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The GM
Game Master Profile for Gaia Stones Adventure Plot.
0 · 202 views · located in 
Gaia
a character in “The Multiverse”, originally authored by Prose, as played by RolePlayGateway
Groups
So begins...
The GM's Story
- Seen 31 Times • Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
What Karasaad had grabbed was not the stone but was still hard as one. It was the tail of a dragon. At the disturbance, it growled low in its throat and its feet began to shift in the water. Everything shook as the dragon moved around. A great white eye opened and peered at the human before it bared its teeth at Karasaad.
The light. It did not like the light and there was more than one source. The stone had begun to glow brighter beneath the dark water as if beckoning Karasaad to take it up.
Beneath the dragons feet was a structure. It appeared to be a chest or a tomb. The stone wanted to go to it. It urged Karasaad towards it as it he were meant to open it. And yet, the dragon seemed to not want anything to come near it and was hostile.
The light. It did not like the light and there was more than one source. The stone had begun to glow brighter beneath the dark water as if beckoning Karasaad to take it up.
Beneath the dragons feet was a structure. It appeared to be a chest or a tomb. The stone wanted to go to it. It urged Karasaad towards it as it he were meant to open it. And yet, the dragon seemed to not want anything to come near it and was hostile.
As Karasaad held the stone out towards the dragon the cavern was filled with an amazingly brilliant light. Nothing but white could be seen as if the very stars themselves had exploded in the cavern. There was a great roar and the cave shuddered as if an earthquake had rendered into the earth. Stones began to fall from the ceiling and splash into the pool.
And then the light died away.
The dragon was laying on its side against a cave wall and breathing as if it caused it great labor to do so. It eyes rolled into the back of its great skull. And then, the dragon caught fire and withered away into nothing but ash.
The tomb was left unguarded but stones were still falling from the caveâs ceiling in random patterns as if it were going to collapse right down around Karasaadâs ears.
And then the light died away.
The dragon was laying on its side against a cave wall and breathing as if it caused it great labor to do so. It eyes rolled into the back of its great skull. And then, the dragon caught fire and withered away into nothing but ash.
The tomb was left unguarded but stones were still falling from the caveâs ceiling in random patterns as if it were going to collapse right down around Karasaadâs ears.
Inside the tomb was a legend long forgotten by many âŠ
Artrea the Healing Gauntlets
Artrea were gauntlets worn by a legendary man named Lysander Enlight. The gauntlets were hidden beneath the soil of The Exalted Mountains and were used to light the world when Eras had almost consumed his siblings. For seven turnings of Gaia had Artrea served to the be sole beacon on hope for all living things on the world.
The gauntlets are made from a mysterious metal which is completely white in color, almost as if they were made of our pearl. But they are as harder than any metal known to the current world as the knowledge died with Those Who No Longer Roam. They will light the path when light is needed most.
Glittering feathers protrude backwards and out from the wrist. The fingers are sharpened like ten deadly claws that can grip any surface short of diamonds. It is easy to scale a wall with the gauntlets. But that is not what make the weapons deadly. So sharp in fact are they, that they can pierce through most armor and can slice through human flesh like a razor through parchment. But their greatest power is the ability to touch others and heal their mortal wounds through the use of Will.
There is always a weakness that comes with weapons of great power. Those who adorn the gauntlets and use its abilities will soon find their eyesight failing on them over a long period of time. All those that have ever used themâeven onceâhave gone blind with age. And when they are used to heal, the adorner will find themselves very drained as if their own life-force had been passed into the other in order to save their life
Artrea the Healing Gauntlets
Artrea were gauntlets worn by a legendary man named Lysander Enlight. The gauntlets were hidden beneath the soil of The Exalted Mountains and were used to light the world when Eras had almost consumed his siblings. For seven turnings of Gaia had Artrea served to the be sole beacon on hope for all living things on the world.
The gauntlets are made from a mysterious metal which is completely white in color, almost as if they were made of our pearl. But they are as harder than any metal known to the current world as the knowledge died with Those Who No Longer Roam. They will light the path when light is needed most.
Glittering feathers protrude backwards and out from the wrist. The fingers are sharpened like ten deadly claws that can grip any surface short of diamonds. It is easy to scale a wall with the gauntlets. But that is not what make the weapons deadly. So sharp in fact are they, that they can pierce through most armor and can slice through human flesh like a razor through parchment. But their greatest power is the ability to touch others and heal their mortal wounds through the use of Will.
There is always a weakness that comes with weapons of great power. Those who adorn the gauntlets and use its abilities will soon find their eyesight failing on them over a long period of time. All those that have ever used themâeven onceâhave gone blind with age. And when they are used to heal, the adorner will find themselves very drained as if their own life-force had been passed into the other in order to save their life
There came no answer from the stone and it stopped glowing. Its purpose had been served and no longer would it be needed. The Gaia Stone was nothing more than it appeared: a stone.
Karasaad would see the tomb begin to fade away from his vision. It was light again as if the sun was shining down on him. The air was clear. The bird in the sky gave a long shrill into the wind. The stone that had frozen finally landed against the ground and rolled against Karasaadâs foot. The breeze blew gently.
The world had resumed and still in Karasaadâs hand were the earned gauntlets. His journey had been completed.
Karasaad would see the tomb begin to fade away from his vision. It was light again as if the sun was shining down on him. The air was clear. The bird in the sky gave a long shrill into the wind. The stone that had frozen finally landed against the ground and rolled against Karasaadâs foot. The breeze blew gently.
The world had resumed and still in Karasaadâs hand were the earned gauntlets. His journey had been completed.
The gauntlets did not budge and they did not heal Karasaad's bleeding nose. They would never be able to heal it's wearers wounds and they would only be able to be removed if they wished to removed themselves.
âOi! Why ye be tryinâ to remove me!â The voice had come out of nowhere but there could only be one explanation âŠ
âOi! Why ye be tryinâ to remove me!â The voice had come out of nowhere but there could only be one explanation âŠ
âOh-hoo. This one is gonna be fun, I can feel it! I like ye already which is sayinâ sumthinâ, boy. Anâ a woman, eh? Ye got lady problems I take it. Well then, canât be messinâ wit women. They be a scary bunch, they are. Alrighty then, here we go âŠâ
The gauntlets loosened on Karasaad and they would be able to be removed. The voice died away and it would not speak again unless it was time to do so. The man was left to continue his journey on Gaia and in silence.
The gauntlets loosened on Karasaad and they would be able to be removed. The voice died away and it would not speak again unless it was time to do so. The man was left to continue his journey on Gaia and in silence.
The setting changes from the-golden-vale to Gaia
The stone in Gary Mandoleraâs possession would begin to glow brilliantly as if it wished to be revealed and looked upon. It was time for the man to face his challenge in order to claim his sword to prove his worth of being a Champion of Gaia.
But Mother Gaia was growing desperate for souls to save her from the looming darkness. Not only would Gary Mandolera be taken from the world and taken to his trial but two others as well. For those three individuals, the world froze in place. Birds stopped mid-flight. Rivers stopped flowing. A womanâs tear paused just before it could land on the ground. The only three that were able to move were the Chosen three.
Each would have the feeling of their feet lifting off the ground. They would witnessâtogetherâa completely dark world where not even hope could shine its light. It was the world that would come to pass if Eras was to rise to power. Everlasting Night. It would strike into each person a different perspective and different emotions.
And then the darkness faded away to reveal another kind of darkness. The room was damp and cold. Water was dripping from a leak in the underground tomb. A torch hung on the wall lit up in an eerie blue fire and bathed the three people in its light. Garyâs stone dulled as if it were weary with exhaustion.
But Mother Gaia was growing desperate for souls to save her from the looming darkness. Not only would Gary Mandolera be taken from the world and taken to his trial but two others as well. For those three individuals, the world froze in place. Birds stopped mid-flight. Rivers stopped flowing. A womanâs tear paused just before it could land on the ground. The only three that were able to move were the Chosen three.
Each would have the feeling of their feet lifting off the ground. They would witnessâtogetherâa completely dark world where not even hope could shine its light. It was the world that would come to pass if Eras was to rise to power. Everlasting Night. It would strike into each person a different perspective and different emotions.
And then the darkness faded away to reveal another kind of darkness. The room was damp and cold. Water was dripping from a leak in the underground tomb. A torch hung on the wall lit up in an eerie blue fire and bathed the three people in its light. Garyâs stone dulled as if it were weary with exhaustion.
As Alistair Nahan moved around in the room without proper lighting, his foot triggered a trap switch in the floor. The stone sunk down and thus began a strange sound further in the room. Five enormous guillotine axes were swinging back and forth across the only path there was in order to continue forward and out of the underground cave.
But that was not the only thing that occurred. The torch was not needed for that particular room due to the other trap springing as well. There were several small, round pitfalls in the room. Fire columns began to spew upwards from them and char the roof of the cavernous room. It made the air hot and humid.
A guillotine swung by Brickelâs body and head by mere inches.
But that was not the only thing that occurred. The torch was not needed for that particular room due to the other trap springing as well. There were several small, round pitfalls in the room. Fire columns began to spew upwards from them and char the roof of the cavernous room. It made the air hot and humid.
A guillotine swung by Brickelâs body and head by mere inches.
As Alistair Nihon successfully made it into the next open area of the underground cave, he seemed to be free and clear of the immediate danger. When Gary Mandolera held the swinging blade at bay, the entire trap came to a halt under the paladinâs skill in strength. But they resisted against him due to gravity and the sheer weight of the blade itself. The guillotine pushed against the paladinâs strength, testing it.
Something stirred to Alistair Nihonâs right. There came the sounds of bones clattering together. Upon further inspection would reveal a pile of bones that were beginning to form into five bodies. Rusted swords, shields, and helms lay askew on the stone floor.
Something stirred to Alistair Nihonâs right. There came the sounds of bones clattering together. Upon further inspection would reveal a pile of bones that were beginning to form into five bodies. Rusted swords, shields, and helms lay askew on the stone floor.
The first of the five skeletons collapsed as a dagger severed its spine. The skull rolled off the top of its head down the slopped floor and into a fire pit. The other four were able to fully form and picked up the rusty armament nearby. A strange red light filled the holes in their eyes and each skeleton clattered their teeth together as if laughing at the motley crew.
Two of the skeletons rushed at the half-daemon rogue and another made way for the gnome. The last of the bunch seemed to hesitate and walked backwards due to its head being turned the wrong direction. It reached up, turned its skull the proper direction, and then took off sprinting for the paladin.
Two of the skeletons rushed at the half-daemon rogue and another made way for the gnome. The last of the bunch seemed to hesitate and walked backwards due to its head being turned the wrong direction. It reached up, turned its skull the proper direction, and then took off sprinting for the paladin.
While the adventurers attempted to dispatch their foes whether successfully or not, there came a disturbing sound. It was a womanâs laughter, low and cruel. It echoed off the walls around them and was as smooth as silk pouring over marble.
âCome to find me, Stone Bearer,â it asked in a mocking voice as it challenging the âStone Bearerâ to come and find her at the end of the caverns, through the maze of traps and undead creatures.
âAllow me to help you on your journey âŠâ
The remaining skeletons burst into flame and shrieked like nails against a chalkboard. The womanâs voice was heard no more and the next room was free to wander into without challenge, trap, or enemy. It was a good room to rest within before venturing further.
âCome to find me, Stone Bearer,â it asked in a mocking voice as it challenging the âStone Bearerâ to come and find her at the end of the caverns, through the maze of traps and undead creatures.
âAllow me to help you on your journey âŠâ
The remaining skeletons burst into flame and shrieked like nails against a chalkboard. The womanâs voice was heard no more and the next room was free to wander into without challenge, trap, or enemy. It was a good room to rest within before venturing further.
Once again, it was time to venture forth for the adventures who unwillingly found themselves in the cave. Many rooms still lay ahead of them and several trials; traps and enemies that sought the kill any living thing.
There was strange writing on the eastward wall of the room the adventurers found themselves in. It was written in the Goblin language and proclaimed: You Shall Not Live Beyond This Day. Only those whom knew the language would be able to decipher the ominous message. And yet, for the sheer fact it was written in dried blood would be omen enough for them all.
Upon inspection, the next room was wide and as square as a room could get when carved naturally by nature Herself. All seemed quiet and there was an odd lack of bones or decaying bodies. There was nothing in the room and the far side of it was bathed in complete darkness âŠ
There was strange writing on the eastward wall of the room the adventurers found themselves in. It was written in the Goblin language and proclaimed: You Shall Not Live Beyond This Day. Only those whom knew the language would be able to decipher the ominous message. And yet, for the sheer fact it was written in dried blood would be omen enough for them all.
Upon inspection, the next room was wide and as square as a room could get when carved naturally by nature Herself. All seemed quiet and there was an odd lack of bones or decaying bodies. There was nothing in the room and the far side of it was bathed in complete darkness âŠ
When the three decided to move into the next room their sources of light would reveal the odd making of the floor beneath their feet. There were square panels and it no longer was made from stone but of an strong metal such as steel. Each were perfectly square and the same size as the others. Only one man would be able to fit on a single tile at a time âŠ
Why that detail was needed was revealed as they ventured further into the room to reach the other side. Across the way was a iron grate door. There was also a lever directly to Garyâs left side on the floor. Perhaps the lever needed to be pulled so that the door would unlock across the room and give way to passage âŠ
Why that detail was needed was revealed as they ventured further into the room to reach the other side. Across the way was a iron grate door. There was also a lever directly to Garyâs left side on the floor. Perhaps the lever needed to be pulled so that the door would unlock across the room and give way to passage âŠ
The consequences of destroying the level would be witnessed immediately. The loud sounds of gears turning would be heard. And then the sound reversed as if it was counting down a time limit. The grate on the other side of the door would lift and reveal the way into the next room. But, there was immediate danger as the floor fell away in pieces.
Hot and dense air would immediately be noticed and a strange red glow filled the room. There was magma beneath the floor and would kill any that fell down instantly. There was no choice but to go further due to the only hope for an exit laid at the end of the dungeon. A small path of floating squares were left, but great leaps would have to be made in order for them all to cross before the grate closed.
If they did not work together, they would fail.
Hot and dense air would immediately be noticed and a strange red glow filled the room. There was magma beneath the floor and would kill any that fell down instantly. There was no choice but to go further due to the only hope for an exit laid at the end of the dungeon. A small path of floating squares were left, but great leaps would have to be made in order for them all to cross before the grate closed.
If they did not work together, they would fail.
Inside the Dwarven Stout during the middle of the night, something began to stir inside of Ebonyâs room. It came to her in the form of her twin sister, glowing brilliantly and alighting the room in a warm and comforting luminescence. There was a song to be heard. It was something familiar, sung by a familiar voice, gentle and comforting as a lullaby.
âEbony,â came the call from the specter and it held out a hand towards the girl, âCome to me. Take my hand.â The lips of âSolâ never moved and her voice sounded like a ghostâs. The stone in Ebonyâs possession willed her towards the illusion, wanting the girl to go to it.
âEbony,â came the call from the specter and it held out a hand towards the girl, âCome to me. Take my hand.â The lips of âSolâ never moved and her voice sounded like a ghostâs. The stone in Ebonyâs possession willed her towards the illusion, wanting the girl to go to it.
âWe choose familiar songs, voices, and bodies when presenting ourselves to our Bearers. It is for comfort and ease of mind. Tell me, Ebony, would you have wanted a strange face with a strange voice coming to you in the middle of the Sleeping Hours?â
It still held out its hand towards her, smiling as Ebonyâs lover would smile. Soft and gentle.
It still held out its hand towards her, smiling as Ebonyâs lover would smile. Soft and gentle.
There was melodious laughter and it filled the room. The image tilted its head to the side and its hand was still held out as if holding it so still did not fatigue it.
âAll your answers will come but my power to remain here fades with every passing second. We are weak, Ebony. That is why we need your help. Gaia needs Night. Needs the Sleeping Hours to rest. I have seen into your mind. Seen your world. Gaia needs to be like yours but cannot unless you help. The Mother is unbalanced and cries for Darkness.â
âNow. Come. Please. Will you help Us?â
âAll your answers will come but my power to remain here fades with every passing second. We are weak, Ebony. That is why we need your help. Gaia needs Night. Needs the Sleeping Hours to rest. I have seen into your mind. Seen your world. Gaia needs to be like yours but cannot unless you help. The Mother is unbalanced and cries for Darkness.â
âNow. Come. Please. Will you help Us?â
The stoneâs projected image took Ebonyâs hand and smiled that sweet and gentle smile. The room faded away and the girl would feel the sensation of her feet leaving the ground and suddenly traveling a great distance across the land. Green passed beneath and then gold before being replaced with green and blue. The rapid movement stopped and they both stood on an island in the middle of the Empyrean Sea. To the south one could see the beaches of Sivâen, the continent that held the Kingdom of Skyfall.
The image of Ebonyâs Sol released the girlâs hand and pointed to the water.
âGo into the water. Allow it to greet you. It shall give you what you were destined âŠâ
The image of Ebonyâs Sol released the girlâs hand and pointed to the water.
âGo into the water. Allow it to greet you. It shall give you what you were destined âŠâ
The image of Sol disappeared as soon as the girl set foot in the water. It duty had been done. The waters of the Empyrean Sea were warm and welcoming. They were oddly pliant to the Bearer of the Water Stone, making her wade into the sea more than easy.
Something shimmered beneath the water. Treasure or something greater perhaps. The stone in Ebonyâs hand willed her to reach down for it. It wanted her to have whatever it was beneath the water that had been hidden so long ago; cast away.
Something shimmered beneath the water. Treasure or something greater perhaps. The stone in Ebonyâs hand willed her to reach down for it. It wanted her to have whatever it was beneath the water that had been hidden so long ago; cast away.
[color=black]Ebonyâs hand wrapped around a most powerful and legendary staff:
Maelstr the Waker Staff
Maelstr is one of the seven legendary weapons that shaped the world of Gaia as it is today. It was wielded long ago by a woman known as The Gate Keeper; Solara Siegmund. It hums with a great power over the water element. It is a staff that gave Gaia the Emyrean Sea and had trapped a great foe within the sea.
The staff is made from a strange material of which the knowledge has died with Those Who No Longer Roam. It is approximately three feet in length and it is not made of metal or wood but of stone. It is not heavy as one would assume but very light for its Bearer. One cannot become the Bearer of Maelstr unless it is won fairly in a dual or if it decides to give itself to another.
The staff is colored several different hues of blue and green ranging from sea-foam and almost white to midnight blue and almost black. The colors are ever swirling and changing as the sea. It almost seemed as if a part of the sea is trapped within the staff itself but maybe it is a trick of the eye âŠ
The staff will take whatever form that the Bearer wishes and is extremely malleable to their mind and Will. It is a very compromising weapon and yielding but as with the sea, Maelstr can be very fickle and rage unexpectedly. The staff grants elemental power over water and not just in being able to manipulate it. The wielder is able to conjurer water at his or her whim through the use of very little Will. The power of the Empyrean Sea lays at the hands of the Bearer which is great and powerful.
And yet there is always weakness that comes with weapons of power. The Bearer will become far more susceptible to fire magic and if used for a very long period of time, even the sunâs rays will become too much to bear. Maelstr also bonds very strongly with its Bearerâs emotions and eventually, their emotions will become one entity, and Maelstr will have partial control over its Bearerâs
Maelstr the Waker Staff
Maelstr is one of the seven legendary weapons that shaped the world of Gaia as it is today. It was wielded long ago by a woman known as The Gate Keeper; Solara Siegmund. It hums with a great power over the water element. It is a staff that gave Gaia the Emyrean Sea and had trapped a great foe within the sea.
The staff is made from a strange material of which the knowledge has died with Those Who No Longer Roam. It is approximately three feet in length and it is not made of metal or wood but of stone. It is not heavy as one would assume but very light for its Bearer. One cannot become the Bearer of Maelstr unless it is won fairly in a dual or if it decides to give itself to another.
The staff is colored several different hues of blue and green ranging from sea-foam and almost white to midnight blue and almost black. The colors are ever swirling and changing as the sea. It almost seemed as if a part of the sea is trapped within the staff itself but maybe it is a trick of the eye âŠ
The staff will take whatever form that the Bearer wishes and is extremely malleable to their mind and Will. It is a very compromising weapon and yielding but as with the sea, Maelstr can be very fickle and rage unexpectedly. The staff grants elemental power over water and not just in being able to manipulate it. The wielder is able to conjurer water at his or her whim through the use of very little Will. The power of the Empyrean Sea lays at the hands of the Bearer which is great and powerful.
And yet there is always weakness that comes with weapons of power. The Bearer will become far more susceptible to fire magic and if used for a very long period of time, even the sunâs rays will become too much to bear. Maelstr also bonds very strongly with its Bearerâs emotions and eventually, their emotions will become one entity, and Maelstr will have partial control over its Bearerâs
The consequences of destroying the level would be witnessed immediately. The loud sounds of gears turning would be heard. And then the sound reversed as if it was counting down a time limit. The grate on the other side of the door would lift and reveal the way into the next room. But, there was immediate danger as the floor fell away in pieces.
Hot and dense air would immediately be noticed and a strange red glow filled the room. There was magma beneath the floor and would kill any that fell down instantly. There was no choice but to go further due to the only hope for an exit laid at the end of the dungeon. A small path of floating squares were left, but great leaps would have to be made in order for them all to cross before the grate closed.
If they did not work together, they would fail.
Alistair smacked his head as the floor fell away. He turned to Brickel. "Great, brilliant idea. Did you think that through at all?" He sighed a bit, unfurling his wings. "Well, no use cry over spilt milk. I can fly over there, and maybe at a stretch take either one of you..though Mr. Paladin over there will need to drop the armour. What say the both of you?"
"Nah, I got a better idea. Ally, take flight. Brick, get over here." While he waited for that, he took a couple seconds to focus his mind and spirit to attain the same superhuman strength he showed in the hall earlier. It seemed a bit more difficult than the last time, but he managed it. "I drop my armor now, it's going for a dive, and it'll take too long to take off besides!" If Brick did as he was told, he was getting flung towards the exit with the help of this strength boost.
He would never hear the words as one of the panels collapsed beneath him and he was sliding down in to the glowing pit. He went without a shout or even a yelp but rather closed his eyes and kept his mouth tightly shut. May his death come quickly and be without pain.
Then there was an explosion. At first Brickel thought it might have been a magma bubble bursting but then he realized that if that were the case then it would have engulfed him and he would have had no time for such thoughts. Instead one of his precious gems had fallen out of his sash and splashed inside.
The immediate reaction of the gem was to go off and suddenly the small gnome was flying right back up in to the air. He had enough presence of mind to open up his eyes just in time to grab on to a tile as he fell back down. Scrambling, Brickel managed to pull himself up on to the tile and look out across him. As luck would have it, as it often seems to have the gnome, Brickel was up a short hop away from the other side of the ledge.
He tossed a look over his shoulder at the other two which said he planned it all along and then he was going to hop across to safety.
"Well, it seems our resident shorty over there will make it across just fine. Good luck, Paladin. I still haven't caught your name, after all." Alistair gave a quick salute before flying towards the grate, following Brickel's lead.
As Alistair Nahan neared the grate and Brickel as well, a small voice was heard on the other side of the closing grate. It was feminine; weak and calling for help. It came from the mouth of a beautiful maiden with long blond hair, fair skin, blue eyes, and a white gown flowing over her small frame. Such details would only be noticed when and if the three adventurers ducked beneath the grate to the next room.
"H-Help ... it's ... it's coming after me!"
"Please help m-me!"
There was a scream, urging them further onward.
Alistair ducked under the grate quickly, not sparing a second glance behind him. The other two would either make it, or they wouldn't. Either way, they probably wouldn't need his help. It was about this time he heard the voice of a woman, and spotted her as well, as he entered the next room. She was extremely beautiful, and he was immediately struck; however, this dungeon had taught him to be wary. Alistair unsheathed a dagger, cautiously moving towards the distressed woman. "What's wrong? What's coming after you?"
A damsel in distress? Brickel snickers as he rushes towards the grate just behind the paladin but does not yet decide to blindly slide in. Instead he pulls a small ruby out from his sash and eyes it carefully before skipping it under the grate the way a boy would skip a stone across a pond.
The first time the ruby hits the floor it bursts in to a red light that illuminates the darkness as it skips past the paladin.
"Hold there, chivalrous knight! Might you first appreciate some light?" Brickel cannot help but to chuckel at his would-be-bard's tongue as he then slides under the grate and practically waddles next to the paladin. By now he is huffing and puffing with a face that is beat red and not just from the red glow of his ruby.
Gary did in fact appreciate the light, but he had to find a path that would lead him to the gate! Ah, just like the infamous knight's tour puzzle: One took a knight and an empty chessboard, and starting from any square, devised a path to take the piece to every other square exactly once following the usual rules for its movement. He chucked Brickel towards the exit to maximize his agility, and with the same cat-like reflexes he showed in the hallway earlier, leaped from tile to tile, barely making it to the exit with Brickel and Alistair. "Gary. That's all you need to know," he panted.
SHE! SHE IS COMING! OH GODS PRESERVE ME,â the woman screamed at the top of her lungs while attempting to cling onto the nearest man which happened to be Alistair Nahan. Her fingers groped to find something to grab on him while her eyes scanned over him wildly and filled with great fear. Tears were glittering along her lashes and poured gratuitously down her rose cheeks.
The woman was panicked and more than fearful.
âPlease, p-p-please will you protect m-me! She wants my blood! Oh gods, so much blood!â
Alistair temporarily dropped his guard as the woman grabbed on to him. She was lucky he hadn't stabbed her, running on hair-trigger instinct about three seconds earlier. "Uh..s-sure. I..we..?..will protect you. But calm down, lady and tell me what "SHE!" is. I mean, c'mon. Gotta know what's comin, right? And lemme go. I can't fight with ya clingin onto me." Alistair figured he would use his demonic charm. After all, it couldn't hurt to try, and maybe it would get this woman to stop crying. It probably wouldn't hurt his chances with picking her up later, either. At that, he looked past the woman to see if he could catch a glimpse of whatever was so dangerous. He also pulled out his other dagger, holding it loosely.
Brickel grins as the woman throws herself on the half-demon. The gnomes always get looked over. In this case though Brickel cannot say he is upset as the ensuing gooseflesh this woman causes is not the feeling he would hope for from such a beautiful dame.
For the first time since their impromptu journey, Brickel takes the initiative by creeping further in to the red glow of his ruby and readying his crossbow for any trouble. All of this time wasted is time spent away from his lab and since the gnome has yet to find anything truly valuable he has yet to consider this trip very worth while.
Gary was quick to come to this woman's defense. "Who? Who wants your blood? Where is she?" His divine blessing guarded his heart from fear...not that he didn't feel it at all, oh no. He simply refused to let it stop him from doing what was necessary. His hand found itself drifting towards his sword hilt, as if this was a habitual response. His mind was putting the pieces together...there was a female voice earlier that was egging them on, but this specimen was far too hysterical to make the voice he heard earlier. "Calm down, miss. We intend to confront this woman...anything you can tell us about her might help us bring about her damnation and your freedom." His words were honeyed, but there was no ulterior motive to his choice of words. Indeed, he had learned as a kensai to project his ki in such a manner as to make such delicate acts of diplomacy much easier. He just wanted information.
Alistair Nahan's demon charm did nothing to the woman. It had absolutely not effect on the damsel. As he peered out over the clinging woman's shoulder, his eyes met nothing but a solid wall. A solid wall with no visible exit. They had reached the end of the cavern and it seemed that there was no way out.
The lady was attempting to scramble up Alistair Nahan's body, her feet seeming to not want to hold her up. Blood was pooling beneath her, flowing down her legs as stain spread across her torso. The damsel was wounded and apeared as if she were going to bleed out. She paled in front of them all and before their very eyes. Her pink tone slowly turned bone white and the woman's flesh became more sullen and tightâstretched far too thin.
"H-Help m-m-me ..."
Just then another woman clad in all black from head to foot with long flowing blood red hair stepped from a hidden stone door carved into the side of the cave walls. Her eyes opened wide and she froze. A strange aura surrounded her. It was something evil. Something cold and unnaturally so.
"No!" the newcomer called out in a beautiful voice.
Alistair was damn confused, and it probably showed on his face. First, he had come into the room, and then the woman was bleeding all over him, and then she shriveled up. He let out a sigh, before carefully laying the unwell-looking woman down. He couldn't do much about the blood, but no big deal. Unfortunately, he did not spot any way out...until the woman with blood all over her head -- no wait, that was her hair -- steeped out from..behind the wall.
Now while she seemed like his type - the darkness and all - Alistair did NOT want to die. Because, along with her entrance, he also felt something more unsavoury, so much so that he got chills. Which didn't happen very often; it took a lot to cause such a thing. As such, he quickly pulled a check on all his other daggers, and streched his wings a bit. As the other woman - the one not dying on the ground - spoke, he looked up, pointing a dagger at her. "Whaddya mean, no? What's goin on around here? Why -" he gestured to the bleeding, pale woman next to him, " - is this person bleedin like she's a fountain? Sheesh. Ain't no respect in these caves."
But Alistair's impatience got the better of him, and he decided it'd be more pragmatic to stab first and ask questions later. After all, the lady was most definitely evil of some sort. He was just bad, not evil, and they did not mix well. He ran at the woman before doing a sort of jumping lunge from halfway across the room, propelled by his wings. As he was in the air, he aimed the point of his blade at her heart, also preparing to move quickly in case he was counterattacked. He was aware of how open his lunge was, but hoped he would get to the woman before she could react.
Brickel can practically feel his skin clinging to his bones as this red-headed woman makes her grand entrance. As she draws further in, Brickel is drawing further away and in to the shadows until his back is pressed firmly against the cold stone wall. He manages to keep his teeth from chattering so that he will not make any noise but he cannot stop his knees from shaking.
Despite his obvious fear, Brickel still manages to fish around his sash until he comes across the one item that he hopes will save him should it become necessary. It is not another modified bolt of exploding goo but rather a finely made wooden bolt with a pure silver tip. The gnome has never crossed paths with a vampire before but one of his good friends is a dwarf nobleman and has relayed stories to him that he heard from his own fellow dwarves who were in fact paladins of their god.
Oh how Brickel wishes that his good friend were here now. He finds bravery much easier to come by with familiar friends around.
With shaking hands Brickel manages to load the bolt in to his crossbow but by then he has already slid down the wall and is propped between the floor and the wall like a child suffering he berating of his parents. Skeletons were once thing but a possible vampire is something this particular gnome was not ready for.
As Alistair literally flew at the second woman, Gary spoke a quick prayer for his safety in the coming fight, but he couldn't let his guard down either. With one hand on his sword hilt, ready to draw it should the need arise, he knelt down and offered his other hand to the bleeding woman. "It's okay. I just want to stop you from bleeding. We'll bring her down, but protection of innocents comes first." His free hand began to glow with a soft light as he prepared to lay his hand on the victim...hopefully she would allow him, and if the other got past Alistair and to them, odds were he could use the charge to harm the leech that was known as a 'vampire' instead.
Alistair Nahanâs lunge proved quite successful. The blade in his hand plunged into the womanâs chest, piercing into her flesh as if it were nothing but paper. Blood spurted from the wound and coated Alistair Nahanâs body.
There never came a scream. Her eyes went wide with shock as the blade pressed into her chest and she stumbled backwards from the force of the half-daemonâs attack. Eyelids flickered and tears sprung up into her eyes before pouring down her smooth pale cheeks.
A gurgled and small cry came from between her lips and blood spat from between her plush lips. The womanâs hands rose up as if to pull the blade from her heart but before she could do so, the unknown lady fell onto her knees. The light dimmed from her eyes and she fell forward with the last of her breath leaving her lungs. A pool of blood spread out around the woman, dark and still warm.
Meanwhile, the gnomeâBrickelâwas so small and underestimated that he had gone unnoticed by the true enemy. It was a blessing in and of itself. A blessing that did not fall on Gary Mandoleraâs shoulders. As soon as she saw the other taking the bait of her thrall, the true enemyâThe Vampire Queenâscreeched and bared her rows upon rows of sharp and serrated teeth at the paladin. He had reached his hand down to her, and yet she recoiled from the light. The Vampire Queen was hauntingly white in the light and instead of retreating away from the holy man, instead she dashed toward him with her faster-than-human speed.
The Vampire aimed to wrap her thinâyet strongâfingers around his throat.
Alistair had fucked up. He knew, and the other two probably knew it too, if they weren't too busy, from the sound of it. This screw-up was made very, very vocal. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, that was a pretty dumb thing to do. You okay there, lady? Okay, well I guess that's a stupid question, but just hold on while we kill that bitch over there and then I can get the paladin guy....Gary, to help ya. And for now, I'll do what I can." He quickly sheathed both of his daggers, and put one palm over another, above the wound. "Goddammit, Dad. Why didn'tcha give me more healin power, eh? Now I've gone an' fucked up." As the healing energy - only enough to perhaps stop the bleeding and stitch a few places, if the woman's body would allow. He had, at most, enough to keep the lady alive if she still was, and after he burned it, that was it for a good while. But as he thought, and told himself, "Shit, I'm bad, but I ain't evil, and ain't no innocent person that din't even do anything gonna die cause of me. Especially not a woman, but still..."
The woman's body was healed by the half-daemon's attempt but it could not bring her back to life. She had died by his hand; died by his too-quick mind which had judged by her appearance alone. There was no coming back from death.
Gary couldn't react fast enough to draw his sword, and it would be useless in a grapple anyway. However, he could use the charge of his lay on hands to good effect here. As the sudden lunge knocked his armored form onto his back, his charged-up hand thrust forward, driving into the woman's chest and channeling positive energy into her form, which was anathema to undead. Instead of knitting together wounds and enabling an injured comrade--even himself--to fight on, it would have quite the opposite effect on the monster, and that wasn't even taking into account the force of the palm strike itself, despite its suboptimal delivery. He wasn't a monk, after all. As a bonus, this stiff-arm would make the job of strangling him a bit more difficult.
The momentum of the Vampire Queenâs motion kept get going forward towards the paladin. In a split second, she realized her mistake and it showed in how her eyes grew wide with regret and fearâfear of dying and pain. The sunken and withered creature tangled with Gary Mandolera and screeched again as pain lashed through her unholy body. The being convulsed a top him as her flesh began to turn into ash. Nails as hard as diamonds attempted to lash at the paladinâs face but it was panicked flailing.
And then the âwomanâ stopped moving and stopped shrieking. Nothing but a form of ash lay atop Gary Mandolera and with the slightest movement made by him, the Vampire Queen collapsed into floating dust, defeated and finally able to rest for eternity.
The moments seem to drag on slowly for the gnome who can hear only his heavy panting even after the Vampire Queen already turned to ash. The undead are not something that Brickel has ever been comfortable with. He doesn't even like to be around dead bodies but nothing gives him the chills like a vampire.
After a few long breaths Brickel manages to compose himself. Then he actually stands up and unloads his crossbow.
"Amazing, huh? I guess she wasn't a very strong or smart vampire, eh? Any undead worth their merit should have been able to discern the presence of a paladin."
As Brickel brushes himself off, trying to hide the fact that he is still a little bit shaken up he says, "So, uh where to now, boys?"
Alistair was still shaken up and it was quite visible. He had accidentally killed an innocent woman in his rush to defend himself. But as Gary finished off the real Vampire Queen, and Brickel asked his question, he composed himself. Mostly. He wasn't shuddering anymore, and he had closed the eyes of the woman in respect and laid her out in a proper position, away from the pool of blood. He chose to leave the blood on his hands there, as a reminder of what he had done, and as a lesson to never do so again. He repeated his motto..or tried to. "I'm bad, not evil....right? I guess I might be now..." He shook it off and turned to his companions. "Unless either of you knows how to revive the dead, I suggest we head through that door." He jabbed a finger towards the now-open door. He also shot the two an unreadble look. "If ya want me ta die for this, I won't letcha kill me. Dyin ain't my repentance."
"Sorry. Raising the dead is beyond my power," Gary mentioned sadly as he dusted himself off. "I'm not going to hold you responsible for her death, but others might if they saw the same things I did. You reached a logical conclusion using the available information and acted appropriately. Mercy for those that deserve mercy--the weight of this deed on your already tortured soul is punishment enough, I suppose." He sighed, his heart weighed down as well by the murder of this innocent victim. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Now let's get our gear and hope there's another way out. I am not leapfrogging over a lake of lava again if I can help it."
Brickel snorts at the paladin's comment as he unloads his crossbow and puts the modified weapon back in its proper place. "Yeah, try tadpoling across."
The gnome does not seem too upset over the loss of the woman, either that or he does not seem to notice it. Some might consider him selfish or uncaring but he is just a gnome. He is always looking to the future and trying to forget past fears, regrets, and mistakes.
So Brickel does just that as he approaches the open doorway. He moves along carefully though and does not cross the threshhold without at least first inspecting it.
"Anyone got a light?"
The room was dark but only for a moment. As soon as Brickel stepped forth into the room, the sconches along the walls lit up brilliantly with natural flame. The walls of the room were adorned in black runes that very well could have had intentions toward necromany. A granite sarcophagus laid in the middle of the room on top of a smal dais. Fresh air wafted into the room from the wooden door that rested behind the tomb. It was their way out.
Inside the sarcophagus laid hundres of glittering gold coins, pearl ropes, gems and jewels. But, there were treasures inside of the tomb that far surpassed the riches:
Skuldgrim the Slayer of Undead
Skuld was the first sword forged on the world of Gaia in the Xanaldra Forge. It is a legendary blade that has not been seen for a hundred generations. It once served Gaia when the undead were a threat to all living beings on the Motherâs soil and vanquished The Risen Horde during the age of Those Who No Longer Roam sent by Eras.
The blade of the sword is long and elegant with a pointed edge that is perfect for piercing into armor. Down its length is the engraving of Sagittaeâa beautiful womanâin finely etched lines on one side and the other is the engraved representation of Atargatisâa strong and lithe man. The edges are blunt and glow with a strange red flame from enchantment. The blade and hilt are made from a very light weight and mysterious metal.
The pommel of the sword is marked with an engraving which represents the goddess Sagittae; one of the stars of Gaia and the Motherâs protector from the evil god Eras. The sheath is blood red. It is unbreakable and will never shatter.
It is a sword meant to battle the undead which roam mindlessly on Gaia; skeletons, reanimated corpses, and shades. But with all swords of power, there is a weakness. It cannot kill any living soul and may only be used on the undead.
Niâthorne the Spear of Thorns
Niâthorne was once wield by a legendary woman named Lothilir Elorith. She was a great and powerful figure in the creation of Gaia. Earth was moved with barely a whisper of Will. She forged the soil of Gaia; raised mountains for protection, smoothed plains for crops and cattle, and sloped the edge of the world into the seas.
The shaft of the spear glows with wood from the trees of the Whispering Woods. It vibrates with great power; power enough to move the earth. At the tip of the spear is a long, sharp, and deadly green blade that oozes with a poisonous sap. It coats the blade and just one knick from Niâthorne will render an opponent paralytic over a short time and only for a short time. Stones and gems hang from the shaft of the spear but serve only as decoration being tokens from the earth.
Niâthorne gives manipulating power over the earth element on Gaia. However, it is a very unyielding, stubborn, weapon. It will not be mastered by just any Bearer. When first gained, Niâthrone will not respond to any magical prod nor poke. Itâs unwavering loyalty must first be earned as with any human woman. Itâs true potential will never be tapped unless wielded by Lothilir herself, for the woman had bound most of the weaponâs power. Only someone with a stronger heart and Will than she will be able to unlock the potential.
Otherwise, the Bearer will only be able to summon up weak and small shields of earth or even be limited to just stirring up dust.
Alistair silently stepped past Brickel, not being in the mood to speak. His eyes brightened at the sight of the treasure, but his heart was still weighed down by his deed. The blood was still on his hands - figuratively and literally. "I'm takin first dibs." He grabbed a handful of coins and jewels, stuffing them into his pockets. He gave a small snort as he realized that he had dirtied the riches. "Blood money, literally, eh?" However, the thing that caught his eye was the spear. It seemed to be throbbing with power, not to mention it just looked plain badass. Alistair strolled over to the spear, and swept it up, giving it a spin. "Wow, just my thing. I'm not one for spears, but this thing is looks nice. You guys won't mind if I take it. But I'm done here. Nice ta meet ya; it's been a blast. Catch ya later, maybe." He kicked open the door without a backward glance and casually walked out with his new prize. Of course, he made sure to grab one more handful of gold and jewels.
Hot and dense air would immediately be noticed and a strange red glow filled the room. There was magma beneath the floor and would kill any that fell down instantly. There was no choice but to go further due to the only hope for an exit laid at the end of the dungeon. A small path of floating squares were left, but great leaps would have to be made in order for them all to cross before the grate closed.
If they did not work together, they would fail.
Alistair smacked his head as the floor fell away. He turned to Brickel. "Great, brilliant idea. Did you think that through at all?" He sighed a bit, unfurling his wings. "Well, no use cry over spilt milk. I can fly over there, and maybe at a stretch take either one of you..though Mr. Paladin over there will need to drop the armour. What say the both of you?"
"Nah, I got a better idea. Ally, take flight. Brick, get over here." While he waited for that, he took a couple seconds to focus his mind and spirit to attain the same superhuman strength he showed in the hall earlier. It seemed a bit more difficult than the last time, but he managed it. "I drop my armor now, it's going for a dive, and it'll take too long to take off besides!" If Brick did as he was told, he was getting flung towards the exit with the help of this strength boost.
He would never hear the words as one of the panels collapsed beneath him and he was sliding down in to the glowing pit. He went without a shout or even a yelp but rather closed his eyes and kept his mouth tightly shut. May his death come quickly and be without pain.
Then there was an explosion. At first Brickel thought it might have been a magma bubble bursting but then he realized that if that were the case then it would have engulfed him and he would have had no time for such thoughts. Instead one of his precious gems had fallen out of his sash and splashed inside.
The immediate reaction of the gem was to go off and suddenly the small gnome was flying right back up in to the air. He had enough presence of mind to open up his eyes just in time to grab on to a tile as he fell back down. Scrambling, Brickel managed to pull himself up on to the tile and look out across him. As luck would have it, as it often seems to have the gnome, Brickel was up a short hop away from the other side of the ledge.
He tossed a look over his shoulder at the other two which said he planned it all along and then he was going to hop across to safety.
"Well, it seems our resident shorty over there will make it across just fine. Good luck, Paladin. I still haven't caught your name, after all." Alistair gave a quick salute before flying towards the grate, following Brickel's lead.
As Alistair Nahan neared the grate and Brickel as well, a small voice was heard on the other side of the closing grate. It was feminine; weak and calling for help. It came from the mouth of a beautiful maiden with long blond hair, fair skin, blue eyes, and a white gown flowing over her small frame. Such details would only be noticed when and if the three adventurers ducked beneath the grate to the next room.
"H-Help ... it's ... it's coming after me!"
"Please help m-me!"
There was a scream, urging them further onward.
Alistair ducked under the grate quickly, not sparing a second glance behind him. The other two would either make it, or they wouldn't. Either way, they probably wouldn't need his help. It was about this time he heard the voice of a woman, and spotted her as well, as he entered the next room. She was extremely beautiful, and he was immediately struck; however, this dungeon had taught him to be wary. Alistair unsheathed a dagger, cautiously moving towards the distressed woman. "What's wrong? What's coming after you?"
A damsel in distress? Brickel snickers as he rushes towards the grate just behind the paladin but does not yet decide to blindly slide in. Instead he pulls a small ruby out from his sash and eyes it carefully before skipping it under the grate the way a boy would skip a stone across a pond.
The first time the ruby hits the floor it bursts in to a red light that illuminates the darkness as it skips past the paladin.
"Hold there, chivalrous knight! Might you first appreciate some light?" Brickel cannot help but to chuckel at his would-be-bard's tongue as he then slides under the grate and practically waddles next to the paladin. By now he is huffing and puffing with a face that is beat red and not just from the red glow of his ruby.
Gary did in fact appreciate the light, but he had to find a path that would lead him to the gate! Ah, just like the infamous knight's tour puzzle: One took a knight and an empty chessboard, and starting from any square, devised a path to take the piece to every other square exactly once following the usual rules for its movement. He chucked Brickel towards the exit to maximize his agility, and with the same cat-like reflexes he showed in the hallway earlier, leaped from tile to tile, barely making it to the exit with Brickel and Alistair. "Gary. That's all you need to know," he panted.
SHE! SHE IS COMING! OH GODS PRESERVE ME,â the woman screamed at the top of her lungs while attempting to cling onto the nearest man which happened to be Alistair Nahan. Her fingers groped to find something to grab on him while her eyes scanned over him wildly and filled with great fear. Tears were glittering along her lashes and poured gratuitously down her rose cheeks.
The woman was panicked and more than fearful.
âPlease, p-p-please will you protect m-me! She wants my blood! Oh gods, so much blood!â
Alistair temporarily dropped his guard as the woman grabbed on to him. She was lucky he hadn't stabbed her, running on hair-trigger instinct about three seconds earlier. "Uh..s-sure. I..we..?..will protect you. But calm down, lady and tell me what "SHE!" is. I mean, c'mon. Gotta know what's comin, right? And lemme go. I can't fight with ya clingin onto me." Alistair figured he would use his demonic charm. After all, it couldn't hurt to try, and maybe it would get this woman to stop crying. It probably wouldn't hurt his chances with picking her up later, either. At that, he looked past the woman to see if he could catch a glimpse of whatever was so dangerous. He also pulled out his other dagger, holding it loosely.
Brickel grins as the woman throws herself on the half-demon. The gnomes always get looked over. In this case though Brickel cannot say he is upset as the ensuing gooseflesh this woman causes is not the feeling he would hope for from such a beautiful dame.
For the first time since their impromptu journey, Brickel takes the initiative by creeping further in to the red glow of his ruby and readying his crossbow for any trouble. All of this time wasted is time spent away from his lab and since the gnome has yet to find anything truly valuable he has yet to consider this trip very worth while.
Gary was quick to come to this woman's defense. "Who? Who wants your blood? Where is she?" His divine blessing guarded his heart from fear...not that he didn't feel it at all, oh no. He simply refused to let it stop him from doing what was necessary. His hand found itself drifting towards his sword hilt, as if this was a habitual response. His mind was putting the pieces together...there was a female voice earlier that was egging them on, but this specimen was far too hysterical to make the voice he heard earlier. "Calm down, miss. We intend to confront this woman...anything you can tell us about her might help us bring about her damnation and your freedom." His words were honeyed, but there was no ulterior motive to his choice of words. Indeed, he had learned as a kensai to project his ki in such a manner as to make such delicate acts of diplomacy much easier. He just wanted information.
Alistair Nahan's demon charm did nothing to the woman. It had absolutely not effect on the damsel. As he peered out over the clinging woman's shoulder, his eyes met nothing but a solid wall. A solid wall with no visible exit. They had reached the end of the cavern and it seemed that there was no way out.
The lady was attempting to scramble up Alistair Nahan's body, her feet seeming to not want to hold her up. Blood was pooling beneath her, flowing down her legs as stain spread across her torso. The damsel was wounded and apeared as if she were going to bleed out. She paled in front of them all and before their very eyes. Her pink tone slowly turned bone white and the woman's flesh became more sullen and tightâstretched far too thin.
"H-Help m-m-me ..."
Just then another woman clad in all black from head to foot with long flowing blood red hair stepped from a hidden stone door carved into the side of the cave walls. Her eyes opened wide and she froze. A strange aura surrounded her. It was something evil. Something cold and unnaturally so.
"No!" the newcomer called out in a beautiful voice.
Alistair was damn confused, and it probably showed on his face. First, he had come into the room, and then the woman was bleeding all over him, and then she shriveled up. He let out a sigh, before carefully laying the unwell-looking woman down. He couldn't do much about the blood, but no big deal. Unfortunately, he did not spot any way out...until the woman with blood all over her head -- no wait, that was her hair -- steeped out from..behind the wall.
Now while she seemed like his type - the darkness and all - Alistair did NOT want to die. Because, along with her entrance, he also felt something more unsavoury, so much so that he got chills. Which didn't happen very often; it took a lot to cause such a thing. As such, he quickly pulled a check on all his other daggers, and streched his wings a bit. As the other woman - the one not dying on the ground - spoke, he looked up, pointing a dagger at her. "Whaddya mean, no? What's goin on around here? Why -" he gestured to the bleeding, pale woman next to him, " - is this person bleedin like she's a fountain? Sheesh. Ain't no respect in these caves."
But Alistair's impatience got the better of him, and he decided it'd be more pragmatic to stab first and ask questions later. After all, the lady was most definitely evil of some sort. He was just bad, not evil, and they did not mix well. He ran at the woman before doing a sort of jumping lunge from halfway across the room, propelled by his wings. As he was in the air, he aimed the point of his blade at her heart, also preparing to move quickly in case he was counterattacked. He was aware of how open his lunge was, but hoped he would get to the woman before she could react.
Brickel can practically feel his skin clinging to his bones as this red-headed woman makes her grand entrance. As she draws further in, Brickel is drawing further away and in to the shadows until his back is pressed firmly against the cold stone wall. He manages to keep his teeth from chattering so that he will not make any noise but he cannot stop his knees from shaking.
Despite his obvious fear, Brickel still manages to fish around his sash until he comes across the one item that he hopes will save him should it become necessary. It is not another modified bolt of exploding goo but rather a finely made wooden bolt with a pure silver tip. The gnome has never crossed paths with a vampire before but one of his good friends is a dwarf nobleman and has relayed stories to him that he heard from his own fellow dwarves who were in fact paladins of their god.
Oh how Brickel wishes that his good friend were here now. He finds bravery much easier to come by with familiar friends around.
With shaking hands Brickel manages to load the bolt in to his crossbow but by then he has already slid down the wall and is propped between the floor and the wall like a child suffering he berating of his parents. Skeletons were once thing but a possible vampire is something this particular gnome was not ready for.
As Alistair literally flew at the second woman, Gary spoke a quick prayer for his safety in the coming fight, but he couldn't let his guard down either. With one hand on his sword hilt, ready to draw it should the need arise, he knelt down and offered his other hand to the bleeding woman. "It's okay. I just want to stop you from bleeding. We'll bring her down, but protection of innocents comes first." His free hand began to glow with a soft light as he prepared to lay his hand on the victim...hopefully she would allow him, and if the other got past Alistair and to them, odds were he could use the charge to harm the leech that was known as a 'vampire' instead.
Alistair Nahanâs lunge proved quite successful. The blade in his hand plunged into the womanâs chest, piercing into her flesh as if it were nothing but paper. Blood spurted from the wound and coated Alistair Nahanâs body.
There never came a scream. Her eyes went wide with shock as the blade pressed into her chest and she stumbled backwards from the force of the half-daemonâs attack. Eyelids flickered and tears sprung up into her eyes before pouring down her smooth pale cheeks.
A gurgled and small cry came from between her lips and blood spat from between her plush lips. The womanâs hands rose up as if to pull the blade from her heart but before she could do so, the unknown lady fell onto her knees. The light dimmed from her eyes and she fell forward with the last of her breath leaving her lungs. A pool of blood spread out around the woman, dark and still warm.
Meanwhile, the gnomeâBrickelâwas so small and underestimated that he had gone unnoticed by the true enemy. It was a blessing in and of itself. A blessing that did not fall on Gary Mandoleraâs shoulders. As soon as she saw the other taking the bait of her thrall, the true enemyâThe Vampire Queenâscreeched and bared her rows upon rows of sharp and serrated teeth at the paladin. He had reached his hand down to her, and yet she recoiled from the light. The Vampire Queen was hauntingly white in the light and instead of retreating away from the holy man, instead she dashed toward him with her faster-than-human speed.
The Vampire aimed to wrap her thinâyet strongâfingers around his throat.
Alistair had fucked up. He knew, and the other two probably knew it too, if they weren't too busy, from the sound of it. This screw-up was made very, very vocal. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, that was a pretty dumb thing to do. You okay there, lady? Okay, well I guess that's a stupid question, but just hold on while we kill that bitch over there and then I can get the paladin guy....Gary, to help ya. And for now, I'll do what I can." He quickly sheathed both of his daggers, and put one palm over another, above the wound. "Goddammit, Dad. Why didn'tcha give me more healin power, eh? Now I've gone an' fucked up." As the healing energy - only enough to perhaps stop the bleeding and stitch a few places, if the woman's body would allow. He had, at most, enough to keep the lady alive if she still was, and after he burned it, that was it for a good while. But as he thought, and told himself, "Shit, I'm bad, but I ain't evil, and ain't no innocent person that din't even do anything gonna die cause of me. Especially not a woman, but still..."
The woman's body was healed by the half-daemon's attempt but it could not bring her back to life. She had died by his hand; died by his too-quick mind which had judged by her appearance alone. There was no coming back from death.
Gary couldn't react fast enough to draw his sword, and it would be useless in a grapple anyway. However, he could use the charge of his lay on hands to good effect here. As the sudden lunge knocked his armored form onto his back, his charged-up hand thrust forward, driving into the woman's chest and channeling positive energy into her form, which was anathema to undead. Instead of knitting together wounds and enabling an injured comrade--even himself--to fight on, it would have quite the opposite effect on the monster, and that wasn't even taking into account the force of the palm strike itself, despite its suboptimal delivery. He wasn't a monk, after all. As a bonus, this stiff-arm would make the job of strangling him a bit more difficult.
The momentum of the Vampire Queenâs motion kept get going forward towards the paladin. In a split second, she realized her mistake and it showed in how her eyes grew wide with regret and fearâfear of dying and pain. The sunken and withered creature tangled with Gary Mandolera and screeched again as pain lashed through her unholy body. The being convulsed a top him as her flesh began to turn into ash. Nails as hard as diamonds attempted to lash at the paladinâs face but it was panicked flailing.
And then the âwomanâ stopped moving and stopped shrieking. Nothing but a form of ash lay atop Gary Mandolera and with the slightest movement made by him, the Vampire Queen collapsed into floating dust, defeated and finally able to rest for eternity.
The moments seem to drag on slowly for the gnome who can hear only his heavy panting even after the Vampire Queen already turned to ash. The undead are not something that Brickel has ever been comfortable with. He doesn't even like to be around dead bodies but nothing gives him the chills like a vampire.
After a few long breaths Brickel manages to compose himself. Then he actually stands up and unloads his crossbow.
"Amazing, huh? I guess she wasn't a very strong or smart vampire, eh? Any undead worth their merit should have been able to discern the presence of a paladin."
As Brickel brushes himself off, trying to hide the fact that he is still a little bit shaken up he says, "So, uh where to now, boys?"
Alistair was still shaken up and it was quite visible. He had accidentally killed an innocent woman in his rush to defend himself. But as Gary finished off the real Vampire Queen, and Brickel asked his question, he composed himself. Mostly. He wasn't shuddering anymore, and he had closed the eyes of the woman in respect and laid her out in a proper position, away from the pool of blood. He chose to leave the blood on his hands there, as a reminder of what he had done, and as a lesson to never do so again. He repeated his motto..or tried to. "I'm bad, not evil....right? I guess I might be now..." He shook it off and turned to his companions. "Unless either of you knows how to revive the dead, I suggest we head through that door." He jabbed a finger towards the now-open door. He also shot the two an unreadble look. "If ya want me ta die for this, I won't letcha kill me. Dyin ain't my repentance."
"Sorry. Raising the dead is beyond my power," Gary mentioned sadly as he dusted himself off. "I'm not going to hold you responsible for her death, but others might if they saw the same things I did. You reached a logical conclusion using the available information and acted appropriately. Mercy for those that deserve mercy--the weight of this deed on your already tortured soul is punishment enough, I suppose." He sighed, his heart weighed down as well by the murder of this innocent victim. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Now let's get our gear and hope there's another way out. I am not leapfrogging over a lake of lava again if I can help it."
Brickel snorts at the paladin's comment as he unloads his crossbow and puts the modified weapon back in its proper place. "Yeah, try tadpoling across."
The gnome does not seem too upset over the loss of the woman, either that or he does not seem to notice it. Some might consider him selfish or uncaring but he is just a gnome. He is always looking to the future and trying to forget past fears, regrets, and mistakes.
So Brickel does just that as he approaches the open doorway. He moves along carefully though and does not cross the threshhold without at least first inspecting it.
"Anyone got a light?"
The room was dark but only for a moment. As soon as Brickel stepped forth into the room, the sconches along the walls lit up brilliantly with natural flame. The walls of the room were adorned in black runes that very well could have had intentions toward necromany. A granite sarcophagus laid in the middle of the room on top of a smal dais. Fresh air wafted into the room from the wooden door that rested behind the tomb. It was their way out.
Inside the sarcophagus laid hundres of glittering gold coins, pearl ropes, gems and jewels. But, there were treasures inside of the tomb that far surpassed the riches:
Skuldgrim the Slayer of Undead
Skuld was the first sword forged on the world of Gaia in the Xanaldra Forge. It is a legendary blade that has not been seen for a hundred generations. It once served Gaia when the undead were a threat to all living beings on the Motherâs soil and vanquished The Risen Horde during the age of Those Who No Longer Roam sent by Eras.
The blade of the sword is long and elegant with a pointed edge that is perfect for piercing into armor. Down its length is the engraving of Sagittaeâa beautiful womanâin finely etched lines on one side and the other is the engraved representation of Atargatisâa strong and lithe man. The edges are blunt and glow with a strange red flame from enchantment. The blade and hilt are made from a very light weight and mysterious metal.
The pommel of the sword is marked with an engraving which represents the goddess Sagittae; one of the stars of Gaia and the Motherâs protector from the evil god Eras. The sheath is blood red. It is unbreakable and will never shatter.
It is a sword meant to battle the undead which roam mindlessly on Gaia; skeletons, reanimated corpses, and shades. But with all swords of power, there is a weakness. It cannot kill any living soul and may only be used on the undead.
Niâthorne the Spear of Thorns
Niâthorne was once wield by a legendary woman named Lothilir Elorith. She was a great and powerful figure in the creation of Gaia. Earth was moved with barely a whisper of Will. She forged the soil of Gaia; raised mountains for protection, smoothed plains for crops and cattle, and sloped the edge of the world into the seas.
The shaft of the spear glows with wood from the trees of the Whispering Woods. It vibrates with great power; power enough to move the earth. At the tip of the spear is a long, sharp, and deadly green blade that oozes with a poisonous sap. It coats the blade and just one knick from Niâthorne will render an opponent paralytic over a short time and only for a short time. Stones and gems hang from the shaft of the spear but serve only as decoration being tokens from the earth.
Niâthorne gives manipulating power over the earth element on Gaia. However, it is a very unyielding, stubborn, weapon. It will not be mastered by just any Bearer. When first gained, Niâthrone will not respond to any magical prod nor poke. Itâs unwavering loyalty must first be earned as with any human woman. Itâs true potential will never be tapped unless wielded by Lothilir herself, for the woman had bound most of the weaponâs power. Only someone with a stronger heart and Will than she will be able to unlock the potential.
Otherwise, the Bearer will only be able to summon up weak and small shields of earth or even be limited to just stirring up dust.
Alistair silently stepped past Brickel, not being in the mood to speak. His eyes brightened at the sight of the treasure, but his heart was still weighed down by his deed. The blood was still on his hands - figuratively and literally. "I'm takin first dibs." He grabbed a handful of coins and jewels, stuffing them into his pockets. He gave a small snort as he realized that he had dirtied the riches. "Blood money, literally, eh?" However, the thing that caught his eye was the spear. It seemed to be throbbing with power, not to mention it just looked plain badass. Alistair strolled over to the spear, and swept it up, giving it a spin. "Wow, just my thing. I'm not one for spears, but this thing is looks nice. You guys won't mind if I take it. But I'm done here. Nice ta meet ya; it's been a blast. Catch ya later, maybe." He kicked open the door without a backward glance and casually walked out with his new prize. Of course, he made sure to grab one more handful of gold and jewels.
The planet by this point was mostly obscured with clouds and storms. The had rolled in starting from two places unseemingly connected; somewhere in the Weargtooth Mountains, as well as the Exalted Mountains. Before long Gaia transformed from a green globe to a gray one.
Lightning spidered across the planet to strike somewhere on Siv'en. It spidered again to strike, this time over in the Kadota Peaks. Again the lightning struck up in the Weargtooth Mountains. Purple sparks beneath the clouds sprung up for an instant over what was north Ellaria beneath the clouds.
A force grew stronger across Gaia, and as it did another force weakened. There was a quake - though barely able to be sensed, something deep beneath the ground stirred in Siv'en. The clouds there illuminated, sky breaking for a moment to reveal a valley bathed in light, before a great flash and the light dissipated, dark skies again closing in to obscure the view.
The dead star Eras shifted ever so slightly. Nobody but the greatest mappers of these stars, having had tracked them for a millennia or more, would notice anything irregular about the movement. It was slightly, oh so slightly, faster than usual. Eras's great mass moved fully into position, placing the great Soja directly between the dead star and the planet. With this stellar line formed, Eras' power could truly grow. The magical nature of the Chousin called to Eras, well within his grasp. He tested the waters, pulling power from the Chousin as he did the stones of the Iskjerne Viking settlers, of the Taiyou weapons, of the Whispering Woods and the Bez Daha Trees. He took a little sip, and liked what he tasted, and went to draw more.
Gaia called to the champions. Time was running out.
Lightning spidered across the planet to strike somewhere on Siv'en. It spidered again to strike, this time over in the Kadota Peaks. Again the lightning struck up in the Weargtooth Mountains. Purple sparks beneath the clouds sprung up for an instant over what was north Ellaria beneath the clouds.
A force grew stronger across Gaia, and as it did another force weakened. There was a quake - though barely able to be sensed, something deep beneath the ground stirred in Siv'en. The clouds there illuminated, sky breaking for a moment to reveal a valley bathed in light, before a great flash and the light dissipated, dark skies again closing in to obscure the view.
The dead star Eras shifted ever so slightly. Nobody but the greatest mappers of these stars, having had tracked them for a millennia or more, would notice anything irregular about the movement. It was slightly, oh so slightly, faster than usual. Eras's great mass moved fully into position, placing the great Soja directly between the dead star and the planet. With this stellar line formed, Eras' power could truly grow. The magical nature of the Chousin called to Eras, well within his grasp. He tested the waters, pulling power from the Chousin as he did the stones of the Iskjerne Viking settlers, of the Taiyou weapons, of the Whispering Woods and the Bez Daha Trees. He took a little sip, and liked what he tasted, and went to draw more.
Gaia called to the champions. Time was running out.
Eras finished his great move. In position, the dead star continued to drain life from the forces of spirit, magic, and power surrounding Gaia. The great alien structure was a main target for Eras. As he drew from the Taiyou ship, drew from the Viking's forged stones, drew from Gaia herself, and the sword far below, Eras grinned.
It was very faint, but a new light emerged in the sky. Not so much new as newly awakened.
It was very faint, but a new light emerged in the sky. Not so much new as newly awakened.
Neodin continued to soar higher and higher. The fire consumed him, burning away every trace of darkness and foul magic. He saw the gargantuan colossi out of the corner of his eye, but he paid them no heed. Focusing his attention on the raging star looming before him, he trusted that HaâAri would deal with the giants in their own time.
The king of the aryites pierced through the pink clouds like an arrow through vapor, and the purifying fire bloomed from his greatsword like an enormous flower. It created a canopy, a shield, that would block the wrath of Eras like the stoic hand of a god, but it was yet too small.
Neodin soared higher, flying faster, appearing like a comet of brilliant light as he broke through the atmosphere. Though the air fled him, though the cosmic radiation of space battered him and the fury of Eras burned against him, no harm befell the holy king - for the Everlasting Flame raged within him like an unquenchable inferno.
The king of the aryites pierced through the pink clouds like an arrow through vapor, and the purifying fire bloomed from his greatsword like an enormous flower. It created a canopy, a shield, that would block the wrath of Eras like the stoic hand of a god, but it was yet too small.
Neodin soared higher, flying faster, appearing like a comet of brilliant light as he broke through the atmosphere. Though the air fled him, though the cosmic radiation of space battered him and the fury of Eras burned against him, no harm befell the holy king - for the Everlasting Flame raged within him like an unquenchable inferno.
The engines of the massive warship shuddered, flaring to life despite Erasâ pull on itâs main power systems.
Captain Hiroki stood at the helm, Shimizuâs last orders before he went into surgery were not lost on the Taiyou Captain.
Crewmen worked diligently aboard the bridge of this massive ship, as Gaia began to fill their displays, targeting systems began to highlight Iskjerne Bay and the surrounding area.
Quietly, and with much thought, Hiroki began to consider his options.
âThe Magic that interferes with technological function wonât allow most conventional munitions to work... weâll need to use a kinetic strike.â Hiroki said to himself, pulling up the schematics of the KX Type 2 Kinetic Kill Vehicle, a fin stabilized solid mass of iron, tungsten, and depleted uranium.
âCall in the fleet, Commander.â The Captain ordered.
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