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Post by Aileen on Dec 11, 2019 22:55:10 GMT -5
I take another swig from Jaris's wineskin, clearing my head. I really got my a** whooped back there, and I'm still salty about it. Jaris meant well, he loves me, but he made an error in judgment. I found a place for us to sleep, so I'm on my way back to the party.
Our lackey, Prandalas, was pretending to be useless our whole trip. She whipped out a wand when some shambling mounds attacked, and suddenly she's the new it-girl. Of course the dumb b**** starts flirting with my husband and asking for his boots, so I had to leave.
The group kept exploring, but it's not difficult for me to find them. I can hear a huge commotion happening in a copse of trees, and soon see giant wasps flying towards them. Yep, they have to be there. When I finally get there, the wasps are on the ground dead along with some spiders.
"Aevlin! Get your a** up here!" Ceyleen calls from up on a platform.
I climb up the rope with a little difficulty, and come up to a disaster zone. There is ice and frost everywhere on the platform, and everyone is injured. I don't see Jaris. Prandalas lies bleeding out, but nobody seems to care.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Prandalas betrayed us. Used her wand and blasted us with cone of cold." Ceyleen recaps. "I can't find Jaris, can you use your wife senses to find him?"
It doesn't take me long, I feel around until I feel a familiar body. Locating the sword by the string, I sheath it and Jaris reappears. He's unconscious, bloodied up and slightly blue. I finally get him awake after much panicking and clerical assistance, and pick him up to hand him off to Hans.
We leave Prandalas on the platform and head out to the building I secured for our rest. Hans summons a feast of all our favorite foods. He is sure to magically procure me some glazed salmon and cheesy potatoes- my absolute favorite!
"I love you, Hans!" I exclaim, digging in. Jaris raises his eyebrow. "Platonically, of course."
We rest, and the next day set out for more exploring. Ceyleen turns into some weird bird with huge, ridiculous eyes, and does some air recon. She flies back and sits on my shoulder, then turns back to elf form while sitting on me. I immediately crumple to the ground to her great annoyance. She reports that she found a compound being guarded by some leopards. So, we head there. Upon arrival, she talks to the cougars, and they agree to help Jaris open the gate, although they are a bit weirded out that they can't see him but can smell him. They also reveal the man that lives here has a yellow hat and is shacked up with some woman.
We are let in, and Ceyleen even lets me stop to pet the panthers. They pur and really seem to love the attention.
"Jaris, can we please get one!"
"No! No cats!"
We all go in and go up to the porch of the big house. Upon closer inspection, the walls are paper thin, mostly made out of thin strips of wood and probably actual paper. Ceyleen knocks, recieving no answer. She tries another door.
"I apologize if you're still copulating, I have some questions!" Ceyleen calls. "I'd also like to see your monkey!"
She keeps chatting away with no answer, but soon we hear movement.
"I am looking at you with the power of my mind!" Says a voice. Weirdo.
Elmarth heads around the back of the house, and not a minute later there is a resounding boom. Fireball?!
I leap over the porch railing, and run with Nylen to the back of the house. Bugbears and bullywogs have Elmarth surrounded. I shoot into the fray, Nylen and I taking out a bugbear. Elmarth transforms into a giant ape, and starts bashing away. Unfortunately, I shoot him, but nobody is surprised by that. Soon the enemies are dead, and I go back to the front of the house with Ceyleen and invisible Hans. The others stay out back.
The guy won't answer the door, but that's fine. That's what I'm hear for. I back up, get some momentum, and then slam myself through the thin wall. I come out into a room with some junk, daggers and statuettes on a shelf, and a chest with small drawers. Ceyleen and Hans join me inside.
"You know, there is a whole city here, and a huge beautiful tree," Ceyleen says. "I think we should make this our vacation home!"
"It's a bit too hot, Ceyleen. I don't like the humidity." I say.
"Well, take off your armour!"
"I'd still be hot, I'm not naked under my armour!"
"We are!" Ceyleen huffs.
"Ladies, kindly shut up. I heard a tearing sound!" Hans announces, inspecting a wall. "Aev, go open that door!"
I head towards the door to the left side of the room, but as I'm about to open it I can hear a voice muttering what sounds like a spell. Through a slit in the wall comes a noxious gas, rapidly filling the room. The moment I breathe it in, I feel ill. I fall to my hands and knees, vomiting uncontrollably. I can hear commotion in the back of the house, and hope the rest of the party is coming to save us.
I'm still gagging and choking, nothing left to throw up, when someone ties me up and pulls me out to the porch. They put a gag in my mouth, and leave me between Ceyleen and Hans. The others come up on the porch, plopping down an unconscious Jaris and Nylen.
"Back away from the door!" Commands the man. Elmarth complies.
There is now a bottle of wine on the porch, in front of the door.
"Now go away!"
I start worming my way across the porch, crawling for the bottle of wine. Ceyleen turns into a squirrel and escapes her bonds before turning back to herself. She grabs the bottle before I can get to it. Elmarth keeps talking to the guy, while Hans heals up Jaris and Nylen. Turns out this guy Harnow governs the Forbidden City. He also doesn't know anything about the "prince", the chieftains son was are looking for.
"Leave, now. Come back tomorrow. Bring me something nice."
Jaris unties me, and we all leave. The guy has the jaguars let us pass, and we get out the gate just fine. He says he may punish them for letting us past earlier.
We move on to where Ceyleen spotted bugbears. As we walk, six bullywogs jump out and attack us! I'm hit by a tiny, adorable and quite painful spear, before killing one. Hans kicks one between the legs, and it falls over with eyes bulging. Finally only one other remains alive, and it starts leaping away. I whip out my bow, and take a shot, not expecting to hit. I kill it!
"That's my beautiful wife!" Cheers Jaris.
After dispatching the one that got groin kicked, we move along, and get set upon by a family of bugbears. A mom, a dad and two kids. I feel bad for fighting them, but change my mind when one hits me with a sword. We kill them just as fast as the bullywogs. Upon inspection of their campsite, we find some gold but nothing else. Hans asks if any of us want to take it before he does.
"I have transcended beyond the need for gold!" I say.
"I'm not giving you the liquor, Aevlin!" Ceyleen snaps.
We send Jaris to scout ahead and tell us what he sees. Turns out there are a lot of bugbears. And some of them are absolutely massive. Like, giant, mutant bugbears. He goes out again, and is gone for a good chunk of time. Then we hear a war horn being sound, followed by the trampling sound of many feet heading our way. I climb up on a big rock and aim my bow in that direction.
"Run! It's a massive bugbear! His sword saw me!" Screams Jaris, still invisible.
I jump off the rock, and breathe a sigh of relief when my ankles don't give out. They almost always do thanks to my old boots. We run through the city, heading for the compound. It's the safest place we can think of. They stop following us soon.
We go make camp for the night, and Jaris fills us in on what he saw. Apparently the really, really big bugbear had a magic sword that talked to him and sensed Jaris. It had a jagged, cruel looking blade.
I go to sleep, dreaming about the bottle of claret that Ceyleen is holding onto. I'm roughly woken by Jaris, who tells me to draw my sword. I get out of bed, half naked, and see two glowing beetles coming into our camp! Nylen and I quickly kill both of them, and then we harvest their cool glowing glands out of them.
Before going back to sleep, I try to steal the wine from Ceyleen. Unfortunately, she wakes up.
"Aevlin!" She snaps, slapping me.
"I was trying to tuck you in!" I say. "You looked so peaceful."
"You try to steal from me, and then lie to me?! I thought alcohol was no longer a problem for you, Aevlin!"
I turn to Jaris as I crawl back to my bedroll.
"Steal it for me!" I hiss through my teeth.
I finally take over watch, and Hans let's me borrow the ring of invisibility. I tell him it was mine, and technically he should give it back to me, but he refuses. Just like him to do so.
"Please give her alcohol so she shuts up!" Hans begs Ceyleen.
Ceyleen refuses to budge. I take the watch, and nothing happens. Hans of course takes the ring back in the morning, much to my chagrin.
"You know, with all the drinking you used to do I'm surprised the hangover didn't kill you when we were in prison."
"It almost did, Hans." I snap back.
We head back to the compound, and find a gruesome sight at the gate. A young boy's body, nailed to the gate, with a word carved into his forehead.
PRINCE?
Ceyleen is now in the form of a long haired Guinea pig, and starts wheeking on Elmarth's shoulder. There is some talk of fire balling the house, so I open the gate to let us through. That's when the cheetahs attack. I take a claw to the leg from a Maine Coon, and get a good swing in before it moves off to save its friend that is grappled by invisible Hans. Nylen kills one, Jaris kills the one that scratched me, and Hans finishes his bobcat off.
I don't know what in the fresh hell is going on here, but I'm sure we will get to the bottom of it. We came here to save the chieftains son, but clearly we failed in that matter. But hey, cats.
>>-----> Aevy Jörmungandr <-----<<
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Post by Chris on Dec 12, 2019 14:40:36 GMT -5
Forbidden City Court of the Master captured negotiations Bugbears spotted a prince slain ended play on Sunday, Coldeven 23, 577 CY, 6:24:35am, Luna is waning , 1/2 week till new MVP Matt Kusza as Elmorth Our plays on rpggeek.com/plays/thing/48900?userid=1168080
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Post by dragonforgotten on Dec 20, 2019 21:06:02 GMT -5
“We need to get up there. Those bees are proably.” I don’t get to finish as all four bees are awake and active, each carrying a Tazoliod with a spear. “Mounts, of course.” They drive in on us, cayleen beginning to cast a spell and Nylen and Hans prepared for the insects. One bee stops infront of cayleen memorizes by her movements. I want to stab at the rider but the wasp is moving too much and the rider keeps squirming. I watch Hans grapple the bee mid air and pin it to the ground. It thrashes and struggles as it desperately tries to break free and I see a opening. I strike but miss my target, twirling my dagger in the free hand I pierce into its thorax, jumping away. Don’t know why I haven’t done this sooner. Now I see why Nylen duels blades. The tazolid unfortunately gets a strike on cayleen snapping the wasp out of its trace and Cayleen is pissed! Nylen cuts into a wasp as one buys and claws at Hans bare skin. Han gets ahold of of the wasps head as it’s jaws snap wild and Hans grits his teeth. The wasp slumps in his arms as it falls unconscious and in one fluid motion he throws wasp and rider out of the tree! Only a few left! The drums still vibrate through the trees and the cries and cheers of ring in the air. It’s the I spy pran. She scaling higher up to the next plateform. She continues and suddenly begins to descend on the other side. What the hells is she doing? The fights over here? My gut is screaming at me. Telling me something’s wrong but she’s a Elf. There’s no way she could be charmed. Also Ave doesn’t hire traitorous worms. But still, I sense a foreboding dread sinking in my gut as I help do pest control. I’m having a bad day with my swings. I just can’t land a solid attack. There’s a change in the sound of the cheers. Prandlious stands above us pointing her wand at up with a menacing smirk and my heart stops. “Oh... f***.” “Cone of cold!” A rush of freezing energy slams into us and I stagger, arms shielding my face. I can’t stop shaking. Everything starts to grey out. I fall to my knees hugging myself for warm. I’m so cold.... ———-
“J-Jaris!....Wake up... please!” I raise my heavy eyes as I feel someone place there hand on my face. I see the blurry out line of a woman. “Your going to be all right.” Im so cold. Suddenly I feel something on my lips and I’m begin lifted off the ground. feel myself fade back into the darkness as I’m places in large arms. .... .....
I come around to the deliouse smell of food. My eyes slide to see avelin and Cayleens, I’m laying in avelins lap. “I hate wizards.” My eyes slide to Elmarth who looks offended. “Except you, your cool.” I groan in pain as she helps me sit up. Avelin looks at me with a scowl. “And you tell me to be careful! Not an hour away from you and I find you frozen and bloody in a giant tree.” I try to smile wincing as I shift my body off her. “Sorry, didn’t see the cold front coming. What’s that smell anyway?” She signs, helping me sit up. “Hans made food. He asked kord for food this morning and lord answered by delivering a enter spread.” “Really!” I start getting excited, that sounds awesome. I look over to see an elaborate array of food. It has everything anyone could want. It even has elven food and dwarf food. Odie picks up a platter of dwarven food I don’t recognize and bites into it. “It tastes just like dirt! It’s just like home! So good!” I look at the elf food but I only know one or two things. Avelin helps me to the spread for picking but I’m stuck. I don’t know what I want out of the large selection. I’m not sure if I should take the elf food or the human food. Try something new or stick to what I know. “What’s the matter dear?” Avelin asks me as she fills her hands with haddock fillet. “I.. don’t know what I want. I’ve never had such a wide array of choices. In the caravan it was gumbo and whatever we found. In taverns and bars it was booze and mutton.” She pats my shoulder. “It’s ok. I think I know what you’d like.” She then grabs two slices of bread, piles on the chicken, peppers, and cheese and then she reach over to the elf food and grabs this purplish flowers cayleen was eating and cyan berries she saw Nylen happy eating, sticking them into the sandwich and hands it to me. “Try this.” I look at it, wondering if I’m going to hate it. I then take a bit out of and my eyes widen. “It’s good!” I devour the sandwich without hesitation and then make another sandwich placing more of the purple flowers in it. She smirks watching me. “See, i told you you’d like what I picked. Here, try the cheeses potatoes.” She holds out the spoon for me as I I eat it. She tries eating some of the elf food but gags the moment it touches her mouth. The warmth of the food does me good as the heat starts to return back into my body. Cayleen the. Stands up from the floor. “While the rest of you stuff your faces I shall take a look around.” She then transforms into a bird with freakishly large eyes and flys off. A few hours later I’m in the middle of rewrapping my weeping injuries with the help of Avelin and Hans; feeling back to the way I was before the cone of cold if more bruised and sore, when cayleen flys onto avelins shoulder and turns back to herself. Avelin staggers and falls flate on her a***. “Found some possible places to visit next.” She tells us as Avelin struggles under her and then shoved her off. Cayleen informs us of all the points of interests in the area. Along with seeing bugbears, bullywogs, tazliods and Yuan ti, she found a eastern styled house in the center of a towers heavily guarded walls. There isn’t any human soldiers guarding it but three juager. With group vote we all go to the only source of civilization in this cess pool of sweat and misery called a jungle. We reach the compound without any trouble. “Ok. I’ll scale up the wall and tell what I see-.” “Hello! Can you hear me!” She says out loud for everyone to hear, casting a spell as I begin climbing up the wall. She talks to the big cats on the other side of the door. She manages to convince them to not eat me alive as I effortlessly climb. As I drop onto the other side of the wall I see the cats and nearly choke on my spit. I’m sure they can smell my anxiety, there looking straight at me. Not attacking but it doesn’t make me feel any safer “Nice, kitties. Be good please.” I coax them invain as I walk past them and to the door. The cats paw the machinism to the door and I activate it, the door slowly wings open as the party comes in. Avelin goes right to the cats and begins petting them. The big one purrs, rubbing its cheeks against her hand. “There so cute Jaris! Come pet one.” I steady my nerves, reach a hand out and touch it. It’s furs so soft. The cat twitches confused by my unseen touch. “Ok! Did it!” “Jaris can we please get one!” “No! We already have a dog after all.” I chuckle nervously, recovering my posie. Horrified by the vision of a giant man eating cat ripping out my jugular while I sleep. I’m ok with normal cats. Their quiet and clean but no! Not jaugars! Moving in im telling everyone how we maybe should approach it the stealthy way but its not a minute later cayleen is at the door knocking. “I apologize if you're still copulating, I have some questions!" I bury my face in my hand. Oh cayleen why? Wait... where’s Elmarth? “Boom! Frooosh!” Fire ball!? With out hesitation we scramble off the deck except smider, heading towards the sound. We find Elmarth surrounded by bullywogs and bugbears looking really beat up. He then transforms into an ape and begins swinging his arms about. Everyone jumps into action and we destroy them swiftly. Looking at the corpses I start thinking. This guy must be really bad news if he’s working with these guys. “I’m going through the back way of you and everyone are going to try speaking to him again.” Nylen agrees with my logic along with Elmarth and follows. Smider catches up to the group and joins us. Cutting through the paper walls of the house we step into the lavishly decorated building only to her a dog visously bark at us! It takes a nasty bit into smider as he opened a door the the next room. I can’t see it! Where the hells is it!? Attacking it blind I give that up quickly when I fail to connect. It’s then I hear coughing and retching of the front door gang. Avelin! I go to the open door, peering through as the invisible dog rips into my leg. Gritting my teeth I spy group A on the floor uncontrollably vomiting, helpless in the green smog. Oh no! I want to rush in and save them but I’m not strong enough. The green smog starts to travel towards me before I can proably think and I have to make on of the hardest choice of my life. I have to close the door, keeping myself separating from avelin. Before I can even move the dog viscously bites into my forearm as I start bleeding Rapidly. I don’t feel so good... “Thud!” .... ...... I jolt awake, flying forward with eyes wildly searching. What happened!? Cayleen hovers next to me dusting off her hands and I look around. Group Front door are tied up, Elmarth is at the door begging for our lives. Avelins worming her way in the group towards a bottle of acholo. Cayleen and I begin untying the rest of the party and we retreat with the resident of the house telling us to come back tomorrow and bring him something nice. F***k him. Defeated but not dead yet we head towards the totem poles Cayleen saw looking for trouble and action as we plan what the heck we are going to do about the powerful wizard in the paper house. Once again we are attacked by tenacious bullywogs with spears. I disembowel one in a single hit as the group carved away. Hans kicks one straight in the Crown Jewels as I wince, watching the creature fall. Damn... hans soon put the monster out of its misery with a mace to the face. One breaks ranks and tries to flee but avelin catches it in her sights and takes aim. It’s about to disappear out of rang when she unleashed the arrow and it strikes true. Slamming into the creatures head it flops over dead. I go over and kiss her on the cheek. “That's my beautiful wife!" She blushes, tucking her hair back as she smiles. Carrying on we reach our destination and are ambushed by four bugbears, two adults and two children. We staff getting cold feet watching the family unite. “Gezz. I don’t know how to feel or go about this.” Avelin admits as I give her a quick glance. I’m feeling conflicted as well. Killing murderous monster is one thing but a whole family unit? The youngest one then rushes cayleen and gives her a nasty slash. She glares hard at him. “I’ve changed my mind. There going to die.” The farther then attacks my wife and I go for the kill, easily tossing aside my hesitation as I wiff my first attack but then swing my dagger downwards unto one of the bugbear kid and and kill him. Soon we have four dead bugbears and a cave ahead of us. The cave forks in two directions “So Jaris, why don’t you check those caves.” Asks Hans. “Alright, but if you hear me scream it means I’m in a pit again or I’m bleeding out. Again.” I creep forward and I see it. One cavern has a large set up for multiple family groups. The other has a tall ugly f***ker guarding more family units beyond it. I report back and I’m feeling alittle bold today and go deeper. I pray for no galltinious oozes. Me, being the ace theif and the party’s cheap assassin explore the caverns fully, surprisingly unhindered and thankfully ooze and pit free. So far it’s just been family’s, roudy bugbear teens, a cleric looking one contemplating either life or nothing at all in his fat head, a few soldiers here and there, and a room blocked by a vine curtain. Creeping through the halls it lets out into a large center room and things look more interesting. There a huge, even meaner f***k glaring around the room as his men work around him. There’s a few mongreul men tied together to spikes on the floor and one separated from the rest tied to a boulder. Prisoners? I thought they were animal like? Why would they keep them prisoners? Could they possibly be more intelligent then we thought? Could they be a rival faction? I have an idea though staring at them. I’ll just try to free them and cause alittle chaos.i move just a foot when suddenly the leader of the bugbears is distracted by his sword. He mumbles to it and pulls it out, revealing the jagged wicked blade. He points it around the room till suddenly it’s pointing at me! I’ve been made! I start running! I run as fast as my legs can carry me as the alarm horns blare. I catch the party in sight, the thunderous foot fall behind me. “Run! They found me! Special sword!” I just barely gasp out as I sprint past. Avelin does a fantastic jump off her rock perch as we run as a group. It’s looking wrost by the second. More and more bugbears are joining the chase and no one knows where we’re going. “Back to the house! They might not follow us there!” Callls out Cayleen and Hans and none of use argue. We rush in the direction of the wizards house. The moment we enter his territory the army dispersed shouting and screaming at us before departing. I sigh, hands on my knees. “That. Was too close.” Nylen approaches me and asks what I saw and I convey everything that happened inside the caves. “The sword must be magic like your one. At least we know what we’re dealing with now.” “Yes, for now we should try and have a rest. Your spell casters are very dry in spells.” Says Hans dripping with sarcasm. We search around and find a enclosed outcrop of ruins in the jungle that’s relatively dry and we have have a small fire. Watches are despised and Avelin takes the first one as Spell slingers pray and rest. I drift off the sleep quickly feeling the aches and pains. .... “Jaris, your turn.” I’m shaken awake by avelin. Shuffling to my feet I kiss her good night before taking watch. Staring into the darkness I start fiddling with some twigs when I see a glow. Two illuminating beetles crawl ahead towards the direction of our camp. I couldn’t have been worried had I not seen the size of those mandibles. They appear to have not noticed me or the party at all. I creep to Nylen and avelin, shaking them awake. The bee tale were squished and avelin now has two glowing balls of flesh from the beetals to give to Hans. Finishing up my hour I stretch groaning as Nylen takes over. I collapse into the bedroll just as avelin slinks away from me. I’m about to ask where she’s going when she raises a finger to my lips, a mischievous smirk lining her own. I catch on quickly and shut up. I watch Avelin try to mimic my movements when I stealth. Her steps are wrong and sloppy, she has no clue where to put her feet so she snaps and rustles noticeably through the foliage. She reaches for Cayleens bag, sweat on her brow till cayleen acts. In one swift and frighteningly fast motion she slaps her hand away. "Aevlin!" She snaps, scowling. I chuckle in the corner. Caught red handed dear. "I was trying to tuck you in! You looked so peaceful." I almost split a rib but I simply roll over into the bedroll, muffling my laughter. "You try to steal from me, and then lie to me?! I thought alcohol was no longer a problem for you, Aevlin!" When I roll back to see her face I’m spy that angry pout on her face. She storms off back towards me, flopping onto our joined bedrolls. “Nice effort.” I tell her. She scares the gos se out of when she suddenly grabs my face, a wild desperate look in her eyes. "Steal it for me!" She hiss through her teeth. Blinking owlishly I attempt to comprehend what she just said. Did she just....? “Pardon?” “You need to steal it! For me!” She mutters furiously in my ear, it flicks up with interest. My heart starts to flutter. My pulse quickens and I can feel myself start fiddling with my rings. “Ave, I can’t. We may need to give that away tomorrow.” I remind her. She clings onto me, pressing herself against my body. She flashes her eye lids, staring into my eyes. “Not even for me.” The eyes! Those bewitching eyes! She’s doing it again! It’s not a hard answer. There’s only one answer to it. I’ve been waiting for this for a long long time. “What happened to rehab?” “It’s just one, please Jaris.” “love, you know all good things come in time,” I tell her. She looks at my confused but gives up the fight, rolling over to her side of the bedroll. I’m giddy with excitement and I lay my arm over my face to hide the wide grin. My eyes slide over to Cayleen, thinking, plotting. ————
We go back to the wizards place to talk some Buissness. I honestly think the wizard wasn’t serious about it. He just wanted us gone. This man is powerful, it became obvious yesterday with the failed break in and then when the hordes of bugbears turn tailed and ran once we entered his turf. I don’t see what we gain from antagonizing this man further. The gates are within our sights but there’s something on the door. The closer it gets it becomes obvious it’s a body, nailed to the door. It’s a young native boy with words carved into his forehead “Prince?” It dawns on me quickly “Well, s****.” Everyone exclaims at once realizing this is the chieftains son. The wizard must have had him the entire time and killed him once Elmarth made it clear we were looking for him. This is a obvious sign. I’ve known some theives guild use this message to get their point across and it’s clear as day to me. Hans inspects the door boys wounds. The body’s been cut to ribbons. “Poison he announces.” Oh god don’t tel me theirs an assassin running about as well “Maybe he didn’t kill him.” Maybe offers and I can only stare at her. “This is obviously a warning. It says ‘piss off.’” We go back and forth till suddenly the door opens. Avelin throws the doors open as the jaguars attack! It scratches her across her arm and without hesitation bury my sword into its skull, killing it in one blow. The other two are executed much to avelins and Cayleens displeasure. “They were such good kitties.” She morns petting it’s dead head. “I know love, but still wild animals. They don’t make good pets.” I console her patting her back. The back and forth begins again one where to go about our plan with this guy and I’m out voted. Elmarth wants to parlay with the wizard once we explore the rest of his backyard. We get into position to strike, Cayleen in his hood. She then turns into a very adorable guanine pig, burying into his hood. As we cross the threshold I have a sinking feeling in my gut and I don’t like it.
Jaris F J
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Post by dragonforgotten on Jan 5, 2020 15:38:20 GMT -5
Standing outside the door of a powerful wizard with a dead body nailed to the door. There’s one clear answer what the wizard wants us to do. “We should go in and ask him. He did say to come back.” I look at Cayleen gobsmacked as she returns to her human form. “Guys! This is obviously a message. it’s loud and clear. I’ve seen gangs do this to people as a warning. This man runs the entire operation if all the other monsters report to him. We may be in over our heads. We should leave him alone. Come back once we have more-.” It’s too late. Elmarth has already opened the door and walked in as the rest of the party follows behind. “Of course.” I sigh, jogging to catch up to avelin. It’s crazy. Going in without a plan. To just knock on his bloody door again and expect a different result from last time. So why can’t I be too mad about this. Guess there’s nothing better then the thrilling anxiety of coming up with a plan on the fly. This is such a bad idea but I didn’t join this gang for smart ideas. Once we cross the threshold back into the wizards manor it dawns on us that we’ve haven’t checked out the gardens and decide why not check out that little garden pond near the watch tower. We approach but just as we enter the door a canviorious ape jumps down frothing with rage. We take it down without a problem and inside the tower we find it’s nest along with some coins and other magic goodies. With pockets filled with loot cayleen taps me on the shoulder. “Jaris. Let me brow your cloak. I want to check out the pond.” I rise an eyebrow. What could possibly be in a pond besides fish and... oh I see now. “Sure. Just don’t get into too much trouble. Happy frog hunting.” I unbuckle the cloak and hand it to her. She immediately puts it on and jumps into the water. It’s easy to see her considering she’s now a humanoid manta ray. She soon come back up to the surface, heaiviky bruises carrying a massive egg. “found an elf egg!” “Holy s*** that’s huge!” I exclaim. “What kind of monster laid that?” Ask Avelin. Cayleen hefts it up. “Fools! It’s obviously an elf child.” I start laughing, what the hell is she thinking! I catch my breath between the chuckles, wiping my eyes. “What! Cayleen, no. Elves don’t come from eggs.” “How do you know? Maybe your father was an elf and your mother was human? That’s why you weren’t born in a shell.” I start running the possibility through my head as I fumble for words. I can’t honestly disprove her since I didn’t know my real parents. Me and joe were foundlings and we didn’t often give a serious thought about our real parents before. This topic isn’t one I thought I’d have to ask considering before avelin I was just going to stay single. “But.. I.... well. S***... it can’t be, can it?” I turn to Avelin as I’m thinking myself into corners. “She’s just messing with you dear. She’s lived in a swamp her entire life.” Avelin whispers to me and I sigh. “God I hope you right. Otherwise I have some very awkward questions to ask Nylen or Elmarth.” Suddenly cayleen is hit again! The force so strong that even we can see it hurt. Somethings here and it’s strong. She hobbles behind to the back lines as Hans becomes visible. He takes the egg off her, slides the ring back on as both he and the egg become invisible. Doesn’t stop the monster because seconds later we can hear Hans shout in pain. The fighters move in but I keep my distance waiting for an opening. I can’t see the bloody thing and with what happened with cayleen. I won’t get a good hit in if I can’t see it. I look to my right to see Elmarth cast a spell. Webs shoots from his hands, covering the fighters, the pond and then we see the outline of a massive creature with muscular arms. No! Not again! Is this an invisible stalker?! No can’t be. It didn’t hit that hard. Was it smaller? Don’t remember. Still regret throwing my dice into it. It swings it’s arms and somehow hits Hans. Judging by the sound bones fracturing I hang back. No way will I be able to use my usually tricks on it. Taking a punch like that will be the golem all over again. With a target in sight the fighters converge on it as I focus all my attention on the web and freeing Avelin. She wiggles in the cacoon as I try to hone my power. Everything starts to turn grey around the edge of my vision as I focus soly on the web. Soon it starts to smoke, weakening the web. Then Hans effortlessly rips her free of the web. I sigh relieved. Looks like the battles over. Wow! I didn’t even realize! We stand around trying to figure out our next course of action when cayleen eyes suddenly widen. “I think I may have been mistaken. This is a pi long dragons egg!” Everyone stops talking as Hans looks at it amazed. “One of these will be at least 5,000 gold.” Maybe more in the black market but...” I trail off as we all look at the egg thinking back to the first pi dragon we ran across. I find myself clutching the dragon fang necklace around me neck, thinking. Maybe this is a sign. There’s been a hole in the party ever since we lost Ricardo. “I’m thinking Egbert.” I throw in, drawing a smile into the egg shell. It would be nice to have another dragon around again. It probably won’t be easy though. Soon though it’s time for the moment I’ve been dreading. We head towards the house for Elmarth to speak to the wizard while cayleen hides in his hood as a Guinne pig. I go hide near the back of the house invisible with Nylen, the front door barely in sight. It’s only when Elmarth knocks on the door with Smider by his side. The wizard lets Elmarth in but refuses to let Smider inside. It’s when he enters the building that I slap myself in the forehead. S***! Should have gone in there! We stand around with batted breath, hoping that Elmarth and cayleen didn’t just get themselves killed. One minute pasts. Then five minutes. The tension in the air is razor thin. What the hells is taking so long? Should we just rush in?!Should we wait?! S***t Elmarth why did you want to do this? Suddenly Smider steps onto the porch and starts trying to open the door!. What the f***k is he doing!? He’s going to f***k everything up! “What are you doing!?” Nylen hisses. The man doesn’t listen. He continues trying to open the door. Nylen face twists in rage. “Get off the firk! ding! blast!ing porch! Now!” I’m taken aback by Nylen a rage. This is a first. I’ve never seen the wise, calm and cool elf so angry before. He barely even yells. When Smider still doesn’t listen I’ve had it. I’m going in. I catch Avelin draw her bow at the fool and I simply give her a lot of space as she fires away. If Smider is going to go rogue (no pun intended and such viscous and unfair profiling. How dare you.) then I’m going to use his blundering to my advantage and see what the f***k is happening. Standing by his side I’m tempted to place him into a sleeper hold as he rattles about when suddenly the side door open. A woman steps out. Casts a spell and suddenly I can’t see or move. “Oh there you are! Do that thing with your eyes!” I turn my head in the direction of his voice burning with rage! Patients. Calm.... I’m going to stab this f***ker in the throat!! One more word! Just one more! Give me one good excuse! Just need one! I squirm trying to get free. Can’t.. breath! Suddenly I feel strong hands grab me by my arm pits and I’m ripped free from the web as I see Hans. It seems everyone has given up on waiting on Elmarth to come out now considering the element of suprise is now as dead as those jaguars. He sets me down. “Are you going to free him?” I whisper to the cleric. “In a second.” He waits a moment before finially pull him free and then places him into a sleeper hold. Smider slumps to the ground as Nylen presses his ear to the door. “I’m climbing the roof.” I whisper. Maybe I can attempt to make a spy hole? I scale the house to I’m atop the roof, just below we’re Elmarth and the wizard are. Worth a shot. Just to see if there both ok. We can’t act without a clear signal. We can’t stand around all day. I start moving the tiles but the moment I do I regret everything. I try setting them aside as gently as I can but they still clatter about! By the time I make the hole I’m overwhelmed by the sense of dread and fear. The memories of getting struck by lightening, and the two come of colds come flooding back! This is a mistake! I cant do it! Not again! I go through another cone of cold again! I just can’t! I back off and retreat to the far side of the building to check on the tear we made in our last failed attempt to breach this building. Of course. It’s patched up. Skulking back to the spy hole my ears pitch forward as I hear them. The familiar hacking and retching of my party! I spy them all in the ground trapped in the same f***king green cloud. Almost everyone is defenseless! Except, Elmarth and Cayleen. I start panicking. This is bad. This is really bad! There alone in there with two powerful wizards and it’s down to two of the physically weakest members of our band and Cayleen! S***! I’m going to have to do it Arnt I! I hate doing it but they need me! Avelin needs me! F**k.. I stand over the hole and concentrate again, grabbing ahold of the rabid power inside me and it starts. My muscles and bones burn as I expand once again, my muscles bulking up. I almost choke on my armor but eventually it catches up to my new size. The roof begins to crack and break as the terricotta breaks under my feet and I fall! I barely manage to catch my balance as my feet slam into the ground and dust rains in my head. Once the dust settles I see the wizard at last. He’s human and he’s facing off with Elmarth and Cayleen with the woman. All eyes land on me. Why is everyone looking this way? I’m invisible. “We can see you know you.” Sh**! I begin sweating. “...No you can’t.” “Yes we can. I cast a spell to find you.” “And like I said no you can’t.” The wizard rolls his eyes and turns back to Elmarth. The woman stares up at me wide eyes and terrified. Cayleen then cuts her good with her sword and she loses her moxy. “Forget this! I’m out of spells!” She starts running! Leaving only the unnamed wizard left and giving Cayleen the chance she needs to heal our wizard. Wizard brawl! The wizard casts a spell and poor Elmarth is pushed outside into the green cloud by a large transparent hand! Well... make that me and Cayleen and the wizard. S***! There’s only one thing I can do isn’t there? This is going to hurt.. I sprint towards him as fast as I can with the limited amount of space I have! He then begins to cast a spell as seven magic missiles streak towards me. Each one slams painfully into me, hitting my chest, my arm, and my leg. I feel something break inside me as I choke on the blood. I crumple to my side, arm outstretched, wheezing and gasping for air. Ahh.... I think he broke a few ribs.... it was right.... it hurts.. it hurts bad. My eyes roll into the back of my head as spots dance infront of my eyes. My body begins to shrink back to normal as I gasp and twist on the floor. My vision starts getting dark as I watch Cayleen tackle the wizard to the ground and begin mercilessly beating him as I slip into the famously embrace of darkness as the waves of pain ebbs... at least.. it was me.. ... ...... “...Wake up! Come on! How many times do I have to keep doing this!” I blink wake just in time for a hand to slap my across the face as my head snaps to the side. “Ahhh.....” I groan on the floor. My vision swarms as Cayleens face swims into view. I don’t feel too well. She slaps my face again. “Come on! Up, up!” “Harassment...” I mutter. Please! No more! She’s pushed out of the way by Avelin. “Cayleen! Give him some air! Your going to kill him at this rate just like you did with the wizard.” She drops to my side as I feel my eyes trying to close. Just leave me here. I’m so tired and I’m so sore. I feel her pull my limp body into a sitting position, as I start coming around, clutching my repaired ribs. “Ugh.. this is getting old.” I look about and I see the dead wizard, his face swollen and unrecognizable. The party is beginning to move about into the house. “Did we win?” She laughs, pushing my hair out of my eyes. I’m starting to feel a lot better now. “Barely. I’m pissed she got us again with that bloody spell! She better pray I don’t run into her again.” “Of course Ave. could you give me a hand.” I’m helped and I groan as all my muscles complain. “I feel like s***.” I grumble. I receive a kiss on the check, then pats my cheek. “We all do dear. We can call it a day once we search our new summer home.” “Sounds good.” We join the group and begin turning this place over. I’m given a tassel key in the hopes of figuring out where it goes. Don’t see anything obvious yet except for the chest. We come to the decision we’ll leave it alone for now, checking it once we leave. I’m very nervous as I search about for traps. I’m not an expert of wizardly anti theif spells but I’ve had a taste of it and I didn’t like it. Elmarth does not have dispel magic should I run into something that changes me and I like all my limbs were they are. I search the wizards locked desk and find its trapped! I attempt to disable it by scratching at it surface of the magic mark on it but I’m not sure if I’ve done anything or not. “Let’s not open this yet. I’m not feeling confident that I did it.” The group agrees and we move on Hobbling into the next room I catch sight of a large painting. Wonder how much of a pretty penny we can fetch for it once we’re free of the god damn jungle of pain and sweat. I approach the picture as Nylen, smider, and Elmarth join me. the craftsmanship of the painting is exquisite-. Suddenly it begins moving and changing and I see myself! Not only me but the idealized version of me. The party is losing badly to a fight with a mighty red dragon! All hope is lost till I appear and begin commanding my friends, stepping to the front of the party, the perfect picture of leadership. Decked out in fine clothing, gold and jewels, I command each member of my party as we attack the ferocious red dragon. The dragons falters under our might and with a blow from my sword I cleave it’s head off. Nylen claps me on the shoulder, commending my skills, telling me how proud he is to have such a cunning leader and how wrong hes been. Hans ruffles my hair saying how sorry he’s been for blindly pushing me into danger. That truely Olidammara is the better god for leading me into their group while swearing on kord to keep me from death. Cayleen begin to tell me how smart and brave I am, forever swearing that marrying me off was the best idea she has ever had. Even Elmarth bows to my prowess as Avelin hangs off my arm, Showering praises after praises upon me. We kiss deep and passionately and the party kindly firk! ding! blast!s off, giving us for some god damn privacy and quiet as we get more comfortable. Our successful adventuring career continues further into the future as I walk through the streets in the glorious sunlight a hero, surrounded by fan fair as kings and queens beg for my teams services. I sit on an ivory throne with Avelin, the king of thieves I glance at the rest of the lot. Me? Leader? Of this group. I take a moment to look over everyone including the few who joined me at the painting. My brows fall heavy over my face, unamused. “What a crock of gos se.” I mutter shifting my stance. I’m a leader of thieves. Not a leader of adventures. Every signs of danger tells me to run, hide, plan and then strike when I have the advantage. It’s perfect for a gang of theives. Not for a diverse group such as this. I catch a strange look over come Nylen and smiders face. It was quickly smothered before I can read it. They then walk off joining the rest in the search. I lean near to Elmarth. “Psst. Elmarth. Did you see what I see.” A wide dreamy grin spreads across his face and he sighs. “Ah, it was like a dream. The power, the books. A lavished tower. Would you say I look better in a King’s robes? And the woman!.” He looks at my unimpressed face. He coughs into his hand pulling himself out of his fantasys. “Right! Apologys.” “Ummm. Not what I saw.” “What did you see?” Im not hiding anything. I know when I’m being fed bullgos se. “Psh. Visions of me leading the party? We kill gos se, become stupidly rich and the usual happens between me and avelin. You?” “Same except that last bit.” “Like I said a crock of gos se.” I’m distracted as the vision I thought ended continues. It’s all of us again but instead everyone is yelling, angry beyond belief. Each one of us keeps trying to boss each other around, trying to be the leader only for everything we do to fall apart and turn into hateful screaming. Even me and Avelin are fighting, screaming such hate filled bile that leaves the both of us sleep far apart, alone and in tears as the cycle repeats over and over. The anger builds and builds till suddenly it all comes to a head. Avelin and I do something unthinkable. She attacks me and I do the same and it ends with the both of us running a blade through each other’s hearts. As we’re dying we both curse each other. “I hate you! I wish I never married you!” The painting returns to normal and I’m left shaken and gutted. I turn to Elmarth who looks just as rattled but I feel like my heart has been destroyed. “D-did you see that?” He stutters. I feel ill. “Y-yes. I think my heart just got torn open.” I then notice the tears and I have to pull up my hood and turn away from Elmarth before he notices. “We weren’t the only ones to see the painting. Do you think Nylen and Smider saw the same thing?” Elmarth cups his chin in his hand. “I suppose not.” “gos se. Then they probably fell for the lie.” When I feel like my eyes are dry I look back to Elmarth. “We need kill this stupid idea before this becomes a self fore-filling prophecy. “Well what are we going to do?” I think for a moment. “We’ll talk to the rest of the group. I’ll tell them what I saw. Nylen maybe a full elf but he isn’t arrogant. He’s better then that. Hopefully me showing I have no desire for that role will set him at ease. Smider I have no clue about that guy. If he tries anything funny in the middle of combat I’ll take him out.” I clench my fists. I’m not letting this stupid painting ruin the best thing that happened to me.
Jaris FJ
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Post by dragonforgotten on Jan 11, 2020 23:59:03 GMT -5
Found some nails and a hammer to fix the gaping hole I left in the house from my dramatic entrance. Can’t have the rain or humidity ruining the interior of the house or the gaping hole to let in any uninvited guests. I’m in the middle of hammering some planks and tying off large bannana ferns to the roof with Joanna when I hear the large door creek. Two people walk into the complex. A rough looking fellow and a wizardly guy baring a holy symbol. Hmm. They don’t seem like servants of the wizard. Horon doesn’t seem to work with people like my band. “Hey. What the hell are you doing here?” I call out. They look up to see me on the roof. “Do you leave here?” The strong one calls out. “For now. Property recently had a change of hands. What do you want?” “We came looking for the chieftains son.” Oh, more temps. “Thats funny. We’re doing the same thing. Hang on a second.” I stand up and shuffle to the edge of the roof before carefully sliding off and landing on my feet in-front of them. “Let’s talk inside. I’m sure you’ll want to be filled in on what happened.” They agree as I lead them into the house. “Names Jaris. Don’t get offended if I can’t remember your names. I’ve seen too many of you guys come and go that it all blurs together.” The group is sprawled about in the sitting room chatting, Hans and cayleen talking about the egg when they see us. “We got more temps here.” As they shuffle in a go to the kettle and heat up the cold tea. Finding some cups I set everyone up with a drink. Avelin looks at it disgruntled as cayleen tells the new people everything. “I know it’s not booze but chin up. Imagine all the drinks we’ll get with the loot we find here.” “Thanks, it helps alittle.” She says sipping her tea. “You must get hold of yourself when it comes to drinks love. You licking the floor was not very classy. I thought you were working on this?” She averts my gaze. “I am but it’s just so hard some days! We get our ass kicked day in and out and all I want is a strong one when the days over.” I rub circles on her back. “I know. I could use one myself but we must have patients. We found the prince, sort of. Now we just need to find the bandits gold.” Looking around the building she wraps me into a hug. “This would be a great summer home in the future.” “If we can keep this place, yes.” I start twirling her hair through my fingers as I listen to Cayleen at the tail end of her talk with the new guys. It’s in agreement that we’ll stay here and let Cayleen and the clerics pray for spells and then sleep the rest of the night. Avelin asks if I have any games on me but I regret to inform her that my only set of dice is floating in a long dead slithering stalker. Out of boredom me and Avelin help repair the roof as cayleen gathers bananas and Hans egg sits.. well more like egg lifts.. We finish by the time the sun starts to set and as I collapse into the couch I’m bombarded by questions. “So Jaris, what did you see in that painting.” Cayleen asks. I sit up remember that damn painting. I need to get rid of it soon. I’ve manage to distract Nylen to help patch up the house but I have no idea if he still under the paintings charms. “Oh that. Ya I saw some s***.” I think carefully about what I saw, there proably going to think I’ve lost it now then I have already. I weave my fingers together and begin. “I saw myself leading the party. Fighting off bigger and powerful threats and killing them all with my leadership. . We were rich beyond our imaginations and our names were renowned but I also saw something else...” I clench my hands hard till my knuckles turn white. “What I just said was only one part. In another set of events we began to argue and fight more. Then we all snapped one day. Turned on each other. Even i turned on....” I clam up and bow my head. Hans looks at me with an eye brow raised. “Did you what to be leader?” “No.. in the beginning I did but I realized that I’m not suited for it. I freeze up with Indesion. When things look bad my instinct is to run and and try again.” I then look up into his face. “Make no mistakes. I can plan and coordinate like the best of them given prep but I’m not a leader of adventures. I’m a leader of thieves.” Cayleen squints at me. “Your right. I don’t see it.” “Wow your show of support is staggering.” I tell her dripping with sarcasm. The conversation topic ends there as everyone begins to set up bedrolls around the building or taking the couches. Me and Avelin manage to steal the bed. Considering I nearly died to seven bolts of magic missiles Cayleen doesn’t fight me on it. The dragon egg gets a bundle of pillows and blankets and Hans has taken to sleeping with to keep warm. Unfortunately I soon find I can’t sleep. Too many thoughts about that damn painting. I slip out from the covers, away from Avelin as I prowl the complex outside. I don’t see anything out of the ordinary. I sit on the roof invisible, looking out beyond the horizon. I take in the sights for what seems like an hour before retreating back inside. Just as I reach the door I hear muttering. Coming from Avelin as she whispers to Cayleen on the floor. Stepping into the room I see that there both pretending to be fast alseep. What were they talking about? I climb back into bed, my back against Avelins and wait with my eyes closed. They wait awhile till they start talking again. I think a good half an hour. I focus all my attention to their conversation. “You think he’s alseep?” “Ya, he's taken quiet a beating today. Should be out all night now.” “Good. Now as I was saying Jaris can be such a pansy sometimes! It’s always don’t do this, it’s too dangerous. Don’t touch that, it could be a trap. He’s jumpy and indecisive. Honestly surprised you haven’t lost your mind yet.” I have to fight to repress the scowl on my face. I feel Avelin lay a hand on my shoulder. “Trust me, he's a keeper and I'm never bored in bed “ Avelin chuckles quietly playing with my hair. “Oh trust me I know! For a while I couldn’t see why you’d marry him but after today I get it. Despite his skittishness he does come through In the end.” “He always does. Just needs a push every now and then. We should probably shut up before he wakes up though.” The conversation ends as I feel her wrap her arms around me and rest her head in the crook of my neck. I finally nod off feeling satisfied knowing Cayleen has some faith in me. —————
Bright and early we explore the last remaining place in our new house; the gardens. Through the foliage passage we follow the dirt road till the rustling of leaves fill our ears and four creatures rush us. Before we know what happened we’re surrounded by god damn rust monsters! S***! Two of them brush their feelers out towards Hans and Avelin and they touch her armor and his mace. Instantly the armor and mace turns brown and brittle and begin to crumble. Smider try’s to run past one only for the monster to get his mace as well. As her armor falls apart i flush red as her underwear is exposed. I-I thought we talked about this but apparently not! How the heck she does it without chaffing or believe going commando is not comfortable I’ll never know. “Why Arnt you wearing cloths!?” Hans exclaim, his eyes are lingering too long for my liking but I can’t blame him too much considering.... damn.. “I didn’t need them!” “Oh for gods sake Avelin! Cover yourself up!” Shouts Nylen. She looks around, covering herself with her arms, distraught. I place a unseen hand on her shoulder. “It’s ok. Fall back for now. I got this.” I whisper to her. She nods and rushes off back to the entrance of the gate. Hans immediately grapples one as it struggles. The new temps raise there metal weapons to strike it and we all scream no! They’ll lose their weapons if they attack with their swords. Reluctant they put it away but one monster has taken interest in their armor. I reach inside myself and become a giant again, holding Lyon above my head for safety. I try to stomp the monster like an ant but somehow it swerved away only to get its head caught in the crook of my leg. Well, that’s not what I had planned. Oh well. I lean into the kneeling position I have, strangling it further. Avelin runs up to it and begin trying to rip out its feelers. Eventually the monster slumps and I take the opportunity to crush its head in with my foot just as Hans takes out his monster. The battle ends soon after. Still huge I take off my cloak, watching as it shrinks back to normal and drap it around Avelins shoulders. “Let’s... go get you some cloths.” I sit outside the building and in a few minutes I shrink back to normal and I can go inside. I find her in mrs Wiggins room shuffling through her closet. “It all so gaudy!” Avelin exclaims. I shuffle besides her. “Let me take a look.” Look inside she’s right. It’s looks like Mrs Wiggins is a few centuries behind modern fashion. I pull out some black leather pants and a maroon blouse with some terrible frilled flora pattern on the rim of the sleeves. “This one could work. Give me a second with the shirt. See if she has some thread and needles on her.” I take it to the desk and a second later I’m handed a spool of black thread and a needle. I already my dagger and start to work surgically removing the ugly pink floral design. I’m done fast and throw it at her. “What do you think?” I ask as she inspects herself in the mirror. “Love it! Thanks dear!” She kisses me on the cheek before bouncing out of the room. I sit in my chair stunned and rather giddy. I shuffle back into the main room with the egg. The party is getting their boots on. Looks like our next target is the bugbears.
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The gang and I peek through the foliage, watching the entrance. It looks like nothings changed. I rest my hand to my chin, thinking. I move next to Hans, crouch on the ground and begin drawing the interior of the lair and label them. He joins me as we both hover over my drawing. “From what it looks like nothings changed.” He tells me as I nods my head. “Seems like it. They could have underestimated us since we ran from them the first time. Since we did murder a family unit they might have them further inside.” “They might have but let’s work with what we do know from what you saw. What are you thinking?” I look at Hans in disbelief. He wants my thoughts on this! I’ve never felt so happy to finally be listened to! “Ah right! What I’m thinking of is instead of walking through the same entrance let’s use their multiple entry’s against them. We go in, pick off a group, then back out and repeat in a new entry way.” I tell him drawing in the dirt. He nods. “Sounds good. Which groups do you think we should target first.” “Ideally the family units.the parents might be too busy trying to take revenge than to warn their cheif.” “We should prioritize the veterans. There more likely to sound the alarm than attempt to fight us one on one.” I nod, drawing again. “Yes, sounds good. The teen bugbears will Probably think their too hot s*** to even try to warn their cheif.” “And the center?” I shrug. “Too many possibilities to say.” “Looks like we have a solid plan for a change. even if it's ruthless.” "All good plans are." Hans and I stand up and gather the group. We lay out the plan to them and get into action. Avelin takes the lead with her bow and I stand invisible at her side. We move onto the first group and it appears that they really didn’t change anything. Avelin shoots down all of the family before they even utter a cry. We move onto to the next entrance and repeat the same. She missed one but out of rage he rushes her and hits her with his sword and in retaliation we all strike him down. We continue after healing up Avelin and pick off a group of veterans and a group of teens. We’re on a roll and everything going to plan. After we destroy another group the one with the frail comes out of his office. We all ready to charge and murder him when he suddenly speaks. “Wait! Don’t kill me! I have an offer for you. Inside! Quickly!” Looking amongst each other we shrug and follow. As we shuffle inside the mans about to speak when Cayleen wiggles her fingers and starts chanting. A daze comes over the bugbear. He blinks again and smiles at her. “Would you like some tea.” Ah, charm. Good thinking. “So spit it out. What did you want to tell us.” Asks Cayleen. He then tells us of his plan. He wants us to help him cheat in his duel with his leader. Apparently he’s going to challenge this man for his position but he wants alittle extra.. “Sooo... it’s not against the rules of you people to have a theif suddenly appear and stab your man in the middle of the battle right.” “Ya that’s fare game.” “And what would we get for helping you? “I’ll tell you all we know of this land, have safe passage through our territory and knowledge of this lands residents.” Ooo. I like that. “Will you explain more about the man with snakes for arms. I must know!” “The yuan ti? Of course.” “We want that sword as well.” I throw in, I don’t trust this bugbear to hold a weapon like that. Besides I can think of a few people who could benefit with a weapon like that. “I cant do that. It’s a symbol of ruler ship among my tribe.” “Of course it is!” I growl. I re clip Lyon to my belt and vanish. “Who was the grumpy one?” He asks. “Not important. It’s a deal as long as you hold up your end of the bargain.” Finishes Cayleens as the bugbear claps his hands. “Excellent! Just finish up with the group outside and we can begin.” We exit his office and turn to our next target. The next family drops everything as they see us and Avelin fires. She drops the father but the mother and child are still alive, a ring of arrows around her feet! S***! The mother and child scream and run for it, right into the center of the room where their cheif tan is! C***p! Soon we can hear the screams and shouted of the rest of the hoard. At least 25 voices! That’s way too much! “We need to retreat!” I tell everyone and we begin to fall back. We past shoegrabbles as he watches us horrified with our blunder. “We’ll meet back at night!” Shouts Cayleen as we exit the caverns. The voices start to fade as we run till we’re clear of the enterance into into the open air. “BOOM!” “FOOSH!” “AHHhhhhhh!” “Nooo!!!” Everyone in the group snaps a full one eighty degrees as a rush of fire shoots out of the caverns behind us, warming our backs. The fire died as the smoke clears. Everyone blinks in confusion, wondering just what the hell just happened. Then a disturbing thought worms it’s way into our minds. “You don’t think Elmarth was tailing us... right?” I voice. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s thrown a fireball into his own face just to kill his enemies. He did it last time with the wizards bugbears and bullywogs guard. “It could be.” Says Hans, dread inching into his features. “He better not! He’s suppose to be egg sitting!” Screeches Cayleen. Guess there’s only one way to find out. Turning back around and back into the caverns were met with bugbear Armageddon. Chared bugbears lay everywhere ahead we can see even the infants were not spared the blast. Wow. Returning to were he retreated we find Shoesgrabble with that sword, the bugbear leader, his single living guard and a dead robbed human clutching a empty bottle in his hand as a viscous wound bubbled and bleeds relentlessly. The bugbear looks like a man who’s been broken. What the f***k just happened? Who is that man? I bend down to inspect the dead human man. He’s dead but the wounds doesn’t stop bleeding, the blood just won’t clot. My eyes glide to the sword in Shoes grabble hand. He killed this man. There’s something even more f***ked up about that sword and this situation and it makes me jittery. Cayleen approaches. “Care to explain what just happened but because i don’t.” “Oh well. This wizard threw a fireball at us. Killed almost everyone. I asked for the sword back, thinking he was one of you lot and he gave it to me.” “And why did you kill him.” He shrugs non chalant. “Well, I was planning to betray you lot once I got the sword. Course I won’t anymore for some reason.” I stand up, ears perked. Thats it! He’s too dangerous to keep alive. “May I see the sword?” Cayleen asks and the bugbear hands it over without a complaint. Cayleen winces as it starts to smoke in her hands and it drops to the floor. I make my move! I grab him from behind and viscously stab him in the chest! “Jaris! What the hells!” Avelin yells. Startled Shoesgrabble grabs the sword and pushes me off and in one fluid motion he cuts me right across my chest! The wounds instantly spurts a startling amount of blood as my eyes widen. I stagger back clutching the wound as it bleeds rapidly! I feel weak. Hans rolls his eyes and tries healing me only for those eyes to buldge out of his head. “I can’t fix this!!” I drop to my knees fighting for breath before collapsing on the ground. “Jaris! F***!” Avelin rushes to my side, pushing me on my back, ripping off a sleeve from her new shirt as he holds it to the wound. It rapidly starts soaking through into her hands. “Don’t just stand there! Do something!” This wakes up Cayleen and Hans from their stupor as I feel my vision grow hazy and the life and strength draining from my body. They take over as Avelin grasps my trembling hand. I feel my eyes start to close till her hand strikes my face. “Stay with me! I’m not letting you fade!” With both of Cayleen and Hans holding the wound close, eventually it stops bleeding. They sigh with their hands covered in my blood. “For heavens sake Jaris. Your the last person to be pulling these stunts!” Cayleen scolds as I look at her pale and shaken. It happened to fast! I nearly died again! Just from that! Avelin helps me sit up and hands me my water skin as Cayleen goes back to Shoesgrabble. It seems the charm wasn’t broken despite my attack. My hands are trembling too hard thanks to the blood loss and terror. She holds it to my lips looking distraught, relieved and pissed. “For gods sake! Stop doing this to me! I’m the one that’s suppose to protect you! Not the other way around!” “I-I...” I fall silent trying to compose myself. Hans heals me as i sit their trying to stop shaking. He shakes his head and pats me on the shoulder. "Your alright now. Just stop getting injured so much. Id hate to lose another theif." He stands up, leaving me with Avelin..That.. was scary. I’ve taken hits but not one like this. I look back at the sword. I’ve never been more terrified by an inanimate object. That sword is too dangerous even for us. I was a fool to think this could be an assets. Even if another member of our band uses it what happens should they lose their minds to charm spells and monsters. It.. It needs to be destroyed.
-Jaris FJ
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Post by Chris on Jan 15, 2020 0:35:48 GMT -5
Forbidden City The swinging bridge The smithy Hall of Meditation The Outer Hall Main Chamber ended play on Moonday, Coldeven 24, 577 CY, 10:00pm, Luna is new MVP Josh Murphy as Ceyleen Our plays on rpggeek.com/plays/thing/48900?userid=1168080
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Post by dragonforgotten on Jan 19, 2020 0:52:00 GMT -5
Licking my wounds I manage to rein in control of myself again while Cayleen speaks to Shoesgrabble. I cant trust that man but I will tolerate him. At least Cayleen has managed to convince him to give up the sword for another member of our band to hold. The original plan was the new barbarian to hold onto it but he doesn’t quite understand what he’s holding and it unnerves him as much as it does me. In the end the sword is given to Callum since between him and the Barbarian the sword only recognizes people who seems to share a similar disposition just like with Nylen a wall seeing sword. It seems holding the sword makes you the new ruler of the bugbears. So all hail king Callum if bugbears. He takes to it well enough though he looks very disgruntled about it. They are his favorite target after all. We tried to rally the surviving tribe to fight the yuan ti to fight then with us but we are met with a solid no. Shoesgrabble does keep to his word and tells us alittle more about them. They are the strongest of the tri of monsters that live in this cursed jungle. The wizard was a neutral party. the one who would manage the both of them. The bullywogs are a new comer to the jungle. We also learn that the yuan ti are resistant to magic which horrifys Elmarth. In the middle of these talks Hans summons a feat for them and one that’s more picky then the others wonders about the food with a up tight, pompous attitude. Must be a spell caster. “And who is that fine gentle man over there.” Cayleen. “That would be our witch doctor.” Oh sharman. Makes sense. Suddenly Avelin goes up to him and before we can stop her she kicks him in the balls! Why Ave!? I stand next to cayleen as she starts trying to choke the sharmen out. The rest of the feasting bugbears begin to form a ring around them and start cheering. I’m not getting into the middle of this fight. She’s going to have to learn to not pick fights all the time. I look over to cayleen. “I bet a gold Avelin will win.” “A gold on the sharmen.” “Deal.” We watch the fight go about. The barbarian tries to break them up but is intercepted by Hans. It is after all his gods area of worship, wrestling and all that. Eventually Avelin does knock him out and cayleen ends up paying me three gold as I do a double take. “We agreed on one.” “Don’t have any smaller change.” I shrug and pocket it. With that out of the way we head back to the house. Hans gives the egg one giant hug. Once everyone settles in the house Hans and Cayleen begin treating our wounds. I’m about to get comfortable when suddenly Nylen, the new guy, Callum, Delkin and Avelin are readjusting their equipment, getting ready to leave. “Where are you all going?” “Going to scout out the temple.” “What!? Why? Leave our magic users and clerics here!?” Avelin scowls. “Well we can’t just always sit around here. You coming or not?” I sigh defeated. “Coming.” I reckon Lyon and vanish, following the scoutin group. We come upon the snake temple. Doesn’t fill me with confidences that we can either crawl through a hole or open the door. Nylen looks through the door with his sword as his eyes widen. “There’s someone begin constricted by a snake! I think it’s a child!” All eyes widen among us. But! That’s impossible! We failed to save the chieftains son didn’t we?! The Who the hell is that!? Only on this to do. I open the door, avelin crawling through the hall. Inside we see a giant constrictor snake strangling a teenage boy. As we enter two more drop from the ceiling and the arrows fly. The snake drops dead as one constricts Delkin. They kill all the snakes rather quickly as I check the boy. He’s still alive, but very bruised. “Who are you kid? He tells us his name and it turns out HES the chieftains son! “You father didn’t have more then one son right?” “Of course not!” Then who the hell was that nailed to the wizards door?! The party finds some loot while I was tending to the kid. Some soild gold platters, a rooe and a few other things in a sack. We carry them off to the house without issue but walk in on Hans and Cayleen hugging with the egg between them. Oh ok.. “Are we interrupting something?” “Can’t a man warm an egg without you making it weird.” I scoff back a laugh. I think the prospect of having a baby dragon has turned Hans and Cayleen into mother hens. I snuck up to it when he wasn’t looking and doodled a flower on it with the spare ink I found. the moment he found it he went red in the face. “Oh for the love of kord Jaris!” He mummbled, wipping the egg clean with the corner of his sleeve. Seeing the boy Hans immediantly went to tend to his wounds. It took almost all he had to be in fighting condition. Turns out he can actually fight. What kind of training does this kid do! He’s more ripped then I am! While we are sitting and eating I notice the boy doesn’t have anything. I shuffle through my bag and hand him some of my rations. “Here. It’s not much but it will do.” I also give him one of my extra waterskins. Just as we finish eating a flash of magic happens in the corner. Hans now hovers over the massive spread of food and water again. Wish he told me he was going to do that before then! I tell the boy who we are and what we are doing here. He says he’s willing to fight and I don’t see much fuss in not letting him. It’s not like he’s a complete child like I thought he was. I was out adventuring when I was 13 anyway. Of course, I did small adventures with my brother. Not alone in the god forsaken jungle. The day trickles by as we pair for the big battle against the yuan ti. Everyone is passing the rope around members of the group. It’s magic but they just can’t figure it out. I’m staring at it thinking. What do you use a rope for? Hmmm. Ah! “Let me see it!” Avelin hands it to me and I hold one end of the rope up. “Climb.” The end I’m holding begins snaking out of my hand and touches the ceiling. Everyone loses their minds! “How the hell did you know!?” I shrug. “Thought what else do you use rope for. It was either that or strangulation.” “There’s a rope of strangulation!?” “I don’t know. I’m just a theif. How the heck would I know?” Cayleen tries something and the rope knotes itself. Making it shorter but easier to climb. They offer I have it but I remind them clearly that I’m not physically inclined like the rest of the group. Sadly it can’t magically tie people up like it thought. We sit around waiting till night falls and the bedrolls are rolled out. Hans chosen to sleep with the egg again. I throw him some name ideas out for thought. I’m really leaning towards Pi now. Short, sweat and simple. ————-
We enter the temple again. Ready for the battle. Unfortunately unlike last time we can’t come to an agreement on how to do this so we’re doing what we usually do. Freestyle. Avelin has somehow convinced Hans to give up the ring of Invisibility. Me and her sneak in. I want to follow her but since I can’t see her I stick to Nylen, ready for when they charge at us. We enter the amithreater and we see them in the flesh. A snake man monsterosity sits upon a throne as individuals with different snake like qualities stand at different levels of the place. Those are a lot of stairs. Nylen begins moving into the room and as I follow behind, dagger out with my hand resting in the hilt of Lyon. This is going to be a long battle. Suddenly I hear singing. I look behind to see that Cayleen is doing jazz hands with Hans while strutting down the stairs. I would have start cracking up if I wasn’t so f***king terrified of these snake men. I don’t know what to expect. I hate not knowing. Callum, the Barbarian, and Delkin stride ahead of us and the more human of the snake men begin to chant spells. The front line instantly doubles over screaming, their bodies twisting and popping. New appendages grow and shorten in a sickening processes. When the screaming stops where the three warriors once were now rests a eagle, a raccoon, and a chipmunk in a pile of cloth and armor, their weapons strewed around them. I do a double take and start to sweat. Oh f***k! There goes the front lines! I then spy a hoard of little red demonic creatures rush past hand and Cayleen, looking hungry for blood. Demon! Sweat Oli Elmarth! Bloody demons!? You could have summoned anything but you summoned demons! Cayleen finally makes it to the bottom of the stairs, the snake men looking unimpressed with the performance. “Greets! My name is Cayleen and we-.” “Thwick!” Arrows pepper the snakes before she can finish. Nylen and Avelin then jump into action. With an eye roll Cayleen transforms into a cave bear and rushes the big snakeman on his throne, viscously mauling him. They rush the one in scale male as I follow Hans, invisible after the other one higher up the stairs. He traps him into a head lock and I see an opportunity! I stab at him mercilessly and I reappear, the snake man hissing in pain. “Nice one!” “What can I say. I like opportunities. Ow! f***k!” Another one slashed me across the back as I turn around. You cheeky b******d! Let’s see you smile when I cut one in your-..” “Thwick!” “Thwack!” My breath escapes as my vision becomes hazy. Two arrows lodged in my body. One in my chest and one in my stomach. “F***...” I wheeze just as I manage to sheath Lyon. Avelin and Nylens eyes widen in shock. I stagger back wheezing and choking as they rush in switching weapons. I watch the battle Progress as the demons finally reach their targets. They certainly took their time. Callum, still an eagle tries his damnest to get some revenge by clawing their eyes out and I can appreciate the moxy the former warrior has even trapped in a birds body. Between everyone’s persistence they all parish as the leader dies in Cayleens jowls. With the battle over I turn my gaze to Nylen and Avelin, enraged. “You...” I point to Avelin. Can’t stay mad at her when he’s pouting “... work on your aim... You!” I point to Nylen “Watch. where your bloody aiming.... for the love of gods! Both of you! Stop shooting me!!” I yell with a mouth full of blood. “Can’t be helped Jaris.” He tells me. “Just try not to get in the way.” She tells me! I have been! “I was visible! You both saw me! Oh f***k it.” I rasp before leaning against the stairs. I feel like a piece of meat right now. I really could use some healing magic. I honestly hate asking but I can’t go on like this. The Racoon scampers to me, crawls my shoulders and wraps his body around my neck. I wait for the party to collect itself as i take in the amphitheater.
Jaris FJ
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Post by Stephen on Jan 22, 2020 23:23:33 GMT -5
During the 6th day of rest after the crocodile encounter, Hans takes a dip in the pond behind the villa. Hans has always enjoyed swimming. Not only is it great exercise but Hans feels spiritually cleansed after a good swim.
Getting out of the water Hans lays on his back hands laced behind his head. The morning sun is just beginning to come up. With a sigh of contentment, Hans thinks about the underground lake encounter.....
Krill an elven thief (hatched from eggs elves are) makes his presence known to us in the upside down treasure chest room. Hearing of adventure, treasure and us Krill struck out on his own to partake in the epic journey. Collecting the loot using Jaris’ sacks, finding the limit of the upside down spell and gathering pieces of the broken chest for kindling we press on through the cave.
Coming to a door Nylen uses his sword to see what’s on the other side. He spies four bugbears and furniture in the room. Doing what we do best we stack up in classic fashion. Archers at the ready. A nervous invisible Jaris opens the door. Casting hold person after arrows fly, the power of Kord holds two bugbears. The other two are slain. Elmorth and Ceyleen magically compel the held bugbears to become their friends.
I have the idea to learn bugbear while Elmorth and Ceyleen communicate with our new allies. Bugbear turns out to be elfish. But hobgoblin. Then elfish. But really hobgoblin. Thanks Ceyleen. Jokes on Hans! Although I attempt to repeat the words I hear I do not do well and insult the bugbears. Oh well.
Dimitri and Vassili, our bugbear guides tell us about the “A” team further in the caves. Also we appear to be traveling in the wrong direction. Something we figured out already. They know nothing about “snake arms”, much to Ceyleen dismay.
Stacking up like we did at the first door we prepare to fight the “A” team of bugbears. We do not surprise them but they do not put up much of a fight. I humbly give Ceyleen the money we find in here. I cut several strips of fur from animal fur skins that were found in the corner of this very small and dank room. The strips of fur are rank but I have a plan for them later.
The bugbears tell us of a lake further in. Pushing on our confidence high the cave opens up into a huge cavern. The hard stone floor becomes a sandy beach. Two canoes are just on the waters edge, beyond that all I can see is darkness. The light provided by Ceyleens scimitar cannot pierce its depths. She abruptly sheaths it.
My other sense kick up a notch. I feel the cool dampness of the cavern against my sweaty skin. I hear the gentle lapping of the water. The air smells fresh, the water must be. I shift my weight from one foot to the other. The sand crunches under my foot. Cayleen reports that there is a large column further out cutting the lake in half.
Nylens sword out. Lights on. A plan forms in my mind.
“Jaris you have the manta cloak and can be invisible take a swim and scout ahead.” I speak quick and sharp.
Jaris becomes visible near Aevlin. “I displace water and can be kinda seen” Implying he does not want to scout ahead.
Always an excuse Jaris has. Not only does his elven blood grant him abilities I will never have (I am not jealous nor do I covet) but he has magic boots, the cloak, magic weapons, special thieves tools, can enlarge himself and Kord knows what else to aid him in and out of combat. But there is always an excuse or a discussion about doing his job. It is getting old. When I had the ring of invisibility I would charge headlong into combat. Jaris would stay by Aevlin to protect her using his invisible sword versus getting into the thick of things. I get it. Kinda. However Aevlin is annoyed by Jaris’ trying to protect her. I know he means well but Aevlin doesn’t see it that way. After I gave the ring back to Aevlin and we fought giant lizards by a rope bridge Aevlin becomes visible after bow shots while Jaris was....hiding? Behind us? Even after I jumped over Aevlin and punched a giant lizard to unconsciousness, Jaris didn’t make an appearance. Have some courage it was only two lizards! Jaris can do this thing where he backstabs. It might take a bit to set up but he can really do serious damage to something that is distracted by one of us. Why not do that all the time? I know I would.
“Then don’t be invisible. Either way scout.” I reply. There is some discussion with him and the others that I mostly ignore as I inspect the canoes. I hear Jaris walk into the water. Ceyleen runs toward the water, jumps and shape shifts into a turtle. With a splash Turtle-Leen swims away.
A minute or so passes.... a flamingo bursts from the water. My eyes widen as a the mouth of a giant crocodile tries to swallow the flamingo! It nearly does. The flamingo flies toward the shore and Cayleen assumes her true form. Panting from the exertion of flying, she tells us that Jaris might be dead. There are four crocs and one giant croc deep in the water! The crocs got the drop on Jaris and Cayleen!
Nylen literally runs on the water toward where we think Jaris might be. Aevlin cuts herself on her sword to try and get the crocs attention. I do the same but dash into the water and swim toward the light of Nylens blade. Elmorth begins flipping through the stack of spell scrolls he found at the villa. Ceyleen turns into a croc, easily swims past me and dives down. Dimitri and Vassili stand fast. Krill stands on the sandy beach eyes wide. He looks overwhelmed and confused.
I make it Nylen. I can’t see anything under the water. I do feel the water churning under me. I offer to swap rings with Nylen. He can see in the dark. My ring of free movement will allow him to swim twice as fast as normal. We swap. As I put his ring of water walking on I shoot out of the water. Standing on the waters surface is...weird. I touch the surface of the water and push down. I cannot break it. It feels like a sponge. Interesting.
Nylen dives down. The seconds tick by feeling like hours. Aevlin and Krill are paddling furiously toward me. She calls out that the crocs have bumped her canoe. Nylen breaks the waters surface struggling to hold up an unconscious and heavily bleeding croc.
“Ceyleen” he hisses behind clinched teeth.
Knelling on the water I call upon Kord. Healing power surges through me. Cayleen-a-dile wiggles back to life, rolls over, coughs up water, looks at Nylen and I, smiles and swims off. We can tell Ceyleen-a-dile is far too injured to continue this fight. I am unsure of Jaris’ condition but I do remember that the manta cloak allows one to breath underwater. So if he is alive he will be fine for now.
Removing the water walking ring I fall into the water and swim toward the canoe and crocs. Wasting no time Nylen and I attack the largest Croc together. This thing is huge! Over twenty feet long! Teeth longer then my fingers! Kord is with us! I get a firm stranglehold around its massive head keeping its mouth closed. I can barely hang onto it as it thrashes around in the water. I give it all I have. It rears it’s head up out of the water trying to throw me off of it and suddenly goes still. Opening my eyes I see the tip of Nylens glowing sword sticking out from between the crocs eyes. He stabbed the beast and killed it! Well done! The giant croc drops. I mange to take a half breath before going under and grabbing onto the next largest croc I see.
I get bitten, clawed, tail whipped and choke on water as I grapple this croc. It’s smaller then the one Nylen skewered, not nearly as strong but incredibly agile. I cannot get it into a headlock. I sense Krill, Nylen and Aevlin attacking the other crocs around me. Blood turns the water red. I begin to feel light headed. Trying to breath I realize the croc has pulled me under water and has latched on to my leg. I consider putting the water walk ring on but have a horrible image of a one legged Hans screaming in agony on top of the water and a content croc happily eating.
I kick the croc a few times with my free leg, he loosens his grip. Reaching down I grab it’s jaw, pulling it toward me. I get it into a stranglehold! Praise Kord! It goes slack in my arms. I relax slightly but maintain the hold. I can barely the see the glowing swords flashing above me. Looks like the other crocs are dead? The croc I’m holding squirms back to life! I squeeze down on its throat as hard as I can! My vision blurs and fades. My head bumps against the crocs....I stare into it’s oddly human like eye. It’s body goes slack as it’s eye rolls up and closes. I grin and still hang on to it. My vision fades.....
I slam into mud, air whooshing out of my lungs. Nylen kills the croc and Aevlin helps me up. We are all battered and bloody. Looking around I see that the water parted around us. On the beach Elmorth is holding the remains of a smoking scroll in one hand, his other hand is balled up into a fist and held high.
“I cannot hold the water back forever!” He yells.
We scramble to find the invisible mant-ris. Nylen spots him. I pull the cloak back, we fumble to make him visible and I heal him. I find the giant croc and take its head for a trophy. Trudging back to shore we find several gems in the muck. I am limping bad. I dig deep and recall Kords words:
Be brave Be strong Prove your worth
Head held high I suggest we head back to the villa in the forbidden city. We make it there no problem.....
I step into the master bedroom. Jaris and Krill are discussing how to open the locked drawer. As we have only returned to the villa five minutes ago it didn’t register to me what has happening until after it happened. Jaris asked for healing. I healed him back up to almost full health. As I step out of the room he tells Krill to attempt to unlock/trap the drawer. Angered about what I perceive as another act of cowardice nor do I recall Jaris thanking any of us for rescuing him. Elmorth used a spell scroll to part water that saved my life. That spell could have made it into his spell book. A lot of resources were spent today. I turn toward Jaris, glaring at him I say:
“You had me heal you in case there was some sort of trap on that drawer than ask Krill to unlock/trap it? You have not proven your bravery, strength or worth. I will think twice about healing you next time. By the way. Two of us nearly died saving you. You are welcome.”
Before Jaris can respond I storm out of the room and leave the villa. Near the pond I bind my wounds, gently stretch and pray to Kord asking for guidance.
The next few days drift by. We are well fed between the fruit growing around the villa and what I can divinely create. I also fully heal everyone. Cayleen’s wounds take more time to heal and her powers are slower to return. She acts tough but I can tell she is shaken by the ordeal. To break up the monotony of sitting around I am going to suggest that Jaris explore and scout the area to see if anything has changed. He is best equipped and suited for it. It may also raise his spirits he has been a little off the past couple of days. When I bring it up to the party during breakfast he stiffens and begins to babble about being smelled by animals. All of us are taken back by his comment.
“Fine Jaris. Give up your boots and sword so that others can use your gear to help them explore safely.”
That got his attention.
Nylen and Aevlin immediately offer to use Jaris’ gear to scout. Suddenly Jaris has courage and wants go. Was it because Aevlin called him out and wants to scout? I look away in disgust. Maybe I am being to tough on him. Maybe not. I gave him a chance to redeem himself. The scouts leave.
I have a torch light about the dragon egg! Where did the prior owner of the villa get it from? Is there a momma dragon in the area? Would it have treasure? Slaying a second dragon would surely please Kord. With our previous experience with this type of dragon we could lure it out and attack it. It wouldn’t be easy but it would be glorious!
The scouts return. The former bugbear camp is now over run with mongrel men. Abominations! They should be destroyed without mercy. There is still the bollywog hole to explore. The lake in the northeastern portion of the forbidden city is full of crocs. The scouts saw a large nest past the lake. A really large nest. I grin as I picture myself attempting to get a dragon into a stranglehold.
~Day 7~
Hans has cleaned the strips of animal fur. Taking his time and using several strips as practice, he is ready to make the final product. Hans carefully pushes the lizard teeth though one end and the croc teeth on the other end of two lengths of animal fur. Melting a combination of candle wax and tree sap, Hans made a sealant and used it to secure the teeth on the skin side of the fur strip. After the wax-ap dried, Hans carefully wrapped the strips around each hand, wrist and forearm. Perfection. The large croc teeth lance out from the top of Hans’ hand acting like punching spikes. The lizard teeth poke out of the wrapping around the forearm. This will aid with various grapple holds. Crude but effective.
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Post by dragonforgotten on Jan 23, 2020 2:24:24 GMT -5
“Hans.... Hans! I could use some help here!” I tell I’m as Callum eagle and Delkin chipmunk perch on his shoulders. Hans gave us some good news that he can fix them tomorrow. That’s great but now he so caught up with himself and our cursed teammates that’s he’s ignoring me. “What that’s Jaris! Can’t hear you over Callum.” bull***.. “Hans please! I’m f**king dying here!” I wheeze. There’s still an arrow in my god damn lung. The party continues talking amongst themselves, thinking of going forward. Hans even asks if they need healing and they all answer no. Still ignoring my state. Avelin wont look at me. She obviously looks guilty for shooting me again but can’t get a word in to help get our healers attention. I collapse on the ground feeling lightheaded. Raccoon Barbarian sitting on my lap. My ears perk when I hear someone talking s*** about raccoons. I prop myself up on my elbow with a growl. “Don’t talk s*** about about my spirt animal. Their natural.. theives.” I manage before collapsing back into the ground. Hans eyes the throne till recognitions light up on his face. He finally looks at me and points to the throne.. “Hey Jaris. Why don’t you get those gems out of the throne.” I don’t give him a response and give him the dirtiest look I can muster. I simply pull out the arrow in my side with a growl and a sickening tearing sound, I can feel the blood leave my face. Cayleen happens to walk by and I take my chance to grab her leg with my shaken feeble strength. I can’t take the pain anymore. “Please Cayleen! I’m in f***king agony! Please! I don’t need a lot! Just get the arrow out of my lung!” “Alright, I got you.” She bends down to my level and without care or warning, rips the arrow clean out of me as I scream and lurch in pain, choking on blood. Quickly she lays her hands on me and my vitality is restored. Avelin helps my to my feet as I can breath again, almost back to full health. “Thanks Cay. At least ‘someone’ cares! Right Hans!” I shout at him. I can’t read his face. I hate bothering him and Cayleen for healing all the damn time. Even more so from Hans but I have to at times. In some way he makes me feel guilty for asking. They both have been constantly keeping me from deaths door since the day I arrived at the forbidden city and I couldn’t be more grateful. I begin up the long stairway to the throne, inspecting the goods. Damn these are nice. I take out my non magic dagger and begin the careful work of prying them out of the throne. When I’m done I come away with eight gems. We could go further into the dwellings behind us but we can’t leave our cursed party members in there state so we wait. Camping in the amptheater. Avelin took the first watch on the throne as I lean against the arm rest unseen making sure she doesn’t run off and get her self hurt again. She knows I’m here so she begin whispering to me about the stars and how she can see her birth star in the sky. She’s ask which one was mine but I can’t say for sure. I nods off at some point but besides that the night is uneventful. Guess the Yuan ti leaders don’t get much visitors or word has gotten out at this point. I wonder. We’ve practically taken over the entire forbidden kingdom in the jungle. The only factions left are the bullywogs, the mongrel men, and the Tazloids. We gather back to the base of the stairs and gather together the cursed animals and their gear in one place. Hans begins muttering his spell and the animals begins twisting in pain as they begin to return to their original forms. Tired and weak, as they get dressed and equipped again they tell us that they need a few hours to recover except for Delkin. He’s pretty pissed from being trapped as a chipmunk for so long and wants to let off some steam and finally use his ring.
We’re about to enter the caves when avelin stops me. “I’m going ahead with you.” “But your chain shirt-.” Too late she’s invisible. There’s no stopping her once she has her mind set on something. We enter the cave and I can hear the rattle of her armor move past me and beyond me. Oh boy... We come upon a bridge and I see the massive lizards in front. They raise their heads as soon as they her Avelin. S*** the party doesn’t know! I charge back to warn them but In time to hear Avelin call out and shoot at the lizards, making my job moot. Should have thought that through. That was stupid. With a group effort and Hans muscles we kill them without too much injuries as I’m standing there unable to get a blade in, so very much invisible. Looking at the bridge I have a bad feeling in my stomach. There’s no telling how old this bridge is. Is it even still stable. Logically Cayleen is the best to cross since she can fly now but... “I don’t think the bridge is safe. We should be careful.” “Your just being paranoid. If you'r not going to go across then I will.” Cayleen fearlessly walks across the bridge into the darkness and the unknown. Suddenly the thunderous sounds of rocks echo throughout the caves. Cayleen returns looking extremely bruised. “Remember when I said you were being paranoid. You were right.” “Oh friends of mine! I found something!” We turn our gazes to the right to see Elmarth on a stair case. How did we forget that!? It turns out up them was a group of Tazloids who were throwing boulders into cayleen. We go up the stairs to see the room covered in web with twelve small squirming masses. While they were laughing their a*** off Elmarth webbed then. I begin executing them swiftly so we can move on. The bridge is damaged a little but we can still cross. One hour of terrifying travel across the bridge and we make it across. Me and Avelin are sneaking together when we find a surprise. A snakes head yuan ti turns in our direction, hisses and charges in the direction of Avelin's chain shirt rattling. He gets to Avelin before I can react and I jump on him, stabbing him through the back. He hisses in pain as the group sees the yuan ti and jump him. The each of us each rearing the monster apart till it stops moving. Hans collects the snakes mans mace. Ahead is a Ton of vines near to a ledge. The moment she gives over to look down the Tazloids appear from the vines and begin peppering her with spears! They then jump into the area with us an a brawl insues. Cayleen transforms into a bear And I run up to her. I stab one just as cay brings a massive paw onto he same one. She gives me an annoyed look before turning to bat another one away. I’m battered by Tazloids and retreat to my invisible state. Somehow there still hitting me! God damn! Is there no escape! One swings too low and staggers. There’s my opening! I lung, cutting the creature just as cayleen takes her claws against it. killing the poor creature in one strike. I look back at her. “God damn it! Not again!” I return to being invisible and wait out the fight. Just one c***p situation to the next! Why can’t I do anything right lately!? The fight ends quickly. With their numbers down they all surrendered. Unfortunately for them we can’t speak and make a deal with them so we dispatch them. It’s an ugly sight but there’s nothing else we can do to secure that they won’t try this again. Dropping down into the room we find the bellows and three guys who look far too happy to be here. We all approach them burning with questions. “Good day gents what’s going on here?” They look up at us and one of them gives a wide lopsided smile, his eyes not quiet meeting us. “Oh heeyyyy. Whattt you doing here?” He tells us sounded stoned out of his mind. I check the chest to find that there’s nothing in it much to my disappointed. Cayleen continues to talk with them as I look at their eyes. Their defiantly high. Looks like it’s something hard. Really hard. They barely look like their half awake. Man... I remember that... vaguely. It’s nice now but the pain. God the pain once you come back down. I barely remember the trip I’ve had when Joe slipped something into my drink. Me and drugs have always have a strenuous relationship. Knowing what I know now I think some of my worst trips have ties to my strange abilities. Probably didn’t play well together. The chain gang tells us that the Yuan ti have kept them as slaves to work the bellows for the forge. “Jaris. Why don’t you free them.” Says Hans. I jolt back to attention lost in though, tuning back into the conversation “Right, sure. But watch them. They might run to get more yuan ti.” I advice as I begin freeing them one by one. They don’t even rub their swollen wrists, too blissed out to even hear some of what cayleen says. Avelin puts her arm over one of them. “Say guys. You wouldn’t happen to know where you could hook us up would ya.” The guy chuckles. “Sorry sister. I have no idea. Latter homies! Off to freedom we go!” They stagger out up onto the ledge we just climbed down. One falls off the rope but countinues back up till all three are out of sight. There not going to last ten minutes out there. I glare at Avelin, disappointed. She’s already bad with the booze. What the heck she going to be like drugged out!? She told me once to help her when she gets bad. The foots coming down here. I can’t let her harm herself like this. “Ave. That’s hard s***. Just look at them..” “It looks like fun! Don’t tell me you don’t want to try it!” I want to hesitate but I have to keep my ground. “Not like this. Not while we’re out in the wilds.” “Oh so if you'r going to be a kill joy that means I have to be as well!” “I’m only trying to be responsible! This isn’t a bar! There are consequences to your actions! Why can’t you see that!?” She looks at me, returning the scowl, getting into my face with her hands on her hips. “You know what! If you'r going to restrict my freedom then maybe we should rethink our marriage.” She instantly clams up as the words leave her lips but the damage has been done. I feel sick.. I turn my back to her sword in hand. “I.... need some space.” Clipping Lyon to my belt I vanish again. Walk away from her arms folded feelings upset and enraged. I’m standing In a fuming. Of all the s*** I do! How could she say, that right to me face!? I’ve done so much and she never appreciates what I do! “Are you crying?” Hans asks. “No. Shut up.” I fall silent again struggling to regain control of my emotions. No one tells you falling in love means you hurt and feel pissed between the kisses and sweet nothings. I love her but sometimes the things she says cuts deep. We move on and stumble upon a door way with a muddy spot infront of it. Cayleen finds a crystal key but it doesn’t fit this door. I check it but I can’t figure out how to open it. What I did should have opened the door, what’s going on? Nylen uses that sword but he doesn’t see any reason why it’s still closed. Also there’s a chest on the ceiling. Now we really must get in there! I’m getting antsy already! Elmarth looks at the door and nods his head. “Magic.” “Magic.” We all echo back. Avelin tries to kick the door in but we manage to stop her before she dislocates a knee. We all hide behind Hans as he dispels the magic on the door and it swings open. It’s a large chamber with bars lining the ceiling and yes, there really is a chest on the ceiling and we have just the thing for this! I take off Lyon and shrug off my pack. I lean over to Cayleen and whisper in her ear in elvish. “Mind getting the rope from Avelin. We’re not speaking right now.” She rolls her eyes at me. “You and your lovers quarrel! Avelin. The rope please.” She groans “Only because it’s you.” She hands it over to Cayleen who then hands it to me. Holding up the rope I command it to climb and it ties to the bar above. Perfect! Just have to climb up and-. I’m halfway up the rope when the bar snaps in half! My eyes widen. I slam into the hard stone floor, the pain vibrates through my bones. Everyone gathers around. “Laying down on the job Jaris?.” “Just... help me up.” Hans does and I hand the rope to Cayleen. See if she has any luck. She commands it to tie to another bar but the moment she’s halfway up it snaps and break again. Hans gently helps her up as she shrugs off his displays of affection once again. Now what? We stand around below the chest thinking. Then everyone begins to speculate about the chest and it doesn’t make me feel any better. In fact it’s making everything wrost. Oh god! Please don’t be connected to the lake! Why did they say that!? Why the f***k did they have to say it!? Now I’m having seconded thoughts! I can already feel my anxiety spiking. Cayleen laughs at my face. “What are you so afraid about. You have that cloak.” I sigh. “I do but then what. Watch everyone I care about drown? I couldn’t do that.” She shakes her head. “Don’t worry about a bunch of a****holes like us.” “Can’t help it. We’ve been through hell and back together.” I turn my gaze back to the chest. Still nervous. It must be written on my face because Nylen uses his sword. “It’s not connected to the lake but I do see coins.” My ears stand up straight. That’s motivation enough! “Can you turn into something to get up there?” “I know just the animal.” Cayleen then transforms into a pelican. We dump the keys into her mouth and she flys up. She reaches a certain point and suddenly she slams into the ceiling. Ouch. She transforms back and stands. “Alright! Use the rope!” I command the rope to climb up to where cayleen is. She grabs its. Shrugging off my back and placing the hemp sacks between my teeth I climb up. I get halfway till suddenly I’m falling! Like a cat I twist my body around till I land on my feet. Wow. That’s... freaky. I take the sacks out of my teeth and inspect the chest. It’s not trapped as far as I can see. I take out my tools from my sleeves and begin to pick them. I hear the beautiful sound of a open click, my ears perk up. “I did it!” I’m about to open it when I hesitate. My thoughts from earlier sinking in. No! None of that! We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I open the chest and gas pours out! “F***k!” It quickly pools around us but nothing happens. We look at each other confused. I can only sigh in relief. Must have been a dud. I check the chest again and low and behold the beautiful sight of coins fill my eyes along with a jade key. I grasp them in my hands. Oh yes. There real. I look at Cayleen with a wide lopsided smile. “Looks like we did it!” I raise a hand and she returns my high five. Thus begins the filling of the sacks and the beautiful sound of coins against hemp. With all the loot gathered at our feet begins the next question. How the heck do we get down?
-Jaris FJ
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Post by Aileen on Jan 24, 2020 21:05:15 GMT -5
The Forbidden City is a terrible place. It's not the strange creatures and the evil wizard that make it horrible- it's the complete and utter lack of booze! I hate it here, and I demand we return to civilization.
We found the kid. Turns out the dead one was not him... interesting. The real chieftains son we found being strangled by a giant snake. That was after we... well, some random dude... destroyed the bugbears. We then destroyed the Yuan Ti during a rousing song and dance number by Ceyleen.
I shot Jaris, and now he is being a Salty b****. We went into the caves by the Yuan Ti encampment to look for more treasure. Hans let me have my ring of invisibility back and I've been using it to my advantage. I got the jump on a couple lizards, and I thought Jaris was with me but he ran back to the group. Some protector he claims to be. Not that I need protection. Luckily Hans came to my rescue as I got hurt pretty good by one of the lizards.
I have a cool rope now that responds to verbal commands. Except it won't slap people. We found some guys who were high on drugs, and I tried to score some. Jaris flipped out on me.
"Jaris, if you're going to try to control me and not allow me to make my own decisions regarding substances... then maybe we should reconsider our marriage."
That's about all it took to make him upset. I love him, but I can't stand how controlling he is. 'Aevlin don't do this, Aevlin don't do that, put down the bottle Aevlin'... he is always trying to protect me, even though he is much weaker physically. I do not need protection, and he needs to do his job without being distracted by my fine a**. Thieves are supposed to sneak, check for traps and backstab. Not protect the fighter.
So, now he is giving me the cold shoulder. I can do this forever! We find and kill some more bugbears, and Ceyleen and Elmarth charm a couple of them. I have no idea what is going on because apparently everyone speaks bugbear except a few of us. Damned elves! Poor Hans thinks Ceyleen is teaching him elvish, but I've been sleeping with a half-elf long enough to know what elvish sounds like- not that!
We move along to a lake that leads to the outside according to our bugbear friends. Jaris being his mopey self doesn't want to swim, even though he has the manta ray cloak. There are only two canoes and they can only take three people each. We have way more than that. Nylen can walk on water, and Ceyleen can turn herself into whatever the hell she wants.
"Give me the cloak, Jaris, I'll go in." I growl.
"No! I'm going!"
Apparently all it takes is me volunteering to do his job. He dives in as Ceyleen turns into a turtle and jumps in. Then all goes south.
Ceyleen suddenly erupts from the water mere moments later, as a pink flamingo. She flies to us on shore and informs us that my dear husband has been injured by crocodiles, and is laying at the bottom of the lake. The crocs are going in to scavenge his body. However, he is stable and at no risk of drowning due to the manta cloak. We just need to draw the crocs back.
I pull out my sword without hesitation and run the blade along my inner wrist. The blood flows out fast, and I stick my arm into the water. The water grows red, and I splash it a bit to try to chum the water.
"Aev, do me!" Hans orders.
He holds his arm out, and I slice his wrist too. Then he goes out into the water. The crocs are not coming. Well, s***. I have to do something!
"Hey, Krill- help me with the canoe, will you?" I ask the new guy.
He nods, and grabs the water end of the boat. I jump in the back, grabbing the paddle, as he gets in front. We paddle out to where the action seems to be. Something big hits the bottom of the boat, but we remain upright.
"Hans! I think there's a croc under us!"
A great battle ensues. Hans and Nylen have never been a better team. Krill and I slash at crocs from the boat as Hans wrestles crocs with his bare hands and Nylen brutalizes them. Soon only one croc remains, and it takes Hans underwater in a death roll.
Suddenly the waters part, and our canoe plummets to the ground below. The wood breaks on impact, and I feel my poor leg crunch underneath me as I hit the ground. I'm able to get to my feet and limp out of there helping Hans to the shore before the waters close back in. Elmorth saves the day!
Jaris is fine, but Ceyleen is pretty messed up. We head back to the house and put Ceyleen straight to bed in her makeshift nest. Jaris takes Krill into the room with the locked drawer, and tries to make him take the brunt of a trap. Frustrated with his behavior, I walk away with Hans into the other room. We patch up our wounded arms, laughing and recapping the fight. He asks me what's up with Jaris, and I just shrug. Our marriage has been rocky as of late.
After a couple days of eating fruits and resting, Hans discusses having a scouting mission go out. The first choices are of course Nylen and Jaris. Jaris doesn't want to go, because he is afraid of animals smelling him.
"Fine, I will go." I announce.
"No! I'll go." Jaris changes his tune again.
I sigh, looking at Hans. This is typical. Its decided that I will borrow Jaris's boots since he can already move silently, and I head out scouting with Nylen and Jaris. I've never been more quiet, and I'm almost afraid of myself. Time to find a mama dragon... and hopefully drugs!
>>----> Aevlin Baumann-Jörmungandr<----<<
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Post by Aileen on Feb 2, 2020 20:03:00 GMT -5
I'm glad to be back in society after spending a long time in the sticky, nasty jungle. Hans, Ceyleen and some of the other crew are celebrating the peace negotiation with the God of the Swamp (FEN!) and hanging out in town while the rest of us train. Nylen and I are training with the local army/guard, and it sucks. Every morning we are up before dawn, running and doing pushups, only to spend the rest of the day doing drills with martial weapons. In the afternoon we hit the range, and smoke everyone else that tries to shoot. We are still tied for who is the best shot.
I'm heading back to the barracks from the archery range, exhausted and starving, when suddenly I realize Nylen is no longer with me. Then someone jumps me from behind, slipping a bag over my head. I don't give them the satisfaction of struggling. The person I'm being restrained by feels all too familiar.
"I'll have you know, I have no money nor anyone willing to pay a ransom, so it's not worth kidnapping me." I sigh.
"So that's how they got you in Orlane, is it?"
"No, I was drugged then. Now I'm just tired. But nice try, Jaris."
I turn around, taking the bag off, and find Jaris standing there with a smirk on his face.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"I was trying to surprise you."
"I'm surprised. What's the occasion?"
"Don't you know what day it is?"
"I don't know... laundry day?"
"It's your nineteenth birthday, my love!"
"WHAT?!?! I'M TOO SOBER FOR THIS DAY!!" I start running toward the barracks, ignoring my husband.
I quickly stow my bow and take off my armour as Jaris watches from the doorway.
"You can get me out of here?" I ask him.
He gets me past the head instructor, and Nylen quickly joins us, having scaled the roofs to escape. It's a short walk to the inn everyone is staying at, and Jaris sends me to Ceyleen's room to get cleaned up.
I head down to the tavern when I'm done, and am assaulted by the entire party shouting birthday greetings. Shots of whiskey and mugs of ale are thrust upon me, and I am the happiest I've been in a long time.
"Round of shots for everyone!" I announce to the bartenders. Oh wait, there's only one. And now two again. What?!
"Three gold." He starts pouring as I go reach into my pockets.
"Ah, sh**! Jaaaaris my loooove!" I call, spinning around a little too fast and toppling into strong arms.
"Ah, there's the Aevlin we all know and love." Hans laughs, helping me to right myself. "Good and drunk!"
"I'm totally sober, I don't know what you're talking about." I snap. "Where is my husband?"
Hans groans.
"Still married?"
"Yes," I narrow my eyes at him. "You had a chance, you know. I used to try to get your attention, but you never wanted me until I was his."
Hans looks like he doesn't know what to say.
"Can you buy these shots? I can't seem to find my money."
"Yeah, I got it." He opens his pouch and throws down the gold.
I grab a shot, and clink it with Hans before shooting it down. He takes his, and gazes at me a moment longer.
"Happy birthday, Aevlin. I'm glad to have you fighting beside me."
"Thank you, Hans. For everything."
Jaris finally comes to find me, dragging me away from the bar as the others grab their shots. He takes my hand and whispers into my ear.
"I have a surprise for you." He says.
Jaris brings me to an old clock tower in an old, closed up bank. It looks a bit sketchy until he brings me up the stairs, and I find he has set up a mattress, blankets and pillows as well as lit candles everywhere. It's a beautiful spread, and very cozy.
"Wow! I'm not tired yet, though, Jaris."
"That's okay. This isn't the entire surprise. Sit down, get comfortable."
He goes into his bag for an moment, shuffling things around while I take my boots off and take up a comfortable position by the window. He comes over with a pipe and a bag of what looks like leaves or herbs.
"Happy birthday, my dear Aevlin." He smiles, handing the pipe to me.
"What is this?" I ask, smelling it. It smells sweet, but kind of... musky?
"Smokegrass. You wanted drugs, so here you go."
"I was kidding!" Hah, not really. "But I'll try it!"
And try it I do. It's pleasant, and we have a great time watching the sunset and laughing at absolutely nothing. I do prefer my drinks, though. Nothing beats the buzz of drinking everything a bar has to offer after a long adventure. Nothing! We celebrate late into the evening, making the most of our alone time together, and pass out in eachother arms.
---
I wake up with my head pounding, light hitting my face. This isn't my barracks room... I shoot up, groaning, and feel Jaris's arm fall off my chest. It's already daylight, which means-
"JARIS! I'm late for training! You shouldn't have let me sleep!"
He groans as he wakes up, blinking sleepily at me. Guess it was a rough night for the both of us. I huff, throwing my clothes on as quick as I can, give him a kiss, and leave our makeshift room in the clocktower. It was a good night, but the commander is going to absolutely wreck me for showing up late!
I run down the street, and can already hear the fighting going on in the training yard. I slip in the gate, running back to my barracks room to quickly don my armour. I'm in the yard in a flash, siddling up to Nylen.
"I wasn't sure you were coming back." He says. "
"After paying that much gold?! I'm not that crazy."
"Good. Well, you're up next!"
My opponent is huge. Like, has 200lbs on me huge, the biggest guy that this place has to offer. I'm 5 foot nothing and he is at least 6'5 if not taller, with a mean face and biceps the size of my torso. What did I do to deserve such punishment?
"Nobody told me I was fighting a troll!" I whine.
"Really, little girl?!" He growls. "You've known me for a month, now! My name is Harold!"
"Harold, I'm extremely hungover!" I whisper. "It was my birthday yesterday!"
His face falls.
"Aevlin, I was there! That hurts!"
I throw my arms in the air in victory.
"I have won this battle! Victory is-"
The fight begins, with me grandstanding like a moron while Harry gets the jump on me. I'm knocked on my back, left to scramble to my feet as he whallops me with his sword. I get up, feeling awful, but a bit more focused. I swing back, and he easily parries my blow. I can feel my shoulder nearly wrench from its socket from the effort.
"Come on, Aevlin! Look for weak spots!" Nylen yells from the sidelines. I notice he has a wineskin that he's nursing off of. I gag a little, but I want some.
Weak spots? This whole man is made entirely of anything BUT weak spots! I'm battered again and again... and then I realize he never, ever defends his lower body. I take a chance, sweeping my sword into his leg, aiming for the back of his knees. I hit!
He doesn't go down. In fact, he seems to have been empowered by my strike, and returns a blow with much more vigor. His hilt slams into my forehead, and I am out.
---
"Aevlin, wake up."
Someone smacks my face.
"Go away!" I growl. My head is pounding.
"Your wine's getting warm."
I open my eyes, finding Nylen's face over mine. Sitting up I find myself on the floor of the armory. Nylen hands me a cold bottle of wine.
"Hold that to your head, it should help. Don't worry, we can drink it later."
"What happened? Did I lose?"
Nylen laughs.
"Safe to say you did. He got you good... and felt bad about it. You did well for fighting someone bigger than you solo."
I hold the bottle to my head, wincing.
"Am I going to fail training?"
Nylen shakes his head.
"No, I won't let that happen. Being a fighter is not about personal wins. It's about working effectively as a team. We have that already, you and I."
I smile at the elf, grateful to have him here to help me through training. I am a good fighter, I know I am... but I'm better with a bow than feats of strength. This hasn't been easy, but I am learning.
---
We leave town after a couple months, ready to start a new adventure. This time we are heading to the ziggaraut we were told about by the chieftain whose son we rescued. There is promise of great treasure, and I'm not greedy but my broke a** really needs to make some money. This should be fun!
>>----> Aevlin Baumann-Jörmungandr <----<<
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Post by dragonforgotten on Feb 2, 2020 20:26:45 GMT -5
Between figuring out how to get off the roof someone walks in on us. An elf! He’s only got the basic supplies on him, a dagger, sword and bow. I notice his stance immediantly the moment he steps into the room. He’s a theif! Not only a theif but one that’s the same caliber as me. You can tell by the way he walks. He looks uncomfortable been called out as the party begins to notice him, clinging to the shadows with eyes darting about between my friends. “Are you lot the adventures I’ve heard about?” He asks us. “We are. Who are you?” Stated Nylen. He clears his throat. “Names Krill. I’m a specialist in traps and procurement of hard to get information. “So your a theif.” He goes silent and I know what’s going on in his head because being known as a theif comes with some baggage. I’ve been there before. I’ve earned my keep here but honestly. I’m excited to have another theif. We work well in pairs after all. “The correct term is the folks with many talents.” He looks up to the ceiling and sighs now that the attention is back on me and Cayleen start filling up the sakes. We toss the full sakes to the floor and after some tests with the chest were able to get back to the real floor and off the ceiling. I go up to the new comer looking him up and down. “So? You must be very skilled to not die in the jungle. I barely made it two steps without getting stabbed, Pierced, bludgeoned or chewed on by wild animals.” He just shrugs nonchalant. I hold out a hand as he takes it. “Names Jaris. Thats Cayleen, Hans, my beautiful wife Avelin, and that’s Nylen. We’ve been doing this for a long time.” I catch him up and what’s happening and the groups past misadventures as well along the way. I also advice him about getting infront of the archer. He simply says it won’t be and heft up a crossbow. Wow! I just stick with bows since it’s easy to find arrows off corpses. Gotta respect the crossbow though. We all move on past the large doors and wonder till we hit another door. Pressing my ear to the door I can hear mumbling and Nylen confirms that it is bugbears with his sword. “Don’t shoot me again.” I half joke half pled but I don’t get a reaction. Avelin simply huffs and turns away from me. I sigh, deflated as I return to my invisible state. Right. Still fighting I suppose. I open the door and the hail of arrow begin as the archers quickly start filling the bugbears with holes. I slink towards the back, waiting for my chance to get I but the blasted bugbears begin flipping tables, ruining my chances for a backstab. Nylen rushes in as I tap Elmarth in the shoulder. He look about confused till I whisper to him. “Avelin still made at me. She won’t even look at talk to me and I can’t take it. I don’t know what to do about this.” Elmarth raises his wooden dragon pipe to his lip, wisps of smoke escaping his lips. He pauses, thinking then speaks. “Women are fickle. Give her space, chocolate, flowers, jewelry. That helps but I’m just a wizard. Women are an unknown love for me.” I blink, thinking. Sounds right. But there isn’t much I can give her besides space. She already has a share of the loot and it’s gems after all and the jungle isn’t exactly overflowing with coco beans. “You truly are a wellspring or knowledge Elmarth. I don’t know what I did wrong. I was only worried about her health. She can be so reckless sometimes. I love that about her. She makes me brave when I find myself hesitating but I worry with her wanting to try drugs now just after she’s recovered from her drink abuse.” He raises an eyebrow. “Your talking to a magic addict you know.” “Yes but it doesn’t leave you cracked out of your mind.” The battle begins to whine down so I appear again. Two of the surviving bugbears have been tired up. Cayleen manages to charm one while Elmarth charms the other one, causing a weird but humors rivalry between them between who’s better. There’s another group just up ahead so Cayleen and Hans call that we are going to take a breather to rest so they can pray and chant for more magic. Krill looks into his and pulls out a bottle. “Good thing I pack this.” He tries to drink it but his eyes widen. The bottles empty. “What the hells! What happened to my mead!?” Avelin looks about guilty. “Sorry...” he sulks, moaning his booze so I nudge him. “You get use to it.” I hold up both my wine skins and tip them down showing that there both empty. It brings out a chuckle from him. I try to meet her eyes but Avelin just turns her head away with a huff. I can feel my ears sag in disappointment. Still! I honestly should still be upset over what she said, it still stings but I can’t stay upset with her. I just want to go over and apologize but then I’ll look like a pansy infront of the guys. It’s barely been a day. I end up sticking with the advice and napping against the wall just as I her the whispering of Avelin gossiping to Cayleen in the corner. —-
Killing more bugbears. Raiding their dead corpses we come upon a lake, two canoes along the shore. Hans looks next to avelin and I become visible. I don’t think I like the look in his sharp eyes. He’s going to ask me to tread water isn’t he? “Jaris, you have the manta cloak and can become invisible. Take a swim and scout ahead.” He speaks in a sharp commanding tone I don’t appreciate. That’s it? Details Hans! Details! How far? How deep? I’m not beyond coming up with a scouting route that seems reasonable but I can’t exactly theif in water. I’d be a sitting duck. Also this is open water, an expensive amount of water.. I look back at him concerned. “I displace water Hans. I can be seen in the water. If I’m caught I’m as good as dead.” Hans brows furrowed and deepen in annoyance. “Then don’t be invisible. Either way scout.” I return his glare with my own. That’s not a plan. He’s asking me to go into unexplored water and expects me to obediently and unquestionably jump to it like a trained dog, still injured. “Hans. You do realize that I’m only in leather right?” I glance out to the water, a heavy feeling in my stomach. This is a mistake. This feels like an exit to the forbidden city. Those bugbears we’ve killed certainly arnt native to the tribe we conquerored. What is the point of going this way? “If you won’t go then hand over the cloak.” I bristle under his words. Is he calling me a coward? I reach a hand up to my cloak lasps but then Avelin steps forward. “I’ll go then.” seeing Avelin planning to take over my job i involuntary lurch and I start feeling sick with emotion. “Fine! Fine! I’ll go!” I start padding into the water as Cayleen steps forward. “Hold your horses. I’m coming to.” I repress the urge to sigh in relief. I can always count crazy Cayleen. She’s crazy in an awesome way. “Thanks cay.” I say pulling up the hood. She then dives into the water, transforming into a large snapping turtle and causing everyone to get drenched. I’m so so glade I’m not alone. Cayleen can at least warn the others should something happen. I honestly shouldn’t have jumped the gun on this. What the heck does he expect me to find in the water besides trouble? I glide effortlessly besides turtle-leen as a invisible humanoid manta but I can still see the outline of my wings. Doesn’t make me feel any better. Then I see them. Five gators, four mediums, one massive ugly f***ker charging straight for us. S***! There small ones are in me before I can get away and begin painfully ripping into me as I scream, my blood tinting the water red. The massive one charges Cayleen. I struggle against their scaly hides, trying to follow her till she suddenly transforms into a flamingo and escapes from the jaws snapping behind her. I’m filled with dispair, acceptance and pain. I can only be thankful it was Cayleen who got away. That’s all I can ask. I.. can’t escape, but I’ll damn well try. Struggling to get away. To follow her shadow. Another croc rakes it’s teeth along my back and I begin sinking into the cold dark depths of the river. As my vision fades, my heart filled with regret and loss. I wish... I could have said I’m sorry Ave.. I land softly onto the muddy bottom, shadows swimming over ahead and glittering around me.... ..... ....... .........
I gasp awake! Breath filling my lungs again as the pain slams into me. Two walls of water stand imposing around me as millions of unfortunate fish flounder and gasp for breath. I’m alive!? Hans helps me sit up as I hack up pond water. Avelin tackles me into a hug as I stare wide eyes into the horizon. I’m f***king alive! She then slaps me. Hard but I barely feel the pain, her eyes welled with tears. “I’m done with your ego! When will you learn It’s you who needs protecting! Not me!” I rest a hand on my cheek but before I can respond she’s then pulls me back to her and kisses me before parting. Leaving me stupefied. Not sure what to do I turn my attention to the ground. Pawing through the mud I find the source of the glittering. It’s a large gem. I soon find more. Eagerly I pluck them out of the ground and stand up. “Hurry up! I can’t hold it much longer!” My gaze snaps to Elmarth I feel numb from shock. I can’t get a word past my lips without fear of losing myself. I simply go to each member of my friends and hug them. before stiffly walking back to the shore with the flopping of thousands of displaced fish around us. I reach Cayleen who looks as good as I feel inside right now which is like death. I know what she did. I saw her.. if for a moment. She looks relieved I’m alive. “Glade to see you made it.” I simply go over to her and hug her. “T-thank you. Thank you..” I stutter as she pats my back. “Your getting blood of my shirt. Again.” I part from her. Avelin make it halfway before slipping on a large trout who the slaps her across the face. Clutching her ankle in pain I join her, she using me to climb back to her feet chuckling as we hobble along. We leave with no issues, avelin turns to me concern. “Are you alright. Your white as a ghost.” She asks. “I’ll manage. I-I don’t want to talk right now. Just need some air” I croak. She removes her hand from my forehead. And my eyes widen as I notice the cut in her wrist! “Your hand!” She tries to hide it away from my reach. “It’s nothing! Thought I could lure them to the shore. It didn’t work.” it’s apparently noticeable I’m losing the battle to remain composed. A man can only take so much in a short span of time. She holds my hand and I can feel the shaking ease. “Want me to tell you the epic battle I just had.” I nod pulling on a shaky smile. “I’d like that.” She begins recanting the tale I missed while unconscious yet again. “Oh my god Jaris. That fight was so stressful. I thought you were dead! I tried drawing them but it failed so me and krill hopped into the canoe and pattled like a champ. Those b****ds tamed by boat but it didn’t slow me down! Not while you and everyone were in danger! I got some good lashes onto their ugly lizard hides! Me and krill were shredding them up like it was nothing while Hans and Nylen as usually kick some ***. But me and Hans kicked the most! Doing the hard job mine you. Cayleen went back in to save you but she got messed up by the gators. Thank the gods Nylen managed to pull her up.” My ears sag alittle. So that did happen. "How did you get hurt again?" “Oh. That was from the flying boat accident.” "Flying boat accident?" “ It was insane! The water parted, and the boat flew to the ground with me and Krill in it. We kept paddling until the canoe exploded on impact" I chuckle, feeling some life come back into my body again. I feel like hell but at least listening to her eases my soul. We make it back to the house and I want to be useful! I’m sick of being out of my element. Helping Cayleen get into get I head towards the wizards old office. I know there’s a desk we never opened. I catch krill and begin to formulate how we’re going to do this. I get peeved when everyone keeps saying that there isn’t one! This bloody is! I checked! Now we have to crack it but first. I turn to Hans who standing outside of the room. “Hans. I hate to ask but can I have more healing. I’m not sure if I can survive the bomb if it does go off.” He sighs but does it and I return to krill and inform him of the plan. I go to the desk there and reaffirm the traps there. It is and krill checks me on it. I then take my tool out till I freeze in place. What if I’m right and it is a bomb. What if it’s more powerful then I thought. Then I’m dead. Then... krill could take over.. but I’ll look bad.. but he’s more likely to survive an explosion then I right now. That spell isn’t called fire or leumunds trap for nothing!. my hands start to shake and I can feel my breath quicken. I growl frustrated but back away. “I’m sorry krill. My nerves are shot. Can you take care of this?” “Sure. But you owe me one.” He goes to the desk and I’m immediately faced with a anger Hans and a disappointed Avelin. “You had me heal you in case there was some sort of trap on that drawer than ask Krill to unlock/trap it? You have not proven your bravery, strength or worth. I will think twice about healing you next time. By the way. Two of us nearly died saving you. You are welcome.” He storms off as Avelin just shakes her head and leaves me alone. That strings the worst. I feel like a failure. I was only thinking logically. What the f*** does Hans expect!? It’s not like I ask to be torn apart! Does he not see how many times I’ve risked my skin for his plans! It cuts deep for him to call my a coward infornt of avelin. If this wasn’t the damn jungle I’d challenge him to a no holds brawl but I’m sick and I’m tired. I wasn’t... I didn’t... does he expect for me to carry that burden on me... on nearly getting him and Cayleen killed due to my own weakness.... what else could I have f*** done?!... I.... why... am I just never strong enough... never good enough.. Krill returns to me looking disgruntled. “Couldn’t do it. Your turn.” “Right.” I look back at him while I’m in the doorway. “You know.. I wasn’t trying to put you in danger right.” He shrugs. “It’s part of the job. Don’t sweat it.” I check the desk sweating, expecting it to explode but I head a clink as the trap is disabled. “Did it.” I sigh. Everyone hovers over me as I open the draw... there’s nothing! Not even a trap on the other side. Only a piece of paper. Elmarth picks it up and reads it, looking royally pissed off. “I’ve taken my spellbook back once you fools left. Good day and good riddance to you intruders. -mrs Wiggins.” Elmarth growls and begins ripping the pieces of paper to pieces. I simply stand up, feeling an even bigger fool. So that’s what Leomund secret trap does. I’m done. I’m f***king done today. “I’m going to bed. Wake me up if the house blows up or something. Or don’t. Whatever comes first.” I leave the room and collapse into the bed. Crawling under the blankets and immediately falling asleep.
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The next few days we all spend fixing the house while Cayleen heals from her injuries. We’re picking some banana ferns to fix the roof when I hear Cayleen and Hans. I move a little closer to see she’s speaking to Nylen in hobogoblin before turning back to Hans. “You see Hans. That’s Elvish.” Oh this. Hans has been trying desperately to learn Elvish. Proably to impress Cayleen but she has taken to convince him that Hob is elven. This is too good. It take a lot to suppress the laugh in me. Hans huffs disappointed. “That’s not Elven. I know it isn’t.” “Yes it is, your just being stubborn.” “Aye it’s the truth. That’s Elf.” I chime in. Cayleen then turns to me. “You see! There you go.” Avelin then peeks her head from behind a banana tree pointing at me. “Your full of s***! I’m with you twenty four seven, every waking moment, and I know when your speaking elf!” “Really. Are you sure?” I throw out but she huffs in disbelief. “I can’t believe you sometimes! I’m going back to the bananas!” I roll my eyes, carrying a bundle of vines in my arms when suddenly I hear something and freeze. A jolt of fear runs up my back, leaving my breathless and frozen with anxiety. It’s just a bird! Just a bird! For crying out loud! Ever since coming back I haven’t felt right. I can feel it in my bones. The nightmares crawl into my head at night. I wake up in a cold sweat with visions of being killed in so many ways. its not the pain though. No.. it’s the thought of everything I’ve achieved and earned all stolen from me. Of being ripped away from this life and never seeing her again. Avelin had to shake me to snap my out of the terror. I hate this. It’s not like me to be this paralyzed by fear. Once we all put some work in fixing up the house Hans calls all of us inside again for breakfast. He summoned up more food. I’m in the middle of eating a bowl of porridge when Hans speaks up, his eyes locked on me. Oh great. He wants something from me again. “Jaris. Why don’t your scout the area and see what’s changed. Your the best suited for this job.” Suddenly the world starts to grey out and the nightmares return in full force. My heart rate spikes, hand trembling. I have to drop the wooden spoon in the bowl to hide it. I-I can’t do it! Every part of me is screaming no. I can’t do this alone. “What about the animals. They can smell me.” The party locks eyes with me. Hans sighs pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine Jaris. Give up your boots and sword so that others can use your gear to help them explore safely.” This brings back a rush of zell into me. So.. Im that disposable arnt I? Fine then.. Avelin and Nylen then step forward and the look in her eyes hurts. Disappointment. Little by little I get control over my body and I’m able to stand. “No. I’ll go but Ave can use these.” I take off my boots and I steal Hans boots near the door. Not like he was going to use them today. He’s baby sitting Pi. Avelin getting annoyed with me. I can tell in her face. She’s be just fine if it was only her and Nylen. She hates when I’m over protective, that I follow her everywhere but I can’t help it sometimes. Ill try to compromise next time but it makes me feel like s*** that I can’t be by her side in combat due to this weak a*** body. Scouting the area turned out to be a lot quieter then I imagined. The mongreul men have killed and taken over the bugbear camp and thus Calums short reign as king has ended. The moment we return to the house I don’t have the heart to go see everyone. I retreat to the watchtower without a word. I start making nets out of vines, keeping watch outside while I work. The repetitive task is soothing but it doesn’t fixes anything. I’m not even going to end up using this s*** later. But I keep at it staying out of sight of the party, ignoring dinner and farther into the night. It’s midnight but I don’t want to sleep so continue working. The stairs creek as I hear the sounds of footsteps up the stair. Avelin reaches the top of the stairs holding a bowl of fruit. “So this is we’re you’ve been.” “Hi Ave.” She sits down my side, placing the bowl to the side. “We need to talk.” “Same here.” She sighs. “You’ve been acting strange since the pond. I haven’t even seen you all day and now your up here. Doing this. You follow me around trying to protect me like I can’t take care of myself and I can’t stand it Jaris. It’s like you have no faith in me. I thought we went over this.” I pause in what I’m doing, my ears sagging. “Do you know that one of Olidammaras tenants is that if something is stolen form you then It wasn’t yours to being with.” I hold up my arm with the pi long dragon curled around it, a pesuo dragon near my thumb. Under their design are the scars “Every day I try to do everything to prove that I’m strong enough so I can be by you. But I’m not.” I croak and I have to turn away from her. “You makes me brave when I lack the courage but how can I call you my wife if I can’t keep pace with such exceptional men like Hans and Nylen. It’s frustrating.” My hands clench as I grit my teeth. “I’m sorry I made you feel smoothered. It’s not how I want to make you feel and your happiness matters a lot to me. It’s not that I don’t have faith in you. I just have no faith in myself.” A hand fall onto my hand and I’m pulled into a hug. “I’m sorry to! We’ve both been so busy and I never noticed how torn up you’ve been! I didn’t mean to make you feel like you needed to prove something to stay with me.” She sniffles and I can feel the tears on my skin. I hold her tighter against my chest. We both have a cry till we both feel better. I feel like a sissy for crying in front of her but the weight that’s been crushing me the past few days has been lifted. When I pull away from her I cress her face, “Sorry. This is embarrassing.” She does the same for me. “Don’t be. I like when we can be ourselves with each other. Not this macho bull*** you put on.” She rests her head against my forehead. “I’m just glad to have my husband back.” She then she runs a hand down my chest and we kiss. It’s brief but wonderful. My stomach ruins the moment. “Good thing I brought this.” She reaches over and places the bowl of fruit between us. She’s cut it to look like miniature skulls. “You’ve been practicing. I can almost tell it’s a cat. Almost.” She punches me lightly in the shoulder as I chuckle. “Just shut up and eat your fruit.” As I’m eating she looks me in the eyes, my ear perks with interest. “Your gonna teach me elvish right. Not this Hobgoblin s***.” “Yes Ave. I’ll teach you elf as promised.” “Good!”
-Jaris JF
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Post by Stephen on Feb 4, 2020 0:21:24 GMT -5
It was late afternoon on a beautiful spring day. A soft warm breeze gently caresses the tall trees that surround the town. Jasmine was in full bloom and the air smelled lovely.
Nylen and Aevlin are off training at fighter camp. Elmorth is at a mage tower learning more of the arcane arts. Jaris is learning how to become a better thief. Leaving the rest of the party to some much deserved rest and relaxation.
The band of adventures rent out rooms, except for Ceyleen she makes a nest near a stream out in the woods, and just kinda hang out around town. Some find odd jobs to stay busy. Others drink. After speaking with town officials and getting parents consent Hans recruits a couple of Kord scouts from the towns group of “bad boys.” The towns stables and privies have never been cleaner.
One day at the inn Hans was feeling particularly chatty after several tankards of ale. He begin to tell the tale of the parties latest adventure in the forbidden city. The townsfolk loved it. Not wanting to take all the glory Hans invited the other members of the party to talk about their experiences in the old ruined city.
The tale telling become a weekly event and actually benefitted the entire town. As word spread people from smaller villages, ranches, farms and mines came to hear of the tale. They drank, ate, spent the night and shopped the next day. In turn the party received a discount throughout the entire town.
The crowd at the inn waited in silence as Hans drained his fourth tankard of ale.
“Oh mighty dragon! Do not be alarmed!” Hans’ deep voice boomed throughout the inn. “We come here not with malicious intent! My fellows and I have made ourselves invisible only to protect us from the evil vile creatures that wish to cause us harm!”
The crowd of common hard working folk gasped at Hans’ words. Whispers of dragon and invisible rippled among them.
Hans continued, “The previous owner of the villa in the center of the forbidden city stole something very precious from you did he not?”
Krill chimed in “Meanwhile our wizard Elmorth...”
“Elmorth he who roasted like 20 orcs?” Someone from the crowd asked.
“37...” Ceyleen’s quiet condescending reply could not dent the crowds excitement.
Krill continued “...and Jaris our rogue were stuck in quicksand but we couldn’t see them. Hans thought fast....” Gesturing back to me I continued toward the climax of our story.
“The beautiful Pan Lung dragon looked down in my general direction. Dragons have great power you see. Aside from breathing fire and arcane spell casting they emanate fear. Alas our resolve firm it held no sway over us. I think we earned some respect from the elegant creature.”
“All dra’guns shud be kilt” an older man shouted from the back of the crowd. His accent made thicker by ale. More than few agreed with him.
A silent Kord Scout replaced Hans’ empty tankard with a full one. Hans reached for it and drank deep.
“Not all dragons are evil my good sir. Those the color of precious metals and stones are not. If a wise man such as you...” that drew a hardy good natured laugh from the crowd and a genuine smile from the old man...”recalls, most dragons good or evil have a sense of honor and I used that to my advantage. I gently placed the very large egg down onto the soft fen...”
“Thank you!” Ceyleen pipped up in back to the chorus of more laughter.
“The Pan Lung gasped in shock and surprise. I held my breath. I could hear Jaris call for help. I could hear Elmorth yell a fly spell will not free him from quick sand.” That brought the tone down a notch. The thought of quick sand over coming arcane flying downright terrified the folk in the room.
“The dragon leaned down and it’s eyes leveled with mine. I could feel it’s hot breath against my skin.
You have done me a great service and honor this day human! Allow me to honor you! What would you ask of me? The dragons voice boomed and echoed throughout the ruined city. “
“Thinking fast I fall to my knees begging the dragon....Oh magnificent Pan Lung please free my friends before the quick sand swallows them and allow us to leave the way we came. We shall depart your forbidden city never to return. “
“I shall see it done!” The dragons voice once again rattled the city!
The crowd lost it and cheered wildly! Tankards slammed together, feet stomped the wooden floor and some folk jumped for joy.
A fair robust maiden shoved her way through the crowd paused in front of Hans , grabbed his face and kissed him squarely on the mouth!
A few weeks later Nylen, Aevlin and Jaris returned from training. The party partied hard! It was Aevlin’s 19th birthday and 145 kill count celebration. At some point just as Hans was beginning to see double, Hans bought Aevlin a shot and Aevlin claimed to have the hots for Hans in their earlier days of adventuring. That took Hans by surprise. He never really thought of Avelin that way. Hans just flirts with Avelin to get Jaris jumpy.
Hans stumbles away from the bar and bumps into the robust maiden that has become a much closer friend as of late. Grabbing her around the waist Hans easily lifts her up. She squeals with delight. Putting her down Hans looks drunkenly around. On queue one of the Kord scouts appears with a full tankard of ale for Hans and his maiden.
Three weeks later.....
While practicing “Elven” with Cayleen the caravan slowly makes its way through the jungle. It is hot and humid but Hans didn’t mind. Now that he is unarmored the weather doesn’t effect him as much. Insects hum. Birds caw. The jungle is thick. Vines hang low from the trees. Suddenly we are attacked by a large angry mob of local tribesmen! They rush out of the jungle and attack without mercy.
They kill most of the caravan people before we can react. We barely have enough time to grab our packs and jump off our carts before they swarm us. Knowing we will die if we stand our ground we run into the jungle. It is early evening and we run for hours. The air burns Hans’ lungs. His heart hammers in his chest. His legs burn from running through the thick under growth. He runs ahead to scout and slows down so the others catch up. The party stays ahead of the attackers...barely.
As the sun begins to dip below the horizon the war cries of the attackers stop. We push on and the jungle opens up into a clearing. Before us stands a massive ziggurat. This clearing appears to be a place that is set up for a camp. We do. We make small talk and it looks like this is the place we heard about. Before we bed down for the night we find a hole in the ground that angles down toward the ziggurat. It was hidden by vines. Looks like this is the way in. Kord willing the party will have another tale to inspire another town with soon!
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Post by Aileen on Feb 9, 2020 15:41:23 GMT -5
The Ziggurat has already tested us within moments of entering it. Nothing horrible jumps out at us other than a cute little crayfish and a giant snail. Nylen shot the snail, so I did too, and now I'm wondering if that was the right thing to do. The little crayfish got crushed, another low blow. He had spunk, and even spoke some weird tribal language.
The air is the main problem here. We all started getting ill, and Jaris and Elmorth nearly dropped. Then Ceyleen ran into a cute jungle cat, and of course she had to have it. We left her with Hans and Nylen and got out. The second I set foot outside, it was like coming back to life. The air, although muggy and hot, feels good in my lungs. A moment later the jungle cat tears by us, running into the woods. So much for that.
Ceyleen, Hans and Elmorth have to rest up and get spells, so Hans tells the rest of us to go work at the debris and stone blocking the main entrance to the Ziggurat.
"You want us to do manual labor while you all lay around?!" I snap. "Lazy piece of sh-"
"Do you want me to heal you or not, Aevy-lin!" He growls.
I sigh in resentment, and pick up my bow.
"Fine, I'm going. Come on crew, there's work to be done!"
I stand drinking from my wine skin with Nylen, watching everyone else work. When they complain I say that someone has to guard the area. Fortunately nothing attacks us, but Jaris does try to take my wine from me.
"No! I'll run out!"
"I have extra, just give me a sip!"
"Fine!" I hand it to him, and he tries to make off with it.
"If you want to remain my husband you will unhand that immediately!"
Jaris tries to ignore me, and Nylen slaps him with the hand around his neck.
"Aevlin, what is wrong with you?!" Jaris laughs, handing it back over and giving me a kiss.
"I'm protecting this work site, Jaris. Get back to work!"
Okay, maybe I was a little too mean. Nylen at least has my back! As we are wrapping up work, much progress having been made, the sun begins to set. My stomach is growling and I'm hoping Hans made us something good for dinner. That's when I see something coming from the treeline, moving quickly and scuttling. I gasp in alarm.
"I knew they were real!" I shout.
"What?!" Nylen looks toward the trees. "The rats? They're very common, Aevlin."
"Ziggy-rats! They're rats that live in Ziggurats!"
Nylen groans, lowering his bow.
"Whatever you say, Aev. Come on, let's get back to camp."
We all leave, trekking thirty minutes back to camp. Hans and Ceyleen are curled up together, neither of them probably aware, and Elmorth is smoking his pipe. We dig into the food Hans made, and then get some rest. Jaris curls up next to me, and I can tell I made him upset again.
"What's wrong?" I ask him, turning towards him so he can't ignore me.
"You know, already."
"The drinking? Jaris, it's not a problem anymore!"
"Seems like it is."
I groan.
"I have everything under control! Stop worrying. Let me live my life and enjoy myself. You never know when it might be our last day. I'm sorry I didn't share with you, okay?"
The next day we venture back to the Ziggurat and check out the entrance we cleared. Ceyleen, Nylen, Krill and Elmorth end up stuck inside, and we can't get to them. The panic is short lived as they manage to pick the lock and get out.
We all go in and find a museum of sorts, dioramas of historical events in whatever tribe of people lived in this place. Ceyleen picks up one of the little warrior statuettes, and suddenly there is a real live man attacking her!
The tribesman is quickly dispatched, and they keep messing with them to similar results. I get a brilliant idea, and go invisible. There is a diorama of a dog taking down a mule deer. So, I pick up the dog. Next thing I know there is a growling, snarling dog lunging at me.
"Did someone pick up the dog statue?!" Ceyleen shouts, ecstatic.
"No!" I shout back, grabbing the dog by the leg.
Ceyleen works her magic, and the dog suddenly perks up and listens to her. I get pissed on, and let go in disgust. The dog runs after Ceyleen, tail wagging, and they step outside together. The moment the dog, who I find out from talking to a distraught Ceyleen was named Sally, bounds outside- he turns back into a statue.
"Noooooo!" I scream, watching Ceyleen drop to her knees. "That was my dog!"
Ceyleen demands that it was hers, and now she is ugly crying over him. It is extremely sad and I can't handle seeing her like that.
"We will get you another pet, Cey. Maybe a dragon to replace Ricardo!"
She slaps me so hard I black out for a second.
"You can't replace Ricardo!" She yells.
"That's not what I meant!" I cry, spitting out blood. "Forget it."
We find that in the afternoon light we can see the poisonous vapors contained in this Ziggurat. Hans does a spell to purify the air, and we ready ourselves to delve further in. We must get to the bottom of the secret of these mysterious statues! And hopefully find a new pet.
>>-----> Aevlin <-----<<
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Post by dragonforgotten on Feb 13, 2020 10:00:15 GMT -5
We leave bright and early. Marching through the fens and muck we kite around the massive lake to look for a dragon. I was suprised that Hans brought Pi with him. Apparently he returning the egg to his mother. I can feel my ears sag. It makes sense. We can’t even begin to take care of a baby dragon if we can’t even take care of ourselves but it still hurts. I was getting fond of the idea. There’s a Ricardo shaped hole in my heart. It goes smooth enough. We had a close call when a swarm of giant poisonous centipedes. Nearly blew out cover it wasn’t for Krork quickly stomping all of them to death before we carried on. He got stuck in quicksand a few times as well. Thank god we’re together. It took four of us just to pull him out. We manage to bypass the bullywogs. We’re almost close to the nest till suddenly we find a woman on the ground. We’re all still invisible but someone must goes over to check on her because I hear Hans talking and she begins to stirr awake. “Oh what happened!” “It’s alright Madam! Your safe now.” I hear from Hans. I have no idea what everyone else is doing or where their going but the woman stand up obviously frightened. “What?! Who’s their!? Who’s touching me!?” “Sorry madam. We’re just invisible. We’re adventurers.” “Oh thank the gods! I remember I was being carried off by the great swamp dragon-!” “Fen! It’s a fen!” “It’s alright madma we’re actually here because of the dragon. We have something we’re returning.” Suddenly I see a series of foot prints begin to move away from her. Wait? They’re just leaving? What the hells going on? The lady of the fen then turns to a pair of feet prints near her. I make a shot in the dark guess that currently with me is Cayleen, smider, and Elmarth. “ Are you kidding me Hans! Hans!!!” “So what are you doing in the Fen?” Ask Cayleen while I’m standing their in disbelief and confusion. The party’s split up and I have no f***ing idea what going on! “I-I must have escaped because I just woke up here. I can’t remember.” “Right...” cayleen says. I’m thinking the same thing. I heard stories of dragons taking human form. Her story is shakey. Guess all we can do is make sure she doesn’t know that we’re on to her and to not piss her off. “So... where did half your group go?” S***... no one says anything for a bit. “Well you see-.” “We’ve come to return a dragon egg.” If I knew were smider was god help him. The lady’s expression gardens and suddenly disappears. “She’s gone...” it’s then we watch in the mud as something like a giant snake twist in circles on the ground with massive claws raking the ground before suddenly in a rush of air something massive shoots above our heads. We all wait for the plume of fire but it never comes. “I knew it!” Cayleen exclaims. “The others are in danger! We need to get to them before she does!” I start runing and I barely make it 10 feet till I’ll my feet sink into the ground. Oh s***... I look down and I can see I’m standing in quick sand! “Oh f***k me!! Why!? Why!?” I look to the sky screaming in rage. “Jaris I’m sinking! Help me!!” “I can’t! I’m stuck to!” I struggle but it’s no use! It’s up to my knees now. I hear footsteps Near me! “Help! Please! Someone!” “Sorry I’m casing after a dragon.” Smider tells me and then I hear him walk away. “F***k you to mate! Anyone else! For the love of gods!” I feel someone try to grab me but their not strong enough! “I’m sorry Jaris! I’m just not strong enough!” I hear Krill. Cayleen tries to pull out Elmarth but she not strong enough either. Damn! If I wasn’t stuck I could save him! F***! I can’t even save myself.. unless. No! I can’t do that! I’d save myself but Elmarth! I sigh, afraid as the sand creeps up to my hips. I stop fighting the sands. Think! Think damn you! Were not going out like this! I hear chanting near me and then frantic panicking “Jaris I can’t fly out!” Elmarth starts panicking. He starts failing and I have to grab his shoulder through much fumbling. He’s sinking fast then I am! “Calm down! Your making yourself sink faster!We’ll think of something!” I tell him but I can’t think of anything. S*** I don’t want to lose Elmarth like this! If only half the party was still here. I try to pull Elmarth up from the Sand, keeping him afloat but he’s elbows deep! One arm outreached to keep his book from harm. This.. might be it. I have to use that ability. I’m sorry Elmarth. I just can’t think of anything. I’m sorry.. suddenly the air begins to kick around us. I look up and I’m staring face to face with a massive white and gold pi lung dragon. My jaw drops. “I DONT SEE THEM!” She growls. Her coils landing against the earth as they twist and coil around the pit were stuck in “Holy sweet f***!!!” I practically shriek. Great! Suffocate or be eaten! Well. At least eaten will be a quicker death then this. “IM HERE TO SAVE YOU ON BEQUEST BY THE MAN NAMED HANS! SPEAK SO I MAY REPAY MY DEBT!” My eyes widen larger then I though they could. I have no more f***s to give now. What the hells. “Yes! Where here!” The dragon lowers her head towards us. Her warm breath pushes the hair out of my eyes. Her long spiraling whiskers wrap around us before darting back. Her fangs are in near us as she takes in our sent. Their as long as swords! A shrill goes up my spine as her teeth clamp down onto my cloak and her claws wrap around Elmarth! She then begins to pull us out of the quagmire and I’m dangling from her fangs like a wolf cub! Suddenly in a rush of air we’re flying! It’s a sort but trip but the rush is incredible! She twists and spins her coils in the air like a snake as she flys. Dragons really are beautiful and terrifying creatures. We reach the best and she drops us unceremoniously to the ground. Elmarth breaks the invisibility he placed in us and we all appear. Avelin rushes towards me and knocks me over into a hug as the dragon enters her nest, her coils around Pi. My ears sag alittle. It looks like this is where we say good bye to the unborn dragon. I’m sad I wasn’t able to see him hatch and met him. Maybe someday we can’t hatch a dragon. The dragon then turns her head to us “You have my thanks. You’ve done me a great service today. Considering yourself an ally of the goddess of the swamp.” “FENS!” The dragon flicks her ear annoyed. I look up at her. “Thank you for saving me. Please take good care of Pi.” She simply bows her head. We leave her presents soon after. As much as I want to find out more about the mongrel folk I’ve had it with this fen and so has everyone else. It’s time to leave it. ——-
We may not have obtained the dragons treasure but we certainly left with a amazing story of befriending a dragon. One bit in the egotistical side. I hope one day we could have a dragon join our band again. No one says it but we all miss Ricardo. Their a hole missing in our group that he use to be in. I wish he was still here. He may have been an a**hole but he was our a***hole. Once we reached civilization again you can’t imagine the relief it was to be back in temperate climate. I think winters breaking now. The air is warmer and the birds are singing. We do our usual and begin our perpetrations. I’ve gone to moonlight as my alter ego again with George. Betty can’t touch me anymore and being the Baron teaches me volumes of anything a normal theif could teach me. Of course. Everyone except for Avelin are not going to know about the Baron. I rather keep it that way. Hans is once again recruiting young delinquent again for his kord scouts. I’ve seen those punks. Some of them are harden criminals like Me. Probably seen some time in the cells as well. It’s going to be up in the air whether They take time Hans teaching or so in the crooked path like I walk. Avelin and Nylen have gone off to training and Cayleen has gone to spend time as a willow tree. I see Avelin every chance I get. I don’t like being apart form her for too long. I get lonely and foul tempered. She’s even picked up elven pretty fast. Soon the day is upon me. Avelins birthday. Ive been planning for this for a long time since learning it. Standing in front of the gate I heft up my back pack and approach the gate keeper. A tall muscular man who looks like he could snap my neck without effort. Despite his appearance he’s still just as orderly dressed as any other guard I’ve come across. I’m no a fan of these guys. They’ve thrown me in jail more times then I can count just for looking at them wrong. I approach the booth. “Excuse me. I’m here to see my wife.” He peels his eyes away from his clipboard. “We are not open to visitors. By standards are not allowed in.” “Oh come on. I’m just a worried husband is all. It’s been so long and it’s her birthday today. Have a heart man!” “I’m sorry but no means no! The office is closing now. Good day!” He then pulls a shutter down in front of him, sealing him off and ending discussion. He growl. Typical. Well I did it the legal way. Time for the not so legal way. I circle the back of the building like I’m about to walk away. Once I’m out of sight I vanish and scale effortlessly up the walls and I land quietly inside the compound. Soldiers and guards run back and forth from building to building. Training and doing odd jobs. All of them men. I feel myself bristle. I don’t like it when she’s surrounded by guys. Nylen said she’d be near the archery range. I’ll check there. No wait there she is! She’s heading towards the barracks. I follow in her shadow and slip into the barracks with her. She looks dead tired but not for long! I ready the sack and as she stretches I throw it over her head and wrap my arms around her body. She doesn’t move, struggle or even give a yell of suprise. Much to my shock. “I'll have you know, I have no money nor anyone willing to pay a ransom, so it's not worth kidnapping me." “So that's how they got you in Orlane, is it?" I tease pinching her cheek through the sack. She knocks my hands away laughing. I let her fumble with getting the sack off her head. "No, I was drugged then. Now I'm just tired. But nice try, Jaris." “Guilty as charged.” I smirk. She looks me up and down. Taking me in. Nice to know I’ve been missed. "What are you doing here?" "Well I was trying to surprise you." She leans on one leg, hand on her hip. “I'm surprised. What's the occasion?" I blink amazed. Did she honestly forget. She’s been looking forward to this day for awhile! "Don't you know what day it is?" "I don't know... laundry day?” Oh lords help this poor woman! I slap my forehead. "Your nineteenth birthday, love! You haven’t shut up about it in three months!" I laugh. She looks like she’s going to pop from excitement and anxiety. She starts running about the room ignoring me as I lean against the wall. "WHAT?!?! I'M TOO SOBER FOR THIS DAY!!" She grabs her bow but then struggles with her armor. “Would you mind!?” “Not at all!”I easily help her pull it off over her head She throws her bow in the closet as I wait for her to sort her belongings near the door. Once everything is done she practically skips to me. "How are you getting me out of here then?" I take her arm and lead her outside. “Simple.” I bend down to my knee. “Hop on. We’re going over the wall.” She gives me a questionable look. “You sure about that.” I huff. “Please. I can carry a pack the weight of a sheep dog. I can carry you a short distance without your armor. So hop on. The booze awaits.” She clambers onto my back, locking her arms around my armpits and her legs around my waist. “Ready.” “K, here we go.” I take a few steps back and run! It’s alittle difficult with the extra weight but with the running start I jump a few feet up the wall and I’m able to climb huffing with the extra effort.i reach the top and jump down ontop of a cart and then to the gravel stone floor. “Oh my gods Jaris that was awesome! You need to teach me how to climb as well.” I wheeze laugh trying to catch my breath. “It’s all with experience. I could teach you but you’d have to be a theif in our next outings. Think you could manage that.” She huffs. “Hell no. I like my plate.” “Personally I’d say you’d look good in leather but that’s just me.” I get up off the ground and dust myself off. “Lets go.”
——
“Round of shots for everyone!" I hear announce from the birthday girl but I have something important to care if first. I slide outside and lean against the entryway of the bar waiting. Right on time George appears, hands hidden in his picks. I back away from the wall, standing before him. “You bring the goods.” “Of course. Even threw in an extra pipe for her to. I’m suprised. Didn’t think she was into this s***.” “Neither did I. I think it’s more to do with curiosity. I did tell her about a few of my past exploits while high and she saw how stoned those slaves were in the yuan ti temple. She thinks it will be fun.” George chuckles before handing me a small sack. “Just don’t go too hard you hear me. I need you meantally sharp for what I have plan.” “Well do. Of to try and get me killed again?” “Only for the best. Going to be big.” “Would have rather gotten her a diamond then this but it is what she wants.” He pulls out a pocket watch to check the time. “Whelp. I better get going.” “Not going to wish her a happy birthday?” “Eh, not right now. I don’t do crowd and that bar looks pretty packed. Tell her to drop by tomorrow if she wants my present. Emelda knitted her a scarf and has been dying to show it off.” “Still knitting like crazy?” “Absolutely. My wagon is drowning in wool. She’s very excited you know about the news after all. Don’t want to get into it right now.” He walks off in the opposite direction. “Remember. Don’t forget our appointment. I’ll know if your late, Baron.” I watch him disappear into the night as I turn back to the chaos of the bar storing the small sack in my bag. Time to collect the birthday girl. I find her doing a line of shots with friends just as expected. “Hi beautiful!” I tell her kissing her cheek and taking her hand. We celebrate together with laughter and booze for a good hour before I lean near her ear to whisper to her. “I have a suprise for you. Follow me.” She perks up with excitement and with good bye we leave the party for our new destination. We weave through the empty alleys till we reach an old clock tower in an old, closed up bank. She gives me a questionable look at the buildings sketchy appearance but she’s learned that I tend to take her to place that normal people would avoid and has stoped asking if it’s safe or not. I always make sure its safe. I brings me up the stairs to the loft above and gasps at what she sees. Not much. Just old mattress with pillows, candles everywhere. It's beautiful, simple, cozy spread, and the important part is we are finally alone and no one will disturb us.
"Wow! I'm not tired yet, though, Jaris." I laugh hands on her shoulders as 8 lead her in. "That's okay. This isn't the entire surprise. Sit down, get comfortable. We’ll be here for a bit of time.” We sit on the mattress and I pull my back to me. Taking out the goods her eyes light up. I place the wooden pipe in her hand. “Happy birthday, my dear Aevlin." I smile. She looks at me confused about what to do with it. "What is this?" She asks, smelling the herbs. "Smokegrass. You wanted drugs, so here you go." "I was kidding but I’ll try it!" Ha! Ya right. I give her the look. She still has her eyes on the pipe. “So you wanted me to Waste my money?” I tease. “Maybe” I chuckle. “Good. Wasn’t that easy to get. I’d Rather you get high with with me then crack out alone.” I tell her packing the pipe and burning the leaves. I hand it to her first. “Just take it slow. I’ve got some water if you start coughing and some cheese and crackers.” I hold up the waterskin. She frowns disappointed. “No wine?” “Nope. Doesn’t play well with the smokes. Trust me. I tried.” She looks at me then takes a drag, going into a coughing fit. “Your turn now.” She chokes handing me the pipe as she takes a swing from the waterskin. I hold it between my knuckles hesitant. “What’s wrong?” I look back down at the pipe. “I’ve.. haven’t done this since..Joe. My last trip was really bad.... I’m a little scared.” She rests a hand on my arm. “I’m here. Your safe with me.” I smile at her and take a drag. It burns but I don’t choke on it like Avelin. I let the wisps of smoke curl from the corner of my lips. We get comfortable against the pillows and wait. I rest an elbow resting on the window ceil, chin in my hand. Nothings happening yet. Well. I did only put in a small amount. It’s been awhile. It’s not like it’s my first time doing drugs. I.... oh.. woah. A warmth washes through me. suddenly the world seems brighter, the spring breeze softer, the scent of flowers and the streets stronger, the clock towers droning turns into a song. The sun set reddish hues becomes more radiant. I feel strange. Like Theirs a disconnection with my limbs to my body. I move a hand in front of my face it and it feels like it takes forever for it to slap over my eye. I start chuckling to myself and I feel someone lean against my shoulder laughing as well. It’s avelin. We just stay close to each other. The experience is magical. Everything is just so much better. don’t know how long we stay like this but suddenly she parts from my, screaming, accidently punching me in the gut but I don’t feel the pain. “Oh my gods! What is that!” She points out the window. Huh... what... oh... it’s a sea pidgeon. He’s tapping on the glass eyeing the bowl of nuts. “Ohhhhh... that’s just sally. Hi sally.” I open the window and push the bowl onto the window ceil. “Herrre you go.” I push too hard. Accident sending it too far and it falls out the window with the bird giving chase. Some one scream below as I close the window. “Who’s sally?” Avelin questions answered I tilt my head to the side. “Who? I don’t know...” she instantly pales, eyes darting about the room. “No! That was a spy! They know where we are now! Oh gods!” I grab her hands. I feel like walking. I feel the urgent need to go. To run and walk but to where I don’t have a clue. “Naw. It’s cool. We’re cool. I’ll go kill it.” I twirl a dagger between my fingers, drop it. Pick it up, standing up form the bed, prepared to climb out the window. Instantly she grabs onto my leg. “Nooooo. I don’t want to be alone! Stay!” I flop back into the bed and she wraps her arms around my waist. “K...but I’m hungry.” I look to the bowl of nuts and slowly I stare at the empty space they use to be. It takes a bit of time for me to realize their gone. Where did they go? “Darn. Good think I brought these.” I then flop onto my side, taking her with me. Reaching for my bag pull out some jerky. Sitting up with her I hand her some. “Jaris we can’t! We-!” I place a hand over her mouth. “Shhhhhhhh. It’s fine. It’s cool. Just eat some jerky.” She takes it from me and we eat through all the jerky and two waterskin. she begins calming down and starts getting fun again. She giggles as I lay on my stomach watching her, Listening to her talking in wonder. “So there I was getting a boat form this guy. He’s all like What do I get out of it and I’m all like I don’t know what the heck you want and he asks us to do him a favor... then Jose of all people asked if it was drugs and guess what!? Come one guess!?” “Ummm. She was wrong?” “She was right! what do you know she was right! Right!” She Goes into a laughing fit which sets me off chuckling as I sit up shrugging off my cloak and throwing it to the corner of the room. “Got a free boat. Everything was great! We lost a few friends along the way but we did it!. Oh! Then I got captured by dirty cultists and there I am in a cage with a sore face! Jose bit a guy and we’re being carried off to gods knows where! They stuck us in dirty cells for so long. It was so cold... Jose... I felt so alone... so afraid. I never been so terrified.” I roll over onto my back. It’s a struggle but I manage to sit up again head swimming. “I’m here. I’m always here.” I mutter to her in elvish. She sniffles once again gets close. “Tell me more.. I want to know what you were doing.” I reach for the pipe and take another puff then Pasted it back to her. “I... did stuff... party.. booze.. pray.. steal.... Something, something..” I trail off as the euphoria hits me hard... I’m not sure how much time passes but the moons high in the sky. I sit up form the pillows passing a stick of chalk between my hand. Suddenly everything became clear to me. I need to tell her. “I just thought of something?” I announce. “What?” She asks confused. I start drawing on the wall a big circle. “All life is a circle.” She looks even more confused but she needs to know. This is important information. “We live, we die, then return back to where we were created. It’s a circle. When I could touch upon my gods divinity I had a sense of that circle.. once I was gone I could feel it’s true enormity. Feel him calling me.” I start drawing in the circle floating land masses and continue drawing out the maze. “Love.. I don’t understand?” “You will. It becomes clear in time.” I look to her eyes hazy. “Have you’ve ever wondered why Elves can’t be resurrected?” I continue when I don’t get a reply. “It’s because they reincarnate. Endlessly. Their is no soul to bring back because it’s already gone to the next life. It’s the will of the elven gods. But... people like me.. half elves are different. We are not bound to that circle. Our souls are not human but it’s not elf either. Elves dream of lives past but yet I don’t. It’s become clear now. It’s because their is no past life. My soul is it’s first experience. It’s human in the way. That’s why Oli couldn’t keep me. It’s why I was able to come back from the dead. And..” Avelin sits up, eyes glassy. “Love. Your speaking way to fast and in elvish. I didn’t get half of what your trying to say.” I drop the chalk in my hand just as I finished drawing winesong. “Oh...” “Just get some sleep. It’s so late.” She then pulls me back onto the pillows and I pass out. .... .... ..... I’m stirred from sleep when avelin escapes my arms. Ugh.. my head. Why gods...? I whine, missing her warmth. I blindly search for her when suddenly her voice pierces my ears. "JARIS! I'm late for training! You shouldn't have let me sleep Ahhh! Why so loud!? My ears lower and press against my head, ringing. Finally I find the strength to peel an eye open. No! The f***king light! When my vision swims alittle into focus I can see Avelin frantically trying to pull on her cloths. What time is it? She then turns to me dressed and ready just as I manage to sit up. She kisses me square on the lips before I know it and I feel fully awake. “Love you! Bye!” And she’s gone charging down the stairs just like that. I sit there dazed. Then a Cheshire grin pulls at my face as gritty laughter bubbles out of me as I slump back to the makeshift bed. I’m so blessed. I lay there just laughing, content. I don’t have to be anywhere. I work the night shift. Could go back to sleep but after that wake up call it’s not going to happen. Should probably put some cloths on and clean up before I’m caught here. Eh.. five more minutes. I sit there for five more minutes and then I notice in the wall a drawing. I vaguely remember doing that last night but it’s lost on me what the heck I was trying to draw. Looks good though. I keep to my word and get dressed starting to clean up the place. Dusk begins to settle when I’m done. A crow then perches onto the open window and sits with a notes tied to its foot. It’s Bottles. I take the letter and read it “The painted lady has gone out to dance. The Baron shall make a surprise visit to this gala. Make them bleed before morning. Met me at the citidal. Don’t be late - George.” “Painted lady huh.” I say intrigue. So it is coming here then. She’s really going to be in this town? Color me surprised. He did tell me we’re doing a big haul but this is going to be one big haul! Thats alot of money. Means a lot of traps, animals, and guards. Means a lot of work for me tonight. Maybe we’ll steal some of their horses and sell them off. Who knows what that man has planned. He likes to not give me all the details till the day of the heist. Says keeping words to a minimum contains the spread of information. Wouldn’t want our plans being botched by a third party or wrost have our target stolen before we even get there. George says it’s all part of my training. Well. Hasn’t wronged me yet. I pull up my head and don the mask. Time for the Baron to dance. ———— Weeks later
Back into the jungle we go. After a mess of running from jungle natives and nearly dying on separate occasions we stand in the shadow of the zyggarot. Here we are temple. I’m ready for you this time.
-Jaris FJ
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