connect with his neck. Iridia was beside him, still wounded from the fight with the goblins but wielding her axe with deadly precision. "Ha, now we'll get 'em!" Fire shouted. Across the hall from the first door, the stone wall suddenly cracked, and a door appeared where there had been none before. It opened, and more goblins, at least as many as the first group, raged into the hall to do battle. Iridia was wounded, and Fire was not an expert fighter; it was apparent they could not hope to win--or to last much longer, for that matter. Iridia glanced back towards the stairs where Konan and Meridon were preparing to join the battle. "No!" she called to them. "Go! Take the healer! You too," she said to Fire. "I'm staying!" the orc said, his staff smashing down on yet another goblin. Piles of the creatures were building up at their feet. Iridia could sense he wouldn't back down. Fire took the last potion from his pack, hesitating slightly. The dwarven ale... He threw it at the nearest goblin, which stumbled. Iridia finished it off. "Leave! Now!" Iridia yelled. "We'll catch up with you later!" The battle continued… Die Gedanken sind Frei [Edited 3 times, last edit on 7/11/2002 at 02:26 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
"No choice," said Konan. "Jharod's depending on us." He started up the stairs. Meridon took a last look at his two friends, then followed Konan. They kept up a fast pace as they retraced their steps into the dungeon. Neither said anything. Meridon heard it first: A grunting sound, accompanied by the heavy clack of hooves on stone. Motioning Konan to stop where he was, Meridon moved cautiously forward, peering into the dark. A full-grown giant boar exploded into Meridon's vision. The boar's tusks were tinged red; its mouth foamed, and its eyes showed a single-minded rage. It didn't seem to recognize Meridon's green-tinged robe as that of a druid--and it was coming straight for them! "Wait," hissed Meridon. "When it comes close, dodge it. They can't turn quickly." The enormous animal bore down on them. At the last second, Meridon and Konan flattened themselves against the wall. The boar sped on, completely oblivious to their presence. "Didn't attack us," said Konan. "Why? Could see it wanted blood, that one." "Oh, she was hostile all right," said Meridon. "She just wasn't hostile towards us." Die Gedanken sind Frei [Edited 2 times, last edit on 7/11/2002 at 02:27 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Hmm.. Unregistered user |
The Boar oblivoius from the encounter with Konan and Meridon, charged forward where two heroes lie in wait for it... ''Can't fight no more...'' gasped Fire. He slumped to the ground with exhaust from parrying too much.Iridia couldn't hold on. There must be at least 20-40 goblins were in front and behind. She parried a last time before the dull point of a goblins axe wounded her. All she can hear is Fire's breath and pounded footsteps.. Pounded footsteps? It had to be only one thing... A full-grown boar! [Edited 1 time, last edit on 7/15/2002 at 04:01 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
"We are going to die now," thought Iridia. She was too tired to feel at all sad or angry. Maybe someone else would defeat Chaos... and at least the healer would probably be safe... Jagged goblin screams pierced the air. Iridia forced her eyes open; the boar was tossing the foul creatures like so many rags. The last of the goblins between them and the boar was ripped in two by the boar's tusks; Iridia closed her eyes again, and felt the floor tremble as the huge boar rushed past her... past her? Fire had raised himself on one elbow. "Iridia!" he gasped. "Do you see that? It completely ignored us!" "I see it," Iridia said. "Come on!" Fire said, struggling to stand. "I'm not sticking around to find out if it's interested in us once it's done with the goblins!" Iridia summoned strength she hadn't known existed. In a moment, she stood next to Fire, bracing herself against the wall. Painfully, they made their way back towards the stairs, stepping over dead goblins. One more step... one more step... one more... The pair made their way up the staircase, supporting each other. They came to the top. There, both Iridia and Fire crumpled to the floor once again, too tired to go on. The next thing Iridia heard was the catlike tread of a half-elf; a shadow bent over her. "Dead?" Meridon murmured. Iridia tried to speak. "No! Ah, thank the gods..." A hand touched the dwarf's forehead; energy surged over her body; her wounds hurt much less now, and as her eyes focused on Meridon's face, she sat up. "Come on, now," Meridon said, touching Fire as well. "We have to get out of here." Both felt well enough to walk now; they followed Meridon towards the next set of stairs. In a side chamber near what had once been the goblins' armory, Konan stood on guard over a recovering healer, now sitting on a blanket, taken from someone's pack, which covered the filthy straw. Jharod inspected Fire and Iridia. "Ah, Meridon, I see I taught you well," he said. "But then, it does not take much to teach a light healing spell to someone with much natural talent, as you have." The old man looked better than he had and was almost visibly recovering. "Now then," said Jharod presently, raising himself to stand, "I feel we are ready to get out of this accursed place. Thank you, all of you, for helping me." "No problem," said Konan. "Nobody hates them Chaos critters more than me and my friends." "Ugh, yeah, you've got that right," said Fire. "If I ever see another goblin again...!" "No, I would not want to be a goblin around Fire," thought Iridia, remembering the many goblins Fire had managed to slaughter before they had both fallen. It was not long before the group struggled out of the cave entrance, almost surprised that bright sunlight and the fresh, clean air still existed. In the healthy outside air, rather than the foul air of the dungeon, their wounds healed quickly with the help of Meridon's newly acquired healing spell. Jharod soon looked as though he were half his age. The party turned their steps toward Terinyo. Die Gedanken sind Frei [Edited 2 times, last edit on 7/15/2002 at 04:02 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Duke Ravage Moderator on this forum Gravebane Zombie Last page view: 5873 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds ago. |
They hadn't gone far before they saw the smoke. A long black trail was streched across the sky, rising somewhere from the northeast. Tension pervaded the air, as they considered what it was. "What a pity," said Meridon. "I hope the animals got out of that part of the forest soon enough." "Perhaps the village is just holding a larger festival." Iridia was the most optomistic [OOC: sp?] of them. "They have every right, what with the Gate being shut and all." Konan shook his shaggy head. "That much smoke? They would need a fire the size of the whole village to produce a trail that big." He thought a second. "I've been on a couple raids; often times a town that was freshly razed--" Jharod interupted him. "No! That's impossible. Guth'Alak is an excellent druid, and Tywatt Pare is a stalwart man. Nothing short of an army could raze that town." They continued on nervously. As they came closer to the edge of the forest the tension grew until it was almost unbearable. Suddenly, Konan froze. And not an instant too soon; an arrow whizzed by and buried itself in the dirt. Had he taken another step it would have impaled him. The companions drew their weapons and formed a circle (as per Konan's direction) with the still-weak healer in the middle as several dozen hobgoblins swarmed screaming down from the nearby hills, wielding a motly assortment of weaponry, rangeing from clubs to spears to even a couple scythes. Five of them stood at the top of the ridges with bows, and standing nearby was a rather large looking hobgoblin, mounted on a rather large looking wolf. ivan.sourceforge.net [Edited 2 times, last edit on 7/15/2002 at 04:02 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
The hobgoblins hit the defenders like a tidal wave, startling them with the sheer fury of their attack. Konan was in his element, sword swinging with deadly accuracy; Fire and Iridia put their newly learned skills to use [OC: they've gained a level! :)], fighting better than ever before. Meridon paged through a spellbook, preparing to cast a lightning bolt. One goblin fell, then another. Slowly, the party gained ground. Meridon cried out in pain as an arrow pierced his arm. Cracking the shaft in two, he threw the protruding end of the arrow away, then raised a hand, chanting. Raw power gathered at the druid's fingertips; then it exploded outwards, felling two goblins in its path. Iridia grabbed a cracked wooden shield from one of the fallen goblins. "Konan! Arrows!" As if to punctuate her warning, an arrow flew towards them and imbedded itself in the shield. "Keep your head down!" The big warrior understood. No matter how well they fought here, they were still vulnerable to the archers in the hills. The hills would give the goblins the advantage of a longer missile range, while forcing the party to advance, if they did advance, uphill. If they didn't take out the archers, the party would be picked off, one by one. "We'll have to charge them!" Konan yelled back at Iridia, dodging yet another arrow. "This can't go on!" Die Gedanken sind Frei |
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Duke Ravage Moderator on this forum Gravebane Zombie Last page view: 5873 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds ago. |
Meridon heard them. Chanting, he gathered a mighty bolt of lightning in his hand and hurled it into the vile creatures, scattering them about. When Konan and Irida didn't react the way he expected, he shouted angrily. "What are you waiting for?! Charge the damn archers!!" He began summoning another charge, but before he could finish the spell an arrow hit him. Grunting, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious. ivan.sourceforge.net [Edited 2 times, last edit on 7/11/2002 at 02:29 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
Konan paused, looked from Meridon to Iridia, then back again. He gripped his sword tightly and said, "Stay here. I'll take care of the archers." He began running towards the archers. "And keep your shield up!" he shouted. An arrow zipped past Konan's head; another carved a bloody gash in his forearm. He held his broad blade in front of him; it offered some protection from the arrows. Now the archers were concentrating completely on the berserk warrior charging them. Many arrows whistled past Konan; he barely felt the stabbing pains of the two arrows which found their marks. He kept advancing. "It doessn't sstop! It doessn't fall!" an archer squealed. Two of the smaller goblins broke and ran in panic. The rest hesitated, arrows on strings, before loosing another volley at the oncoming warrior. Konan saw there were at least twelve of them. Good. An even fight. The first swing of his sword crumpled two of the goblins' puny bows; the second relieved two more of their heads. A goblin managed to loose an arrow. At this range, it couldn't miss, and didn't; it embedded itself deeply in Konan's leg. Another arrow was deflected by Konan's armor. A third swing of Konan's sword, and two more goblins met their fates. After that, Konan finished the rest of the archers easily. Goblin archers, Konan thought to himself, were cowards. Always trying to kill something from a distance, without risk to their own hides. Konan turned around. In the valley, Iridia and Fire had just engaged the first unit of goblins. They fought back-to-back, their new skills put to good use against the oncoming goblins. But there were many goblins, and there were only three of them; besides, Konan didn't like the look of the hobgoblins' leader. Soon, Iridia and Fire would be surrounded. Ignoring the pain of the arrow wounds, Konan ran towards his comarades. Die Gedanken sind Frei [Edited 1 time, last edit on 7/11/2002 at 02:29 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
Jharod's body ached from the beating the hobgoblins had given him; and now, he was in the middle of a battle, too weak even to defend himself. Meridon lay beside him, bleeding--maybe dying. With an effort, the healer rose to his knees, then tore a strip from his now-ragged garments. He pressed it over Meridon's wounds. The bleeding slowed. Around them, the goblins closed in on Iridia and Fire. If he had been well, Jharod knew, he could have cured Meridon completely. As it was, Jharod's energies were barely enough to keep his own body alive. Only enough for one person, Jharod thought sadly... I'm too weak to help anyone... Jharod's eyes lost some of their weariness as he considered: Enough for...one? Jharod was a healer; he knew what he had to do. Taking a deep breath, the healer summoned the last of his magical powers. He placed his hands on the prone form of his rescuer. One arrow, then the other, flickered blue and disappeared. The wounds closed. As Jharod's vision dimmed, he could just barely see Meridon's graying skin flush with healthy color. Die Gedanken sind Frei |
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Duke Ravage Moderator on this forum Gravebane Zombie Last page view: 5873 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds ago. |
As his vision returned, Meridon saw Jharod collapse next to him. At first he was too weak still to realize the signifigace of it, and he just lay there. Then he understood. Quickly he was up on his knees, bending over the healer. It was already too late, however. There was nothing Meridon could do. Jharod was dead. He was abruptly made aware of what was going on around him when Iridia stumbled into him and collapsed. Swearing, Meridon stood. These beasts had killed him. They had killed an innocent healer! And now they were trying to kill them, too! Why? Simply because they were . Arcane words began pouring out of Meridon's mouth. Angrily he struck out, mustering reserves of power he had previously not known he had to hurl blasts of lightning into the hobgoblins, and smash them aside with his staff. One fell. Then anonther. Then more, and more, until they lay dead on all sides of him. But even these reserves of power had their limit. Soon Meridon was feeling weak. Jharod was dead; Iridia had fallen and wasn't moving. Konan had arrived, and he and Fire had relieved another score of grungy humanoids of their existance. However, the hobgoblins just kept coming. A chance blow felled Fire, knocking him senseless. Meridon could not fight any longer, and so kneeled to rest. Konan was forced to battle alone against the remainder of the hobgoblins. Their ranks were finally thinning, fortunately. Only about a dozen hobgoblins, plus their presumed leader on his wolf, remained. Konan was completely bezerk, and didn't even notice that his own blood was quickly mingling with that of the slain hobgoblins. Even so, it was obvious that he was weakening. No longer was he roaring as he fought; he was concentrated completely on his task. Finally he slew the last one. Even as it fell, so did Konan. He had been fighting in the bloody battle for nearly an hour, and was exhausted. Meridon felt relieved, and forced himself to relax. He felt as though he was forgetting something... something vitally important... He heard a growl. Suddenly he knew what he was forgetting. He jerked his head up to see the mounted wolf bearing down rapidly on the downed Konan, with a broadsword drawn, ready to seperate his head from his shoulders. Meridon opened his mouth to cry out a warning, but no sound came out. He fought to regain his feet, but his legs collapsed beneath him. Futilly, he looked up, staring at the wolf and goblin that were about to slay another innocent person. The wolf yelped. An arrow appeared in it's side, and it stumbled. Annother imbeded itself in it's skull, and it fell. A third blossomed from the chest of the hobgoblin, who screamed in horror and dropped the sword to clutch at the arrow protruding from it, even as teh falling wolf pitched him into the dirt. The fall pushed the arrow completely through the creature, who rolled about in agony for a few seconds before laying still. Once the shock had worn off, Meridon looked in the surrounding hills for their mysterious savior. His eyes were beginning to lose their focus, but he managed to make out an elven figure standing on the top of a nearby hill, holding a longbow. Just before Meridon collapsed into darkness, he saw the figure dissapear down the hill in the opposite direction. Then Meridon surrendered into a deep sleep born of exhaustion. ivan.sourceforge.net |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
Fire awoke with a headache big enough for five orcs. There were fallen bodies all around him. Jharod was dead, and the rest of his companions weren't in good shape, either. Konan had suffered deep wounds. Fire checked his pack for healing potions, but he had nothing but a bottle of carrot juice that had been of no use in the battle. Then the alchemist's eyes fell on the leader of the goblin pack. On a thin chain around the goblin's neck was a small green crystal. Could it be? Fire hurried toward his slain enemy and broke the chain from its neck. It was true--the goblin must not have known the gem was a crystal of knowledge. One more ingredient... "Meridon? Meridon, wake up!" Fire demanded. The druid's eyelids felt like lead, but he forced them open anyway. "Do you have any stomafillia?" Fire asked. "You're hungry?" Meridon mumbled incredulously. "No, I'm... oh, just give it to me," Fire said. Meridon lifted himself on one elbow and reached into his pack with the other hand, bringing out a rather wilted-looking herb with thick, round green leaves. Not stopping to see what Fire did with it, Meridon collapsed again. The alchemist knelt in the long grass, carefully mixing the three ingredients. At last, there was a burst of steam and a sound like a small thunderclap, and Fire held a cooling light-green potion. Fire hated to wake him again, but... "Meridon? You've got to wake up!" Meridon groaned, unwilling to drag his eyelids open again. Finally, Fire forgot about asking permission and just poured a thin stream of the potion between the druid's parted lips. "Meridon? The others need you!" Fire demanded. Suddenly, it didn't seem too hard for Meridon to open his eyes and sit up. "What did you just give me?" Fire smiled. "And a good morning to you too, druid. That was a potion of vigor. You'll heal faster, and your magic will return faster. But it only works for a while, and they need your healing spell. Now." Meridon raised himself to his knees and turned to Konan. The big warrior had more wounds than intact skin. Iridia didn't look too good, either. Placing both his hands on Konan's forehead, Meridon softly chanted the short healing spell Jharod had taught him. It took repeated uses before Konan jerked awake and pushed himself to stand, wielding his sword. "Where are they?" Konan demanded. "They're gonna be sorry they ever fooled with Konan!" "Calm down!" Meridon shouted. "They're dead! We won!" Konan lowered his sword, the berserk fire in his eyes dying down. "Oh. Sorry." Embarassed, Konan turned to the task of prying his fingers loose from the handle of his big sword. Meridon turned to Iridia. The potion Fire had given him was certainly working; all those healing spells would have exhausted him to the point of unconsciousness without it. It wasn't long before Iridia sat up, rubbing her forehead. The potion was wearing off now, but Meridon's work was not quite done. "Fire. Come here," he called. Fire turned away from looting one of the goblins' corpses. "What?" Meridon placed his hands on Fire's head, chanting a last healing spell. The orc's headache disappeared, and he noticed a nasty cut in one shoulder as it closed. "Thanks," he said. A slightly weary Meridon looked over his companions. They looked much better. The battle-weary group stood around the body of the healer they had come to rescue. "A good man," said Meridon. Konan nodded in agreement. Kneeling down, he lifted the body in his arms and stood. "Let's go to Terinyo." "Wait," said Fire. He turned to the leader of the hobgoblin pack and pried the scimitar out of the dead creature's hand. Unlike the rusted weapons most of the other goblins had been using, the scimitar's curved edge shone brightly in the midday sun. Fire also took the leader's shield, giving it to Meridon. "They'll have a hard time hitting you with those filthy arrows of theirs now," he said. Iridia took the shield and examined it closely, rubbing one finger against the gleaming metal. "That's not just iron," she said. "It's not even mithril. I'd say adamantium, at least--a legendary metal. And dwarven workmanship, too." She returned the shield to Meridon. "Take good care of it, Meridon. It'll serve you well." Fire picked out two more shields for Iridia and himself--wooden shields, and nothing like Meridon's--and then, the party turned their faces towards Terinyo. It wasn't long before they stood on the hill overlooking Terinyo. A haze of smoke kept the sun from touching the city; the buildings were smoldering, the stone walls collapsed by the fire's heat. "Can anyone still be alive down there?" Meridon wondered. "Be a lucky thing if they are," Konan said. "I oughta know. Seen this before." So have I, thought Iridia. But she didn't say it. They began walking downhill, towards the city that now looked very different from the jubilant Terinyo they had first seen. Die Gedanken sind Frei [Edited 1 time, last edit on 7/16/2002 at 12:19 (GMT -5) by Iridia] |
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Duke Ravage Moderator on this forum Gravebane Zombie Last page view: 5873 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds ago. |
As they slowly entered the town, they noticed that burning buildings were not the only things left of the town. The bodies of many of the former inhabitants -- farmers, women, and children alike -- lay all about. Inside one of the buildings, they found the nude corpses of many of the towns young women. In another was something that looked suspiciously like a half-eaten dog. Apparently whomever had been eating it had not cared for the taste enough to finish it. But humans were not the only beings to have died. Many dead hobgoblins lay about, especially at the entrance to the main structure in the town, and near the pond. Muxnip lay before his store with dozens of dead hobgoblins nearby. Inside the building, they found the bodies of Tywat Pare, Guth'Alak, and the village elder. All three had been hacked and torn to pieces; the village elder's head lay several feet from his body. None of them could be alive. Meridon gagged. "How could anyone do this?" "They are evil. They had little to lose, and loot, as well as lunch, to gain." Iridia sighed. "We won't find any survivors in here. Let's go." As they left the building, Konan thought of something. "Wait. Where was that troll when this was going on?" As if in responce, they heard a groaning coming from behind the building. There they found Amanda, lying in a pool of her own blood, and surrounded by half an army of slain hobgoblins. She was covered in wounds, her massive club was shattered, dozens of arrows punctured her filled her body, and her leg was twisted at an odd angle. A huge gash had sheared her right arm to the bone from shoulder to elbow. But somehow, despite all her wounds, she was still alive. ivan.sourceforge.net [Edited 1 time, last edit on 4/15/2003 at 00:29 (GMT -5) by Duke Ravage] |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
"Amanda!" gasped Meridon, dropping to his knees next to her. He placed a hand on her forehead and intoned the words of the healing spell Jharod had taught him. For a brief moment, the troll seemed to look a little better, but then the effect of the spell disspiated. Amanda forced her eyes open. "Don't waste your power on me," she said. "It would take stronger spells than you've got to heal me." Slowly, Meridon withdrew his hand. The other three stood a few feet away, silently watching the scene. "Who did this?" demanded Meridon, taking a blanket from his pack and placing it under the troll's head. "Who ordered these goblins to come here?" "I don't know," Amanda told him. "We thought the Gate was closed... we thought it was all over..." Meridon began bandaging the worst wounds; if he could not save Amanda's life, at least he could make her more comfortable. Fire began pulling away some of the hobgoblins that had fallen across the the troll's legs. Finished with that task, he returned to stand beside Konan and Iridia. Amanda's eyes drifted shut again. "The others... all gone home," she whispered. "The goblins... they didn't know I decided to stay here. There were too many of them... would've killed me, but then you..." Amanda was quiet again; for a few minutes, the only sounds that could be heard were the crackling of the last of the fires and the troll's labored breathing. A soft chuckle escaped Amanda's lips. "He knew," she said. "We told the Minstrel we closed the gate... laughed at us, he did..." Another chuckle. "He was right, you know... not over..." "The Minstrel?" Iridia said. "He knew that Chaos was back?" Amanda opened her eyes once again. "Probably did. Knows more than you give him credit for, he does." She paused. "Won't tell you... probably... never tells anyone much... riddles..." Amanda's eyes closed again and she relaxed into a fitful sleep, chest rising and falling in an uneven, painful rhythm. The group stayed there, motionless, for nearly an hour. Amanda finally lost her struggle and stopped breathing. When the companions looked at each other, they saw that both Iridia's and Meridon's faces were wet with tears. It took them all that afternoon to drag what unburnt wood they could find to the center of Terinyo. On top of the pyre they placed the bodies of the townspeople, Amanda's in their midst. Amanda was where she would have wanted to be--among the only people who had ever accepted her. Iridia was fumbling with her flints. "Let me," Meridon said. Iridia looked up, then stood a little way back. Meridon said a few arcane words, and a lightning bolt formed on his fingertips. He released it, and it flew into the pyre, igniting the wood. The flames grew, reaching up into the sunset sky, as the group stood watching. Iridia grasped her axe, holding it aloft. "By Morodwyn herself, I swear Terinyo will be avenged." Her voice was low, filled with determination. "Aye, that it will," Konan replied; he was holding his sword more tightly than he usually did. Fire said nothing, but he also had a hand on his weapon. "We go to see this Minstrel she spoke of, then," Meridon said. "The Minstrel. Yes. I know where he lives," Iridia said. "Though it's doubtful he'll tell us anything but riddles." After equipping themselves with rations and other supplies from the dead goblins, they dragged the bodies out of Terinyo and into the wilderness. That night, they camped in the shelter of the partially collapsed wall of the town elder's home; the next morning, they began their journey. Die Gedanken sind Frei [Edited 1 time, last edit on 7/31/2002 at 01:54 (GMT -5) by Iridia] |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
It was raining.... not a gushing downpour, but a steady drizzle that seemed like it would last a year. Dense clouds blocked out the sun, and the travelers were soon soaked to the skin. In the forest west of Terinyo, nothing seemed to stir. They met no one that day; It seemed that even the raiding goblins and prowling wolves had kept to their respective dens, out of the rain. At sunset they camped at the edge of the trees; it was still raining, so they decided not to build a fire and ate their food cold. An hour before dawn, Fire stood watch, huddled into a cloak, hood up, waiting for sunrise; his eyes were well-adjusted to the dark, in addition to their orcish keenness. Could it be?... perhaps... About fifty yards to the north, Fire had seen something--a dark form, emerging from the trees... then, it was gone. Fire woke up the others in a matter of seconds; they hadn't been sleeping very deeply anyway, thanks to the rain. "You're sure you saw something?" demanded Iridia. "I'm sure. Absolutely. It was right over there, and it was headed this way," Fire said, pointing in the direction he'd seen the figure. They decided to search for whatever Fire had seen, but despite all their efforts, they found nothing. "I've the strangest feeling, as though someone is looking over my shoulder," Meridon commented. "So do I," Iridia agreed. "Probably nothing. Still, we'd do best to keep a good watch." The sun was beginning to rise again, promising another wet, dreary day. They broke camp and began trudging west again. It was noon before they reached the Great River. They still hadn't been able to shake the feeling that someone, or something, was following them, and maybe that was part of the reason that the River looked so foreboding that day. The steady rainfall had done its job, and the river heaved muddy water against its crumbling banks, threatening to flood the plain. "How do we cross?" Meridon wondered. They were saved the task of finding a crossing, at least for some time, when Iridia cried out, raising her shield just in time to deflect a fiery missile. "What!" exclaimed Meridon, just as a second spell--frost, this time--bounced off his own shield. "Show yourself!" Konan demanded. Another missile streaked through the air, catching Fire full in the chest and knocking him over. He struggled to stand again. By now, everyone had shields raised and weapons out, prepared for a fight. There was just one problem: They couldn't see their attacker. Die Gedanken sind Frei [Edited 1 time, last edit on 10/6/2002 at 01:17 (GMT -5) by Iridia] |
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duke ravage Unregistered user |
For a few seconds, they stood still, watching for the next spell. None of them knew which direction to be facing, as each of the spells had come from a different direction: one from the forest, another from further down the bank, and the third from the direction of the river. Meridon looked around cautiously. The forest was dense and dark, and he could see nothing from within. Across the river was what looked like a swamp. And down the river was more trees and more water. Suddenly they heard a strange hissing, coming from all directions at once. At the sound, they all lifted their shields and wepons. The hissing continued. Suddenly Konan spat. "Lizardmen. Bah. This will be easy." As if in response, three more spells flew at them, followed by seven or eight spears. Konan dove out of the path of a icy blast, and Iridia managed to get her shield between herself and a beam of energy, but Fire wasn't so lucky. A firebolt caught his shoulder and splashed onto his staff, which immediatly caught the flame. The spears were poorly aimed, but even so one struck Konan's leg as he was on the ground, pinning him. Immediatly following these two waves, twenty or more lizardmen swarmed out of the forest from all sides, while another ten leapt out of the swamp and into the river. Leading them out of the forest were five lizardmen atop huge lizards. Every one of them held a spear. Right behind the lizardmen were three holding staves carved from swampwood. Konan struggled to rise again, while Fire dropped his staff tried to put out the fire on his shoulder. Iridia moved to stand over Konan, axe ready. And then they were on top of them. The first mounted lizardman plowed into fire, knocking him over, and then charged toward Meridon. Meridon quickly chanted out a bolt of lightning and hurled it at him. It caught his mount a glancing blow, but enough to cause it to rear up and throw it's rider. The bolt continued through several lizards, killing them, before fading out. Iridia, meanwhile, met the charge by slamming her axe into the chest of a lizard rider, and then laying into the swarms behind. Fire managed to rise again, but his staff was burned to ash, so he was left with his fists. He threw one lizardman onto the spear of one of it's friends, then smashing the skull of another one and taking it's spear. Konan was still pinned, and bleeding profusly. The three shamans were moving around trying to get a clear shot at one of the companions through the fray. Finally, one of them fired a magic missile, which plowed through four lizardmen before knocking Meridon to his knees. By now the entire force on the far bank, including the shaman, were in the river. In less than a minute, they would be across, and the companions would be completely surrounded. Meridon, still on his knees, looked about anxiously for some way to stop them. Fire had fought a path to Konan and Iridia, and together with Iridia was keeping the lizardmen off Konan and Meridon. Two more lizard riders lay dead, but the one Meridon had dismounted had regained his lizard. Ten mangled lizardmen lay about the bank, but the remainder were still fighting. Meridon looked to the river. The lizardmen were almost to the bank. Suddenly, he knew what to do. Chanting, he summoned a massive bolt, and hurled it into the water. |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
At first, it seemed as though the water had simply absorbed the lightning bolt; but suddenly, its power flashed across the surface of the water. There were stunned whimpers, and the lizard-men were jerking and twitching in the water, which quickly swept them downstream in the flood current. One of them, having almost gained the near bank, now lay motionless in the shallows. For a short moment, everything was quiet as the lizard-men on the near bank witnessed the defeat of their comrades. Then, led by the remaining lizard rider, they renewed their attack. Twenty lizard-men; four adventurers; and the river at their backs. Even odds. "Good thinking, Meridon," Iridia shouted, hacking an arm off a charging lizard-man. Fire was using his spear like a quarterstaff; and the lizard-men were discovering that the fact that one end was sharp didn't go to their advantage. Konan had grasped the spear which pierced his leg and, grunting in pain, was trying to break the shaft. "Hold still, Konan!" Iridia shouted. "Fire! Cover me!" Her axe arced towards the shaft of the spear and cut through it as though it were made of paper. Konan pulled strongly on what was left of the spear, and it came out. As Iridia turned back to help the beleaguered Fire, Meridon stopped the bleeding and chanted out a healing spell. Konan was a warrior; and he was angry. It wasn't long before his big sword was whirling and the tide of battle turned. The lizard-men weren't feeling quite as optimistic about the outcome of the battle now. Die Gedanken sind Frei |
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Duke Ravage Moderator on this forum Gravebane Zombie Last page view: 5873 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds ago. |
Finally, the last mounted lizardman hissed a command to his remaining comrades. The last six lizardmen broke off their attack and melted into the woods, hissing as they went. As quickly as they had come, they were gone. Panting, the odd group collapsed, one by one, onto the ground. Fire, who certainly wasn't made for fighting on that kind of scale (and was nocturnal besides), quickly fell into a deep sleep. Iridia simply sat on a stone, and Konan rested his head on a corpse and looked at the sky. Meridon moved amoungst them, careing for their wounds. It wasn't long before the rest of the party followed Fire's example. Iridia managed to stay awake to set a watch for the time, but it was difficult. The battle had been almost mind-numbing. Her body wanted sleep, she had cuts and bruises over half her body again, and the ground looked very soft here by the shore... besides, that elf over there with the bow could keep watch... She shook her head. Staring, she decided she wasn't dreaming. There *was* an elf standing by the party. Iridia tried to make a grab for her axe, but her body didn't respond the way she expected, and she fell over instead. The elf chuckled at her softly. "Don't worry, friend. I won't harm you. Sleep. You deserve it." With that she turned away and set about stringing her bow. Wearily, Iridia tried to object, but all that came out was a yawn. She decided it would be best to follow the elf's advice. Her last thought before sleep overtook her was of the roumered wisdom of elves... ivan.sourceforge.net |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
Meridon woke to find he was lying in what could only be called a mud puddle. He propped himself up on one hand, mud squelching between his fingers, and squinted into the sun, which was now directly overhead. “Fire? Konan? Where are you?” A low groan answered from a few yards away. “Meridon? That you?” Konan wanted to know. “Yeah.” Meridon pushed himself to his feet. The sun had come out; and the wet ground was steaming. Iridia and Fire were still lying on muddy ground, asleep. Meridon headed for the river, washing mud and blood off his robes as best he could; Konan followed him. Iridia and Fire soon woke as well, both of them completely muddied and covered in lizard-man blood, and headed for the river. “You’re limping, Konan,” Meridon said. “Let me look at that spear wound. It’s not every day a man gets a spear put through his leg.” “You’d be surprised,” said Konan, but he sat and let Meridon tend the wound. It was swollen and the skin around it was hot; Meridon’s healing spell did some good but wouldn’t completely heal it. In the end, Meridon just bandaged the wound and let it go at that. Fire was trying out a swampwood staff gleaned from one of the fallen Lizardmen; it made satisfying whistling sounds as he whirled it through the air. “Hey, Iridia, how’re we supposed to cross the river?” he shouted. “I don’t know,” said Iridia helplessly. “So far as I know, no one’s ever been able to bridge the Great River. When I came to Terinyo, I came by way of the swamps…I have no idea how to cross.” “Cave dwellers,” snorted Konan. “Can ye even swim?” “Uhm…” said Fire and Iridia simultaneously. Konan sighed. “Just what I thought. We'll have to find another way to get across.” Die Gedanken sind Frei |
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Duke Ravage Moderator on this forum Gravebane Zombie Last page view: 5873 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds ago. |
Meridon looked about. "Well, however we're going to cross, we can't stay here much longer. Those lizards are bound to return, and this time with more than that." Konan bared his teeth fircely. "Let them come. I'll crush them myself!" He slashed savagely at the air with his great sword. "Iridia," said Meridon, "you said before you crossed by way of the swamps. Where are they?" She gestured downriver. "Down that way. The river branches, and a swamp begins there. The river is swallowed by it. It's difficult crossing, not to mention dangerous, but it may be our only option. I know little else about this area. There may be a ford further up the river." Fire nodded. "I say we go that way. I certainly don't want to go through the swamps. I heard terrible storys in Terinyo about people who have traveled that way, and encountered horrible beasts, more chaos than anything else. One man was the last survivor of a trading party that braved them... He fled from the onslaught of chaos beasts, after watching them butcher his companions, and became lost. Days later, while he rested, his dead companions came out of the darkness and would have killed him had he not ran north, and found the river." After the story was finished, the companions became quiet for a time, each lost in their own thoughts. Meridon finally broke the silence. "North then. Come, we had best be gone." ivan.sourceforge.net |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
The sun quickly dried their damp clothes as they traveled northward along the banks of the river. To their left, the forest gave way to grassland, while to their right, the river, though still swollen with floodwaters, gradually narrowed. At last, with the sun now low in the sky, Meridon stopped them. “The river’s been getting wider just now,” he said. “I’d say the river drains out of a lake not much farther north. If we want to cross, this is the best it’s going to get.” “How shallow exactly is that?” Iridia wanted to know. “About neck deep… well, on me, anyway,” Meridon said. Iridia flashed a dangerous glance at him, and Meridon decided not to mention that Iridia was barely half as tall as he. “I’ve a rope with me,” Iridia said. “If we can’t bridge it, then maybe at least we can string a rope across. I don’t like the looks of that current.” “All right. Let’s do it,” said Meridon. Konan offered to go first, and Iridia brought out the rope and tied it tightly to a scruffy tree on the riverbank. “Fire, can I borrow your staff?” Konan asked. He secured an oilskin blanket around his pack, and, taking one end of the rope, he waded into the river. As the river became chest-deep, Konan’s progress slowed. He jabbed the quarterstaff into the river’s bottom and braced himself against it at each step, struggling against the current. They held their breaths, waiting, until the water became shallower and Konan splashed out of the river onto the far bank, securing the rope there. Fire went next and had little trouble. Though the fastest current in the middle of the river swept him off his feet more than once, he kept his grip on the rope and made it across. As Iridia waded into the river, the shock of the cold water prevented her from breathing for a few seconds. Then she grasped the rope, plunging into the water. It wasn’t long before Iridia’s feet lost contact with the river bottom, and she felt herself being dragged downriver by the current. It was all she could do to keep her head above water and haul herself, hand-over-hand, along the rope. Suddenly she felt a a stab of pain in her leg. She twisted her head around (getting a mouthful of water for her efforts) only to see a gigantic turtle, its mouth clamped on her leg, pulling her downwards. She couldn’t reach the axe slung across her back without letting go of the rope; but if she didn’t get rid of the turtle— Iridia decided to chance it; she took one hand from the rope and reached for her axe with the other. At that moment, the turtle tugged especially hard. Her grip on the rope was loosened, and suddenly everything was confusion. Water was everywhere, she didn’t know where up or down was; and now there must have been more than one gigantic turtle—she felt bites on her arms now too, and attempts to bite through her mail coat. Iridia struggled, trying to get loose, reach her axe, and get a breath of air: Time was running out. Die Gedanken sind Frei |
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Duke Ravage Moderator on this forum Gravebane Zombie Last page view: 5873 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds ago. |
Konan watched as Iridia began struggleing across the river, ready to help if she got into trouble. He knew Iridia was strong -- she was a dwarf, after all -- but her height was a major disadvantage in this situation. When she stopped in the middle, Konan immediatly knew something was wrong. He unslung his great sword and began moving towards the waters edge. When she dropped off the rope, he dropped the sword and dove into the water. The current was strong. Konan knew he would have a difficult struggle trying to catch up with Iridia, but he tried his best. He could hear Meridon and Fire shouting on shore, but he couldn't make out what they were saying over the roar of the river. Slowly he began gaining on Iridia, who was bobbing just under the water. Konan knew he didn't have much time. Suddenly he realized why Iridia wasn't floating, besides the weight of her mail. He could just make out the shape of a giant turtle clinging to her leg. She was still awake, he knew, because she was struggling. He could even see her axe swinging at the turtle under the water, but with no effect, seemingly. He swam harder. He was almost there. Ten feet. Seven. Five. Three... And then Konan had her. His hand closed around her left arm, at the same time she swung down hard on the turtle. A spurt of blood accompanied the blow, and the turtle let go. Konan pulled Iridia's head above the water. She gasped, coughed up water, and then collapsed, unconscious. Konan began swimming towards the eastern shore. A few minutes later, Konan was pulling Iridia's limp body out of the water. He leaned her up against a tree. "Meridon!" he shouted. "Meridon, get over here quick! Iridia needs help!" He then went to work examining her for injuries. The turtle had torn though her chain mail in several places, and Iridia was bleeding. "Meridon, where are you?!" Konan suddenly realized he hadn't gotten a response. "Fire? Can you hear me?" he called, standing. Nothing. "Meridon? Fire? Where are you? This isn't funny." Silence. Something had happened. He looked around him, and saw nothing but trees and the river. The forest was quiet. Too quiet. ivan.sourceforge.net |
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Iridia Registered user YASD Last page view: 3966 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds ago. |
Konan took another long look across the river; Fire and Meridon were nowhere to be seen. Finally he turned back to Iridia; picking the dwarf up by her middle, he smacked her on the back with a big hand. It took only one repetition of the procedure before Iridia was gasping, coughing and sputtering indignantly to be put down. Konan obliged; the dwarf still had a death-grip on her axe and, at the moment, Iridia was still so disoriented that he wanted to be well out of her reach. Iridia sat down hard on the ground, spitting out more water and trying to get her breath. Konan was well-used to the sounds of nature. Having lived in the outdoors all his life, he had always known the language of nature even better than he spoke the language of his own tribe. Because of this, it was Konan who was the first to notice the way the rustle of the trees behind them was a little out of place; how the grass to their right swayed the wrong way--opposite to the wind--and how a small flock of birds to their right suddenly took to the air. Konan was immediately on guard; seconds later, his alertness paid off when, hearing a telltale rustle in the trees to his left, he sidestepped an arrow which would otherwise have hit his chest. If she couldn't have heard their attackers coming, Iridia could recognize the hiss of an arrow well enough. Her shield immediately came up and she stood. They scanned the tree line, waiting for their attackers to reveal themselves. They didn't have long to wait. Slim green shapes materialized out of the trees and grass; a flight of arrows flew out of the trees; a firebolt came from somewhere to their right. Konan estimated there were about a dozen fighters, half a dozen archers, and at least one shaman. It was going to be a tough fight. Die Gedanken sind Frei [Edited 2 times, last edit on 1/31/2003 at 16:12 (GMT -5) by Iridia] |
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Duke Ravage Moderator on this forum Gravebane Zombie Last page view: 5873 days, 12 hours, 39 minutes and 57 seconds ago. |
Iridia got her axe off her belt only moments before the first fighter tackled her shield. She lashed out, and felt a satisfying smack as her axe bit through it's body, crushing it's heart beneath the axe and it's ribs. The next one fell back as she shattered it's face with the rim of her shied, but soon she was swamped with attackers. Konan, meanwhile, was having a difficult time defending himself. He was used to having the big grip of a greatsword in his hands, but he'd left that behind when he'd leapt into the water after Iridia. Realizing a wepon would be useful, he grabbed the spear of the nearest warrior with one hand and dealt it a mighty blow with the other, destroying it's life - as well as it's face. This done, he began using the whole spear - haft, head, and his fists - to knock a path to the nearest tree, leaving two more dead lizardmen and three wounded. He then hurled the spear through the fray, impaling two archers, and tore off the biggest brance he could find, which he used as a massive club - to great effect. He soon was tossing archers left and right. Three wend down, and the last one fled. At the same time, Iridia was hacking apart the limbs of lizardmen, but was being forced back. She prayed Konan could see her predicament - she was face-to-face with 6 lizardmen, and she was already wounded - and come to his rescue. She realized she needed to take the offensive. She was preparing herself, reading herself for her last charge, when she suddenly heard a great roar, and the lizards parted, two of them going down. For an instant she thought Konan had come to her rescue, until she saw the lizards burning. She barely had time to lift her shield before the firebolt slammed into it, tossing her backwards. When she recovered, she realized the glare from the red flames was coming from her shield. She dropped it immediately, then thought better of it and grabbed an edge and hurled it into the group still-stunned lizardmen. Another went down. Frantically, the three surviving fighters and the shaman fled into the forest after the last archer, closely persued by Konan. Iridia paused a moment, then followed, coming to the conclusion that the fleeing lizards might lead them to Fire adn Meridon. ivan.sourceforge.net |
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