HalfOrc HalfBiscuit
Adventurer
Spider Jerusalem said:
That, sir, is cruel, devious ... and absolutely brilliant!
A Chronicle of Ice, Luck and Honour - updated 19th December
That, sir, is cruel, devious ... and absolutely brilliant!
Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
I know you do. I know. But he loves you, and that makes up for it in my mind. AND, Zalaznir, like myself, enjoys out-of-balance challenge ratings.
Aw shucks, thanks. Yeah, i was winding the tension tight as possible the moment the characters stepped out onto the mountain enclosure. It worked a treat - the players jumped to the daunting conclusions right on cue. You should have seen freedoms_edge's face when he saw Klauth incoming... priceless.
Anyway, I hate to leave it on a cliffhanger like this. But you know what? You just have to do that sometimes.
Spider J
freedoms_edge
First Post
Spider_Jerusalem said:
You know, as a low level character (poss 4 or 5 at this point) there's no feeling quite like realising that you have to talk the most powerful creature in the land into NOT eating you, or simply just killing you coz he feels like.
You gotta love those DM challenges :\
Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
Right then. I'm back. Here's the update, as promised. Enjoy.
spider j
spider j
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Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
A Chronicle of Ice, Luck and Honour
Chapter 6: A Duel of Shadows
"Aasimar, here is your choice"
Klauth watched the man strut out of the tower and shout his absurd challenge. Curling his mouth into a razor sharp snarl, a thunderous laugh erupted from the dragon. The tower shuddered, sending a small shower of mortar to the sand below. With a sudden step forward, Klauth planted his right claw onto Zalaznir, folding the upraised longsword onto itself as the man desperately struck upwards, screaming this and that to Lathander.
Klauth grinned a theatre of fangs. Shrill screams vibrated up through the dragon's body as the man was pressed further into the sand. A dull, wet snap buckled the right leg of Zalaznir into two as Klauth slowly shifted his incredible weight forwards. Zalaznir continued hollering in pain as Klauth saw a second man advance from the shadows of the tower doorway. This one had blonde hair and wore a broken chainmail shirt spattered with blood.
Somehow, Torious had ridden through the waves of fear that gripped his companions. In a steady voice, the Aasimar began to speak, “Dragon. Free that man, he is no threat to you.”
Klauth seemed to consider this, his baleful glare now fully on the man before him. The dragon responded with a voice of molten metal, each syllable casting forth a sickening heat, "No."
Torious wavered, then placed a foot backwards to steady himself from falling.
“Dragon. I am aasimar, descendant of Tyr the even handed and slayer of…”
"I know what you are. But it seems you are trying to prove that to yourself, despite all you know," hissed Klauth with a wicked smile.
With a heavy sucking sound, Klauth pulled his foot out of the fresh crater to reveal Zalaznir underneath. The paladin screamed as he leant forward to hold his crushed leg. Klauth lazily balanced a single talon over the man, holding him down once again.
Zalaznir jerked his head towards Torious and screamed at the aasimar, “Help me. Oh Lathander please, no. Help me!”
"Aasimar, here is your choice." Klauth said evenly, coming to a decision. "Either this man dies, or you die. It is up to you, you can be his saviour or your own."
Inside the tower, Dariel’s wings beat once, spinning himself about on the floor. Thalin, shaking violently, and with great effort, dropped his body sideways so that he could no longer see the great red wyrm out of the tower door. Immediately, the blinding white fear shuddered out of him and was replaced by a twisting need to escape.
Picking Dariel up, as he began to flutter to consciousness, Thalin pushed the fear stricken Milo sideways with the butt of Erifeci. Milo shivered as he fell, and still unable to speak through fear, crouched into the shadowed corner of the tower, stroking Isplit like a child’s doll.
Thalin quickly began to think rationally again, mentally cursing himself for being so weak in the moments when his strength was needed most. Looking around the tower, and being anxious not to stray into view of the dragon, he kept to the shadowed edge. Well aware of a dragon's hunting abilities, particularly hearing and sight, Thalin motioned towards Milo to stay where he was.
Looking for something to escape by, Thalin carefully lifted a crate, making sure not to make a sound and placed it to one side. Looking back at the empty space, Thalin shuddered with relief as the wooden slats of a trapdoor were revealed. Now wishing that he had learnt his spell of soundlessness, Thalin lifted the iron handle of the trapdoor with quivering hands and began to lift.
Lyle sprinted back down the tunnel, his boots thudding on the stone flagstones as he ran. Looking back, the sword spider leapt from the web and landed with only a patter of taps as its legs touched the ground.
Leaping forwards, Lyle dived into the dwarven sleeping quarters. Spinning quickly, he threw his weight into the door to close it. With only inches to go, a chitinous sabre slid into the crack, holding the door open. The soft scraping of the spider's legs searching for a grip on the stone made Lyle quickly alter his course of action.
Rolling onto his side, and roaring in pain as he used his stump to push against the door, Lyle withdrew his shortsword and drove it into the flailing spider leg. The leg disappeared, scraping back through the gap in the door which was quickly slammed and locked by Lyle, who sat back against the door and began to think if his revenge was really worth all this.
Chapter 6: A Duel of Shadows
"Aasimar, here is your choice"
Klauth watched the man strut out of the tower and shout his absurd challenge. Curling his mouth into a razor sharp snarl, a thunderous laugh erupted from the dragon. The tower shuddered, sending a small shower of mortar to the sand below. With a sudden step forward, Klauth planted his right claw onto Zalaznir, folding the upraised longsword onto itself as the man desperately struck upwards, screaming this and that to Lathander.
Klauth grinned a theatre of fangs. Shrill screams vibrated up through the dragon's body as the man was pressed further into the sand. A dull, wet snap buckled the right leg of Zalaznir into two as Klauth slowly shifted his incredible weight forwards. Zalaznir continued hollering in pain as Klauth saw a second man advance from the shadows of the tower doorway. This one had blonde hair and wore a broken chainmail shirt spattered with blood.
Somehow, Torious had ridden through the waves of fear that gripped his companions. In a steady voice, the Aasimar began to speak, “Dragon. Free that man, he is no threat to you.”
Klauth seemed to consider this, his baleful glare now fully on the man before him. The dragon responded with a voice of molten metal, each syllable casting forth a sickening heat, "No."
Torious wavered, then placed a foot backwards to steady himself from falling.
“Dragon. I am aasimar, descendant of Tyr the even handed and slayer of…”
"I know what you are. But it seems you are trying to prove that to yourself, despite all you know," hissed Klauth with a wicked smile.
With a heavy sucking sound, Klauth pulled his foot out of the fresh crater to reveal Zalaznir underneath. The paladin screamed as he leant forward to hold his crushed leg. Klauth lazily balanced a single talon over the man, holding him down once again.
Zalaznir jerked his head towards Torious and screamed at the aasimar, “Help me. Oh Lathander please, no. Help me!”
"Aasimar, here is your choice." Klauth said evenly, coming to a decision. "Either this man dies, or you die. It is up to you, you can be his saviour or your own."
Inside the tower, Dariel’s wings beat once, spinning himself about on the floor. Thalin, shaking violently, and with great effort, dropped his body sideways so that he could no longer see the great red wyrm out of the tower door. Immediately, the blinding white fear shuddered out of him and was replaced by a twisting need to escape.
Picking Dariel up, as he began to flutter to consciousness, Thalin pushed the fear stricken Milo sideways with the butt of Erifeci. Milo shivered as he fell, and still unable to speak through fear, crouched into the shadowed corner of the tower, stroking Isplit like a child’s doll.
Thalin quickly began to think rationally again, mentally cursing himself for being so weak in the moments when his strength was needed most. Looking around the tower, and being anxious not to stray into view of the dragon, he kept to the shadowed edge. Well aware of a dragon's hunting abilities, particularly hearing and sight, Thalin motioned towards Milo to stay where he was.
Looking for something to escape by, Thalin carefully lifted a crate, making sure not to make a sound and placed it to one side. Looking back at the empty space, Thalin shuddered with relief as the wooden slats of a trapdoor were revealed. Now wishing that he had learnt his spell of soundlessness, Thalin lifted the iron handle of the trapdoor with quivering hands and began to lift.
- - - - - - - - - -
Lyle sprinted back down the tunnel, his boots thudding on the stone flagstones as he ran. Looking back, the sword spider leapt from the web and landed with only a patter of taps as its legs touched the ground.
Leaping forwards, Lyle dived into the dwarven sleeping quarters. Spinning quickly, he threw his weight into the door to close it. With only inches to go, a chitinous sabre slid into the crack, holding the door open. The soft scraping of the spider's legs searching for a grip on the stone made Lyle quickly alter his course of action.
Rolling onto his side, and roaring in pain as he used his stump to push against the door, Lyle withdrew his shortsword and drove it into the flailing spider leg. The leg disappeared, scraping back through the gap in the door which was quickly slammed and locked by Lyle, who sat back against the door and began to think if his revenge was really worth all this.
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Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
"What would you achieve? Glory in Tyr?"
“Take my life,” answered Torious.
Klauth, already having decided his course of action to either answer, snaked his head down and ripped Zalaznir's head from his broken body. With the flailing torso in his maw, Klauth swung his head leisurely to the side, sending half of the dead man sailing across the lake and into the cliff face with a damp thud. On their ledges of grass, the watching aarakocras screeched in unison and dove to gather what remains they could.
As the legs of the man twitched violently, Klauth began to speak before the aasimar could react.
"You talk of sacrifice, but you do not know of what you speak. If you were to truly martyr yourself for that pathetic man, would I even let him live after your head has been ripped from your shoulders and your body lies a smoking husk?"
With a sly smile, Klauth watched the pious man before him falter for a moment. The dragon continued,
"What would you achieve? Glory in Tyr?"
Klauth raised his head and laughed deeply, shaking loose stones from the cliff face.
"You are a fool indeed, and you would be a dead fool were it not for your blind devotion."
Klauth paused for a moment and swooped his head to the lake and drank deeply. The aasimar stood unmoving, his face blank.
Inside the bowels of the tower, Thalin lifted the trapdoor open as he heard the dragon talking to Torious. He hoped the dragon’s own voice would mask the noise made. Carefully, Thalin eased the trapdoor against the wall and motioned for Milo to move over. The halfling, having calmed down considerably, nodded and chose his moment wisely to jump across the open doorway.
Hearing Klauth laugh, the halfling tumbled across the opening silently and padded to a halt next to the open trapdoor. With a nod, Thalin slid himself over the edge and lowered himself until only the tips of fingers were showing. Milo watched silently as the fingers disappeared then a split second later a small splash below.
Not wanting to be alone in the tower with only Isplit, who was still unconscious and probably dreaming of she-weasels, Milo dropped carefully over the edge without holding on and landed in a foot of freezing water.
Whispering to Milo that spell casting might well alert Klauth to their position, Thalin peered into the darkness of the room that they now stood in. It seemed that the two shaking heroes had dropped into a shallow pool indented in the centre of the room. Sniffing, the stench of algae and stale fish was overwhelming and Milo gagged as he went to get out of the trench and pressed his hand into a diseased fish corpse.
In the half gloom, the room was slightly larger than the tower width above it, and had a set of double stone doors set in the wall immediately in front of the creeping pair.
Milo pulled himself out finally, having scraped the dead fish from his hand with a disgusted look on his face. Milo crept over to Thalin, who was pushing the stone doors open slowly. As the doors creaked open, a murky blue light filtered through, bathing the heroes’ faces in an azure glow.
Looking inside, Milo’s eyes fired up with curiosity as he saw, in the centre of the glowing room, a rail track leading through another set of heavy doors and upon that track sat a strange metal and wood contraption about the size of a large boar.
“Take my life,” answered Torious.
Klauth, already having decided his course of action to either answer, snaked his head down and ripped Zalaznir's head from his broken body. With the flailing torso in his maw, Klauth swung his head leisurely to the side, sending half of the dead man sailing across the lake and into the cliff face with a damp thud. On their ledges of grass, the watching aarakocras screeched in unison and dove to gather what remains they could.
As the legs of the man twitched violently, Klauth began to speak before the aasimar could react.
"You talk of sacrifice, but you do not know of what you speak. If you were to truly martyr yourself for that pathetic man, would I even let him live after your head has been ripped from your shoulders and your body lies a smoking husk?"
With a sly smile, Klauth watched the pious man before him falter for a moment. The dragon continued,
"What would you achieve? Glory in Tyr?"
Klauth raised his head and laughed deeply, shaking loose stones from the cliff face.
"You are a fool indeed, and you would be a dead fool were it not for your blind devotion."
Klauth paused for a moment and swooped his head to the lake and drank deeply. The aasimar stood unmoving, his face blank.
Inside the bowels of the tower, Thalin lifted the trapdoor open as he heard the dragon talking to Torious. He hoped the dragon’s own voice would mask the noise made. Carefully, Thalin eased the trapdoor against the wall and motioned for Milo to move over. The halfling, having calmed down considerably, nodded and chose his moment wisely to jump across the open doorway.
Hearing Klauth laugh, the halfling tumbled across the opening silently and padded to a halt next to the open trapdoor. With a nod, Thalin slid himself over the edge and lowered himself until only the tips of fingers were showing. Milo watched silently as the fingers disappeared then a split second later a small splash below.
Not wanting to be alone in the tower with only Isplit, who was still unconscious and probably dreaming of she-weasels, Milo dropped carefully over the edge without holding on and landed in a foot of freezing water.
Whispering to Milo that spell casting might well alert Klauth to their position, Thalin peered into the darkness of the room that they now stood in. It seemed that the two shaking heroes had dropped into a shallow pool indented in the centre of the room. Sniffing, the stench of algae and stale fish was overwhelming and Milo gagged as he went to get out of the trench and pressed his hand into a diseased fish corpse.
In the half gloom, the room was slightly larger than the tower width above it, and had a set of double stone doors set in the wall immediately in front of the creeping pair.
Milo pulled himself out finally, having scraped the dead fish from his hand with a disgusted look on his face. Milo crept over to Thalin, who was pushing the stone doors open slowly. As the doors creaked open, a murky blue light filtered through, bathing the heroes’ faces in an azure glow.
Looking inside, Milo’s eyes fired up with curiosity as he saw, in the centre of the glowing room, a rail track leading through another set of heavy doors and upon that track sat a strange metal and wood contraption about the size of a large boar.
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Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
"Discard you martyrdom here, for it will achieve you no glory, only death"
Stepping in slowly, Milo looked in awe as he saw that the contraption appeared to be an underwater submersible, with a dwarf sized seat visible through the thick glass. At the fore of the craft were a pair of little silver claws, although Milo couldn't think what for. Without a word of encouragement, the pair of adventurers prized open the cockpit and clambered in, just managing to fit a human and a halfling into the small space. Milo squirmed suddenly as Dariel flapped his wings in the halfling’s face. Milo shot his limbs out in all directions, pressing his knee against a small lever as he shouted a curse at Thalin’s familiar.
With a grinding noise, the doors that the tracks led through slid open, letting in a blast of water, which began to flood the basement of the tower. With a squeal of brakes that had not been used for over fifty years, the Apparatus of Kwalish rolled into momentum.
At the side of the lake, Klauth lifted his head, water spilling from his jaws as he turned back to the aasimar, "Now leave. And discard you martyrdom here, for it will achieve you no glory, only death. Now hurry on little man and follow your creeping companions."
Torious turned and walked, his mind thumping with the words that the dragon spoke. His thoughts reeling, the only words which emerged clear from the maelstrom were Now Leave.
Before Torious could douse the blaze raging in his head, he had already climbed back up the footholds and stood on the edge of the laddered shaft leading back to the airlock below. As the thoughts finally begin to filter from his mind, Torious turned in time to see Klauth sit up on his hind legs and kick forwards like an immense wildcat. Spreading his brilliant wings, Klauth circled in the air.
Klauth made a slow, lazy circle towards the aarakocras. The birdmen had begun to drag and fumble the sodden red torso of Zalaznir up the cliff face, tearing chunks from the paladin as they pulled him towards their nests.
Klauth completed his slow circle towards the cliff face and sucked in deeply before moments later hurling forth a searing blast of white-hot fire that rolled off the jagged stone in an avalanche of surging flame. Klauth ascended slowly, letting the rising blaze soothe across his stomach as he passed through it, and placing his back legs onto the cliff edge, pushed forwards again, soaring high into the sky.
As the blast died and the flames pealed upwards in a broil of smoke and heat, a fine shower of dust settled slowly to the surface of the lake. Torious gazed coldly once again at the dragon's choice of searing justice, then turned and began to descend back into the mines.
Stepping in slowly, Milo looked in awe as he saw that the contraption appeared to be an underwater submersible, with a dwarf sized seat visible through the thick glass. At the fore of the craft were a pair of little silver claws, although Milo couldn't think what for. Without a word of encouragement, the pair of adventurers prized open the cockpit and clambered in, just managing to fit a human and a halfling into the small space. Milo squirmed suddenly as Dariel flapped his wings in the halfling’s face. Milo shot his limbs out in all directions, pressing his knee against a small lever as he shouted a curse at Thalin’s familiar.
With a grinding noise, the doors that the tracks led through slid open, letting in a blast of water, which began to flood the basement of the tower. With a squeal of brakes that had not been used for over fifty years, the Apparatus of Kwalish rolled into momentum.
At the side of the lake, Klauth lifted his head, water spilling from his jaws as he turned back to the aasimar, "Now leave. And discard you martyrdom here, for it will achieve you no glory, only death. Now hurry on little man and follow your creeping companions."
Torious turned and walked, his mind thumping with the words that the dragon spoke. His thoughts reeling, the only words which emerged clear from the maelstrom were Now Leave.
Before Torious could douse the blaze raging in his head, he had already climbed back up the footholds and stood on the edge of the laddered shaft leading back to the airlock below. As the thoughts finally begin to filter from his mind, Torious turned in time to see Klauth sit up on his hind legs and kick forwards like an immense wildcat. Spreading his brilliant wings, Klauth circled in the air.
Klauth made a slow, lazy circle towards the aarakocras. The birdmen had begun to drag and fumble the sodden red torso of Zalaznir up the cliff face, tearing chunks from the paladin as they pulled him towards their nests.
Klauth completed his slow circle towards the cliff face and sucked in deeply before moments later hurling forth a searing blast of white-hot fire that rolled off the jagged stone in an avalanche of surging flame. Klauth ascended slowly, letting the rising blaze soothe across his stomach as he passed through it, and placing his back legs onto the cliff edge, pushed forwards again, soaring high into the sky.
As the blast died and the flames pealed upwards in a broil of smoke and heat, a fine shower of dust settled slowly to the surface of the lake. Torious gazed coldly once again at the dragon's choice of searing justice, then turned and began to descend back into the mines.
freedoms_edge
First Post
Epic.....thats all i can say. Epic to play, epic to read. Nice one Spider.
Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
Cheers Ashy, thanks for the support. I'm a fan of descriptive writing, as I'm sure you've guessed. For me, it's one of the best things about writing, trying to tap away at some kind of image until the words sound just right. Though sometimes I do wonder if this descriptive style puts people off... it can get a little convoluted at times.
Thanks Torious. I remember that when you went to talk to Klauth, i handed you a note with "possible character death" written on it. DMing is such a power-trip sometimes. I love it.
I'm going to post up a fairly shaky run down of the character's stats, items, moods, nervous ticks etc. at the end of the mines. Anyway, enjoy the remainder of A Duel of Shadows. Comments/criticisms are always appreciated.
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
Spider J 
