Crazy Eights
Explorer
Just giving you a quick bump to check in. Here's to hoping for an update soon! 
The Rise of Felskein [Completed]
- Thread starter Iron Sky
- Start date
doghead
thotd
Ming while she lived. Currently its Suniel. Like Crazy Eights said, watching his background come out has been interesting. So is his weird habit of collecting strays. I also like Annandor.
I tend to skim the fights. There are only so many ways you can describe shooting someone with an arrow, or carving them up with a blade. That said, I agree that the robot ninja assassins were well handled. Oh, another thought; how did the gnolls player take having his character shot from under him by Harold? Nicely written that little bit.
I like the way elements of the story have been slowly revealed. Who or what is Iron Sky? Who has marked the characters and why? Who is Kormak communicating with?
I like the world. I tend to play very low key simple worlds, mostly I think because I have not the experience to push things further. You setting is different, without seeming forced or garish. Nice work there.
Not off the top of my head. Scratch that, how about a map. I love a good map.
I haven't got a clue.
doghead
aka thotd
doghead
thotd
Nice. Three times is a charm. I am going to have to use the whole dead standing back up. I particularly liked the zombie to skeleton progression.
Another one now joins the list of people waiting for an update =
doghead
aka thotd
Iron Sky
Procedurally Generated
Annandor was probably one of my favorite NPCs for this game. Unfortunately, the party didn't run into him as much as I'd have liked, mostly due to... well, don't want to ruin it.
There are only so many ways to describe such things, yes. I'm actually skimming through large portions of the fights as well in delivering the fights that you are skimming through =). There was much more detailed arrow'ing and stabbing in the actual game, as you can imagine.
Grok'nar/Kormak's player seemed ok with Harold shooting him, since he was at about 3 hit points and the owlbear was going to tear him in half the next round anyway. That said, it was insult to injury when Harold rolled (IIRC) piddly damage on the owlbear and critted Grok'nar...
I tended to play fairly low key worlds before this one too, at least in DnD; each campaign could have been taking place somewhere in the same world. This was my attempt to do something I'd never tried to do before - be willing to "go over the top" and still keep it (hopefully) gritty and with a realistic sort of feel.
Ask and ye shall recieve. Click on the map to view it without the labels. This is my (poorly) hand-drawn map (poorly) scanned onto my computer. The labels are approximate areas and some of the things they demark don't exist on the map since I scanned the map in half-way through the game and never went back and updated the scanned image:
FelskeinMap
I also have the route they followed on the map traced in on a different layer in Flash, but that might ruin things, so I'll wait to put it on until the campaign is over.
Glad you enjoyed it. Took me about 3-4 hours to make it prior to the session - along with 2 hours to make Danovin Au, who lasted less than 2 full rounds - at least the dragon lasted a good 10-15 rounds of combat.
Another one now joins the list of people waiting for an update =
There's a list? =)
That said, I just got back from being out of town for the weekend after a busy week. Next week is pretty busy too, but I'm aiming for 2 posts this week. Might be a bit optimistic, but there'll be at least 1.
Iron Sky
Procedurally Generated
Session 19, Part 1
“Everyone alive?” Kezzek said, grunting as he examined his wounds.
“Wasn't expecting you to be asking that,” Kormak said. “I thought that thing killed you.”
“Takes more than being impaled on a dragon wing to put an orc down,” Kezzek said. “Or even a half-orc.”
“I'm alive,” Harold said, wincing as he pulled another bone sliver out of his arm. “I'd be fine not seeing another dragon as long as I live.”
Kezzek nodded in agreement and glanced over to where Suniel and Keeper were walking towards the black orb, still rotating on its pedestal. The silver guardian dragged along behind them as well, its legs mangled and its chest dented, but reforming before their eyes. By the time it reached Suniel and Keeper, it was walking normally.
They all joined Suniel at the platform, arriving just as the orb pulsed again and another energy pulse rippled out from it.
“What is it?” Kormak said. “I've never seen anything like it.”
Suniel turned to Keeper. “Well?”
Keeper shook his head. “The Nexus is completely silent.”
“It protects Thessalock,” Harold said. “What else do you need to know?”
Suniel was silent for several minutes as they examined it. Finally he grabbed the guardian's amulet and bowed his head. Almost instantly, a giant silver fist slammed into the side of the orb, the metal crumpling around its metal wrist. The orb continued spinning and a moment later it pulsed again.
“That didn't seem to effect it much,” Suniel said, examining the crumpled section as it rotated past again. “Anyone notice how it moved when the guardian pulled back it's fist? I wonder if...”
Suniel reached for the orb.
***
“That's still strange,” Kormak said, staring across the lift at where the elf stood, holding the huge metal orb in one hand. As Kormak watched, he tossed it to the guardian like it was made of paper.
“It looks and feels like iron, but it weighs practically nothing,” Suniel said, shaking his head. “I have no idea why either, which bothers me...”
“I still think we should have just destroyed it. Why are we taking it with us again?” Harold said.
“Because I want to see what it is, what it does, why it works,” Suniel said. “If I can get it to my carriage, it might have a key to tell us exactly what it does for Thessalock. Besides-”
He was cut off by a massive roar that sent everyone on the lift scrambling for weapons. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”
A massive golden head thrust through the bubble and the rhythmic thump of wings could be heard even through the bubble.
“Who are you to-” Harold began, pulling out his bow and taking a step forward.
“If I had known you would make a mess like this, I would never have given you my mark! Better if Ashcandia had killed you on the river!” the dragon roared. “Give me that orb.”
A huge claw appeared through the shimmering membrane around the lift and snatched away the orb before anyone could think, much less react. “You may have just done two thousand years of dragon efforts.”
Kormak took a step forward. “How were we supposed to know-”
“How hard would it have been to NOT do the one thing you could have possibly done to ruin everything?”
“Look,” Harold said. “Danovin Au said that it was the only thing Thessalock was afraid of so-”
“I don't care what anyone said about Thessalock! I have half a mind to just wipe you out right now.” The dragon began to noticeably calm herself down. She looked each of them in the eye in turn. “I'll give you one last chance to set things right. You have that thing” - she pointed at Keeper - “use it to find the Orbs and return them to the Henges. It may be Felskein's only hope now.”
Without another word, the dragon disappeared back through the bubble and was gone.
***
The lift came to a stop and the group, mostly quiet on the rest of the two-day trip back down from the peak to the twisted pyramid, stirred. Suniel immediately walked along the walkway through the membrane, constructs in tow.
“Who is that dragon to tell us what to do?” Harold said for the tenth time.
“Gilderalin, of course,” Kormak said. “I thought we went over that already.”
Harold ignored the dwarf, as he often did. “Still, that gives her no right.”
“At least she could have told us what it was we did,” Kezzek grumbled. “Dragons and their riddles.”
“It's not a riddle,” Suniel said, his expression grim as he walked back through the bubble. “Follow me.”
He disappeared back through the shimmering silver.
The others exchanged questioning glances and followed.
***
Inside the pyramid, there was a new mural adjacent to the upper door. It showed dragons of all colors and sizes flying high above Felskein, dozens of them, tearing apart hundreds of gem eyes and blasting them with their breath.
“Everyone alive?” Kezzek said, grunting as he examined his wounds.
“Wasn't expecting you to be asking that,” Kormak said. “I thought that thing killed you.”
“Takes more than being impaled on a dragon wing to put an orc down,” Kezzek said. “Or even a half-orc.”
“I'm alive,” Harold said, wincing as he pulled another bone sliver out of his arm. “I'd be fine not seeing another dragon as long as I live.”
Kezzek nodded in agreement and glanced over to where Suniel and Keeper were walking towards the black orb, still rotating on its pedestal. The silver guardian dragged along behind them as well, its legs mangled and its chest dented, but reforming before their eyes. By the time it reached Suniel and Keeper, it was walking normally.
They all joined Suniel at the platform, arriving just as the orb pulsed again and another energy pulse rippled out from it.
“What is it?” Kormak said. “I've never seen anything like it.”
Suniel turned to Keeper. “Well?”
Keeper shook his head. “The Nexus is completely silent.”
“It protects Thessalock,” Harold said. “What else do you need to know?”
Suniel was silent for several minutes as they examined it. Finally he grabbed the guardian's amulet and bowed his head. Almost instantly, a giant silver fist slammed into the side of the orb, the metal crumpling around its metal wrist. The orb continued spinning and a moment later it pulsed again.
“That didn't seem to effect it much,” Suniel said, examining the crumpled section as it rotated past again. “Anyone notice how it moved when the guardian pulled back it's fist? I wonder if...”
Suniel reached for the orb.
***
“That's still strange,” Kormak said, staring across the lift at where the elf stood, holding the huge metal orb in one hand. As Kormak watched, he tossed it to the guardian like it was made of paper.
“It looks and feels like iron, but it weighs practically nothing,” Suniel said, shaking his head. “I have no idea why either, which bothers me...”
“I still think we should have just destroyed it. Why are we taking it with us again?” Harold said.
“Because I want to see what it is, what it does, why it works,” Suniel said. “If I can get it to my carriage, it might have a key to tell us exactly what it does for Thessalock. Besides-”
He was cut off by a massive roar that sent everyone on the lift scrambling for weapons. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”
A massive golden head thrust through the bubble and the rhythmic thump of wings could be heard even through the bubble.
“Who are you to-” Harold began, pulling out his bow and taking a step forward.
“If I had known you would make a mess like this, I would never have given you my mark! Better if Ashcandia had killed you on the river!” the dragon roared. “Give me that orb.”
A huge claw appeared through the shimmering membrane around the lift and snatched away the orb before anyone could think, much less react. “You may have just done two thousand years of dragon efforts.”
Kormak took a step forward. “How were we supposed to know-”
“How hard would it have been to NOT do the one thing you could have possibly done to ruin everything?”
“Look,” Harold said. “Danovin Au said that it was the only thing Thessalock was afraid of so-”
“I don't care what anyone said about Thessalock! I have half a mind to just wipe you out right now.” The dragon began to noticeably calm herself down. She looked each of them in the eye in turn. “I'll give you one last chance to set things right. You have that thing” - she pointed at Keeper - “use it to find the Orbs and return them to the Henges. It may be Felskein's only hope now.”
Without another word, the dragon disappeared back through the bubble and was gone.
***
The lift came to a stop and the group, mostly quiet on the rest of the two-day trip back down from the peak to the twisted pyramid, stirred. Suniel immediately walked along the walkway through the membrane, constructs in tow.
“Who is that dragon to tell us what to do?” Harold said for the tenth time.
“Gilderalin, of course,” Kormak said. “I thought we went over that already.”
Harold ignored the dwarf, as he often did. “Still, that gives her no right.”
“At least she could have told us what it was we did,” Kezzek grumbled. “Dragons and their riddles.”
“It's not a riddle,” Suniel said, his expression grim as he walked back through the bubble. “Follow me.”
He disappeared back through the shimmering silver.
The others exchanged questioning glances and followed.
***
Inside the pyramid, there was a new mural adjacent to the upper door. It showed dragons of all colors and sizes flying high above Felskein, dozens of them, tearing apart hundreds of gem eyes and blasting them with their breath.
Last edited:
Crazy Eights
Explorer
At least for me, Ming was the no nonsense, straight forward soldier to Harold's polished, diplomatic guardsman. They were like two opposites to the warrior spectrum, which was interesting. That being said, Kezzek and Kormak and growing on me, they just haven't quite caught up to Suniel and Harold.
Anywho, thanks for another great post!
Iron Sky
Procedurally Generated
Session 19, Part 2
-Notes: No .jpg Doghead, sorry. I lost the original image, so I only have the Flash file I made. As far as the story goes, things start to accelerate fairly rapidly from here...-
The ride down the lift from the twisted pyramid was quiet, which suited Kormak fine. He hadn't expected the wizard to get so upset about his son – Suniel was the one that blasted his mind after all. He touched the quill tattoo on his arm and wrote:
Danovin Au is dead.
He waited a few minutes for a reply. Then, the almost-imperceptible vibration of the platform in motion ceased. Outside hit tent he heard the others rousing themselves and he put his book away.
***
“There has to be some way to get inside it,” Suniel repeated, walking another lap around the silver turtle shell.
“Maybe we just need to talk to it. Maybe it's lonely,” Kormak said from where he sat petting his dog and watching them.
Kezzek ignored him and walked along the outside a little further, running his hand along its metal shell, looking for a catch, a hidden lever, anything.
“Does that amulet that controls the guardian control it too?” Harold said, glancing at Suniel.
“No, I tried that already,” Suniel said, taking a step back and gazing at the shell. “There's some other mechanism. We just haven't figured it out yet.”
“What about asking it to let us in?” Kormak said.
“Danovin doesn't seem the type that would make it that easy,” Kezzek said, growling as he squinted at it again. He was about ready to give up on this thing, get on their way, maybe find more word of Annandor. The assassin's trail was getting colder and here they were puzzling over a big metal turtle.
“This was made long before Danovin, long before Suniel, long before the Ashen Tower,” Keeper said.
“Great, oh wise old one,” Kormak said, standing up and giving a melodramatic bow. “Tell us please, if you may, how might we open it.”
“The Nexus does not tell me,” Keeper said.
“Perfect,” Harold said, shaking his head and walking towards the shore. “Let's just leave this thing and get back. We've been gone for as much as a week – who knows in that blasted bubble? We're just lucky the ship is still out there and the crew didn't just abandon us to our fates.”
Suniel didn't move. The archer shook his head and walked off.
Kezzek walked over to Suniel and put a hand on his shoulder. “We've been at this for hours, if we can't open it, it will still be here when we get back.”
Suniel slowly tore his gaze away from the turtle, sighed, and nodded. “Come Keeper,” he said.
Kezzek waited until he and his mechanical entourage passed then followed. After a few steps he stopped and turned. “Coming Kormak?”
The dwarf walked to the turtle, braced his feet and raised his arms dramatically. “Turtle, I command thee. Open!”
***
“That never should have worked,” Suniel grumbled as he walked about the inside of the turtle, examining the space. There was more room than it would have seemed from the outside; two whole levels. There were no rooms and no furniture, but they had found crates of purple crystals, chests of gold and jewels, and even some of Danovin's scrolls on the upper level – all bearing the symbol of the Ashen Towers.
“Your just jealous because you didn't figure it out,” Kormak said, still standing in the turtle's head. “Turtle, I command thee. Turn left, just a touch. There's a big rock there.”
“You can just say 'left',” Kezzek said. “We've determined this.”
“When you get your own giant mechanical turtle, then you can pilot it,” Kormak said. “Leave it to the experts.”
The Greywarden snorted, grumbled something about “looking through Danovin's things again” and stormed off.
“Good turtle, yes, head into the water. Steady as ye go!”
“It sure is slow over land,” Harold said. “I can walk faster than this thing. Wait... how do we know Danovin didn't sabotage it so as soon as we take it into the water we'll all drown?”
“Oh, I'm sure Danovin was expecting us to find him, kill... defeat him, and take his turtle,” Kormak said, casting a sideways glance at Suniel.
Suneil walked away, feeling his anger and sorrow rise again. For the hundredth time, he swore to undo Thessalock's work, to undo his own work, to somehow make amends for all the evil and suffering they had caused. He walked to the back of the turtle and sat, ignoring Keeper's seemingly questioning gaze. He pulled his knees up and rested his head on them, feeling the gentle swaying motion as the turtle slid into the water.
***
“We'll stay in sight,” Kezzek yelled at Ragnen, trying to get his sea legs back as they stood on the swaying back of the turtle's shell. “We don't know the way to the port after all.”
“You can't miss it, it's the first civilization you'll find once you sail past the base of that monstrosity,” Ragnen said, pointing up at the Landspear. “And it's just Port, not the port.”
“The city is called Port? Isn't that a bit... simple?” Kezzek said.
“Heh, you've never been to the Freeholds I see,” Ragnen said. “It has a new name every year or to as one Freehold or another takes it. They rename it every time they take it, so most folks just gave up on it all and just call it Port.”
“You really went to the top of that?” Guntl said, squinting up. “What was it like up there?”
“Cold,” Harold said.
“Dangerous,” Kezzek added.
“Dragon-y,” Kormak finished.
“What does that mean?”
“It's a long story, we'll tell you later,” Suniel said, standing in the turtle's open mouth with Keeper.
There was a long cry of “Maaaaaaster!” and a small form dove off the ship and began excitedly thrashing it's way towards the turtle.
“Great, just what we need,” Kormak grumbled. “A brain-damaged goblin following Suniel around the inside of the turtle humming “the Master Song”, drooling, and spreading his goblin-stink.”
“You're just jealous that you don't have one,” Kezzek said.
The dwarf snorted.
“There was fighting out in the lake,” Guntl said, pointing north. “During the big storm we had a couple days back. Looked like more of those Locath fighting squid.”
“Like in the tapestry?” Suniel said.
“Yeah, except less gnomes, present company excluded,” Guntl said, gesturing at the primarily dwarven and gnomish crew that still stood along the rail, staring at the massive silver turtle in wonder.
“There's a True Stone in that direction,” Keeper said softly.
“A what?” Suniel and Kezzek said simultaneously, staring at the construct.
“The Orbs that the gold dragon charge you with finding. They are True Stones. One of them is north, within the lake.”
“How do you know?” Suniel said.
“And why should we care?” Kormak added.
“I know because I possess the Seeking Stone of Water,” Keeper tapped his forehead. “If I possess a Seeking Stone, it is my purpose not only to Keep it, but also to use it to guide the way to the True Stones. It possesses the True Stone of Water.”
“What do they do, aside from go in Henges, whatever those are?” Kormak said.
“They are artifacts of great power,” Keeper said.
“And what happens if we put them in said Henges, like the dragon asked?” Kezzek said.
“The Nexus is silent.”
“Wait a minute,” Harold said, walking closer to the turtle's head where Suniel and Keeper still stood. “The Seeking Stone of Water? Is that mine or Suniel's?”
“It is one of the ones that Suniel placed inside of me.”
“When?”
“This morning, when we left the Sky Rail to the top of the Seed of-”
“This morning?” Harold said. He turned on Suniel and pointed an accusing finger. “Where did you get another Seeking Stone? Why should it be yours?”
“It was in the mechanism of the Lift,” Suniel said calmly. “It was what powered it and allowed us to ascend and descend. When we got to the bottom, I removed it and placed it in Keeper.”
“Without even asking?”
“Peace Harold,” Kezzek said, placing a hand on the archer's shoulder. “We have more important things to worry about.”
Harold shrugged Kezzek's hand off of his shoulder and stormed over to where the turtle had drifted next to the side of the ship. The crew dropped netting over the side and Harold climbed it and disappeared into the ship without another word.
“Well, should we go see if we can find it?” Kormak said. “Sounds interesting.”
Kezzek glanced at Kormak suspiciously, but the ugly dwarf shot back a look of wide-eyed innocence that Kezzek didn't buy for a second.
“No, we need to stop by Port first, get supplies,” Kezzek said. “Besides, it may be that the True Stone was exactly what the fight Guntl saw was about. Maybe Undredakul and Nakral, whatever they are, are having a war over the Stone.”
“Well, perhaps we could talk to Undredakul and find out,” Suniel said. “We have his symbol on the side of the ship and this turtle could be useful if we have to go into the depths to find him.”
“Yes, that could work. But we can discuss all this when we are underway,” Kezzek said. “It sounds like we have a few days' worth of sailing ahead of us.”
“Agreed,” Suniel said.
Kormak ran to the turtles head, posed dramatically, and pointed to the west. “Turtle, ho!”
***
At sunset four days later, the city of Port appeared on the horizon; a sprawling mass of ramshackle wooden buildings built right up to the edge of the broken hills that ringed the Landspear and that ran right down to the shore.
Ships burned in its harbor, smoke drifted from the town, and part of the fortress that sat upon its highest hill burned, setting the smoke that hung over the town aglow.
-Notes: No .jpg Doghead, sorry. I lost the original image, so I only have the Flash file I made. As far as the story goes, things start to accelerate fairly rapidly from here...-
The ride down the lift from the twisted pyramid was quiet, which suited Kormak fine. He hadn't expected the wizard to get so upset about his son – Suniel was the one that blasted his mind after all. He touched the quill tattoo on his arm and wrote:
Danovin Au is dead.
He waited a few minutes for a reply. Then, the almost-imperceptible vibration of the platform in motion ceased. Outside hit tent he heard the others rousing themselves and he put his book away.
***
“There has to be some way to get inside it,” Suniel repeated, walking another lap around the silver turtle shell.
“Maybe we just need to talk to it. Maybe it's lonely,” Kormak said from where he sat petting his dog and watching them.
Kezzek ignored him and walked along the outside a little further, running his hand along its metal shell, looking for a catch, a hidden lever, anything.
“Does that amulet that controls the guardian control it too?” Harold said, glancing at Suniel.
“No, I tried that already,” Suniel said, taking a step back and gazing at the shell. “There's some other mechanism. We just haven't figured it out yet.”
“What about asking it to let us in?” Kormak said.
“Danovin doesn't seem the type that would make it that easy,” Kezzek said, growling as he squinted at it again. He was about ready to give up on this thing, get on their way, maybe find more word of Annandor. The assassin's trail was getting colder and here they were puzzling over a big metal turtle.
“This was made long before Danovin, long before Suniel, long before the Ashen Tower,” Keeper said.
“Great, oh wise old one,” Kormak said, standing up and giving a melodramatic bow. “Tell us please, if you may, how might we open it.”
“The Nexus does not tell me,” Keeper said.
“Perfect,” Harold said, shaking his head and walking towards the shore. “Let's just leave this thing and get back. We've been gone for as much as a week – who knows in that blasted bubble? We're just lucky the ship is still out there and the crew didn't just abandon us to our fates.”
Suniel didn't move. The archer shook his head and walked off.
Kezzek walked over to Suniel and put a hand on his shoulder. “We've been at this for hours, if we can't open it, it will still be here when we get back.”
Suniel slowly tore his gaze away from the turtle, sighed, and nodded. “Come Keeper,” he said.
Kezzek waited until he and his mechanical entourage passed then followed. After a few steps he stopped and turned. “Coming Kormak?”
The dwarf walked to the turtle, braced his feet and raised his arms dramatically. “Turtle, I command thee. Open!”
***
“That never should have worked,” Suniel grumbled as he walked about the inside of the turtle, examining the space. There was more room than it would have seemed from the outside; two whole levels. There were no rooms and no furniture, but they had found crates of purple crystals, chests of gold and jewels, and even some of Danovin's scrolls on the upper level – all bearing the symbol of the Ashen Towers.
“Your just jealous because you didn't figure it out,” Kormak said, still standing in the turtle's head. “Turtle, I command thee. Turn left, just a touch. There's a big rock there.”
“You can just say 'left',” Kezzek said. “We've determined this.”
“When you get your own giant mechanical turtle, then you can pilot it,” Kormak said. “Leave it to the experts.”
The Greywarden snorted, grumbled something about “looking through Danovin's things again” and stormed off.
“Good turtle, yes, head into the water. Steady as ye go!”
“It sure is slow over land,” Harold said. “I can walk faster than this thing. Wait... how do we know Danovin didn't sabotage it so as soon as we take it into the water we'll all drown?”
“Oh, I'm sure Danovin was expecting us to find him, kill... defeat him, and take his turtle,” Kormak said, casting a sideways glance at Suniel.
Suneil walked away, feeling his anger and sorrow rise again. For the hundredth time, he swore to undo Thessalock's work, to undo his own work, to somehow make amends for all the evil and suffering they had caused. He walked to the back of the turtle and sat, ignoring Keeper's seemingly questioning gaze. He pulled his knees up and rested his head on them, feeling the gentle swaying motion as the turtle slid into the water.
***
“We'll stay in sight,” Kezzek yelled at Ragnen, trying to get his sea legs back as they stood on the swaying back of the turtle's shell. “We don't know the way to the port after all.”
“You can't miss it, it's the first civilization you'll find once you sail past the base of that monstrosity,” Ragnen said, pointing up at the Landspear. “And it's just Port, not the port.”
“The city is called Port? Isn't that a bit... simple?” Kezzek said.
“Heh, you've never been to the Freeholds I see,” Ragnen said. “It has a new name every year or to as one Freehold or another takes it. They rename it every time they take it, so most folks just gave up on it all and just call it Port.”
“You really went to the top of that?” Guntl said, squinting up. “What was it like up there?”
“Cold,” Harold said.
“Dangerous,” Kezzek added.
“Dragon-y,” Kormak finished.
“What does that mean?”
“It's a long story, we'll tell you later,” Suniel said, standing in the turtle's open mouth with Keeper.
There was a long cry of “Maaaaaaster!” and a small form dove off the ship and began excitedly thrashing it's way towards the turtle.
“Great, just what we need,” Kormak grumbled. “A brain-damaged goblin following Suniel around the inside of the turtle humming “the Master Song”, drooling, and spreading his goblin-stink.”
“You're just jealous that you don't have one,” Kezzek said.
The dwarf snorted.
“There was fighting out in the lake,” Guntl said, pointing north. “During the big storm we had a couple days back. Looked like more of those Locath fighting squid.”
“Like in the tapestry?” Suniel said.
“Yeah, except less gnomes, present company excluded,” Guntl said, gesturing at the primarily dwarven and gnomish crew that still stood along the rail, staring at the massive silver turtle in wonder.
“There's a True Stone in that direction,” Keeper said softly.
“A what?” Suniel and Kezzek said simultaneously, staring at the construct.
“The Orbs that the gold dragon charge you with finding. They are True Stones. One of them is north, within the lake.”
“How do you know?” Suniel said.
“And why should we care?” Kormak added.
“I know because I possess the Seeking Stone of Water,” Keeper tapped his forehead. “If I possess a Seeking Stone, it is my purpose not only to Keep it, but also to use it to guide the way to the True Stones. It possesses the True Stone of Water.”
“What do they do, aside from go in Henges, whatever those are?” Kormak said.
“They are artifacts of great power,” Keeper said.
“And what happens if we put them in said Henges, like the dragon asked?” Kezzek said.
“The Nexus is silent.”
“Wait a minute,” Harold said, walking closer to the turtle's head where Suniel and Keeper still stood. “The Seeking Stone of Water? Is that mine or Suniel's?”
“It is one of the ones that Suniel placed inside of me.”
“When?”
“This morning, when we left the Sky Rail to the top of the Seed of-”
“This morning?” Harold said. He turned on Suniel and pointed an accusing finger. “Where did you get another Seeking Stone? Why should it be yours?”
“It was in the mechanism of the Lift,” Suniel said calmly. “It was what powered it and allowed us to ascend and descend. When we got to the bottom, I removed it and placed it in Keeper.”
“Without even asking?”
“Peace Harold,” Kezzek said, placing a hand on the archer's shoulder. “We have more important things to worry about.”
Harold shrugged Kezzek's hand off of his shoulder and stormed over to where the turtle had drifted next to the side of the ship. The crew dropped netting over the side and Harold climbed it and disappeared into the ship without another word.
“Well, should we go see if we can find it?” Kormak said. “Sounds interesting.”
Kezzek glanced at Kormak suspiciously, but the ugly dwarf shot back a look of wide-eyed innocence that Kezzek didn't buy for a second.
“No, we need to stop by Port first, get supplies,” Kezzek said. “Besides, it may be that the True Stone was exactly what the fight Guntl saw was about. Maybe Undredakul and Nakral, whatever they are, are having a war over the Stone.”
“Well, perhaps we could talk to Undredakul and find out,” Suniel said. “We have his symbol on the side of the ship and this turtle could be useful if we have to go into the depths to find him.”
“Yes, that could work. But we can discuss all this when we are underway,” Kezzek said. “It sounds like we have a few days' worth of sailing ahead of us.”
“Agreed,” Suniel said.
Kormak ran to the turtles head, posed dramatically, and pointed to the west. “Turtle, ho!”
***
At sunset four days later, the city of Port appeared on the horizon; a sprawling mass of ramshackle wooden buildings built right up to the edge of the broken hills that ringed the Landspear and that ran right down to the shore.
Ships burned in its harbor, smoke drifted from the town, and part of the fortress that sat upon its highest hill burned, setting the smoke that hung over the town aglow.
Last edited:
Iron Sky
Procedurally Generated
Session 19, Part 3
“So what exactly happened here?” Kezzek said as they walked off the docks.
“Eh, Webdyn's mercs took the town from the Thornspills in their last Feud,” the burly Port dockworker said, setting down a massive bundle of cloth and wiping his brow. “Only problem bein' that Steamport's suddenly gone and now there's almost no trade goin' on, so Webdyn can't pay his mercs. So, last night the Thornspills started movin' back in and sounds like they're going to get another Fued going so they can take it back.”
“Whose side are you on?” Harold said.
“You see a Freehold tattoo anywhere? I'm no Freeholder, I'm a citizen of Port. If you want some advice, don't get mixed up in any Freehold business. They take it seriously, but as long as you're not involved, they're honor-bound or somesuch not to harm you.”
“Where are you going?” Suniel said as Kormak started to slip off into the crowd with his dog.
“I thought I'd see how many people I could murder here,” the dwarf said dryly. “No, this is the first real civilization we've been to since I joined up with this motley outfit, so I thought I get some business done.”
“And just what business is that? Hey!” Suniel shouted as the dwarf slipped off into the crowds. He turned to Harold. “Where are you going?”
“The Crystal Towers has been trying to get the Freeholds to ally with us for centuries. If these Webdyns just lost their mercenaries, maybe they're looking for some allies.”
“Well, I have Black Carriage business myself,” Suniel said, turning to where Guntl and the goblins were leading his carriage down the ship's gang plank.
“Do you think the Turtle will be safe down there?” Kezzek said, gesturing out into the bay where they'd left the turtle at on the lake floor.
“I think it's unlikely that someone will be swimming that deep out there,” Suniel said. “Besides, I told the silver guardian to attack the first thing that entered the turtle that wasn't me. Oh, and here, No Tongue made this and I think he wanted me to give it to you.”
Kezzek caught the little wooden carving and examined it more closely. It was a carving, painted black, of a disturbing, smooth skinned, tentacled creature with a vertical row of eyes that radiated evil even as a simple carving. Kezzek looked back up in time to see the others head out their separate ways into the teeming streets of the city.
“Oh well,” Kezzek said, tossing the creepy carving aside. “Guess I'll go see if I can find some crime.”
***
“Nice to be off that ship,” Ambassador Roderic said as he and Harold sat down in the common room of the Gilded Rose. “Looking forward to a real meal too.”
“We should be expecting Bradic Webdyn, he's apparently the one in charge of the Webdyn forces in the city. I thought he might-”
Just then the door swung open and a tall man with a spiderweb tattooed on his neck and jaw walked in. His eyes scanned the room and he walked purposefully over to Harold and Roderic. “Hail, I am Bradic of the Webdyn Freehold. One of my men said you wished to speak with me.”
Harold and Roderic stood and shook hands with Bradic in turn. “Yes, we understand you are having difficulties with the Thornspills?”
“Well, you might say that. My cousin initiated the Feud to take the port, but unfortunately, by the time we'd heard about Steamport's fall, the mercenaries were already hired so the decision was made to go through with it anyway. Now that we've lost the mercenaries we're heavily outnumbered by the Thornspills, and, to be honest, badly in need of allies. Unfortunately, none of the other Freeholds in the area are willing to join with us, given the Thornspill's strength. So-”
The door slammed open, the Webdyn man who entered freezing in his tracks as Harold put an arrow into him.
Harold lowered the bow as the man dropped to a knee. “Lord Bradic! The Thornspills are saying two of our mercenaries killed forty Thornspills and violated the peace. They're declaring a total Hold War!”
“Perfect timing,” Harold mumbled to Roderic as they followed Bradic to the door. “Of course this would happen right before we got to the negotiations.”
“Well, maybe they'll seek us out. I don't know anything about Hold Wars, but it sounds like the could use allies,” Roderic said.
“Maybe,” Harold said. He stopped and listened intently, hoping to catch some snippet of the conversation Bradic was having with one of his captains as they mounted up and rode into the town. He caught a few last words before they road out of sight and groaned.
“A Greywarden?”
***
“Your running out of men,” Kezzek growled as he booted another Thornspill corpse to join the other two-dozen that lay sprawled in the street. Two dozen men still surrounded him and he was bleeding from a dozen wounds, but his orcish blood was roaring in his ears. “I hope Crazz wasn't important to you.”
He stepped on the body of Crazz. He'd killed him first, since he seemed to be the leader, but that seemed to have goaded the Thornspill's men on instead of driving them away.
They rushed him again, stumbling over the bodies, and he smashed one in the face with his gauntlet and cut another one down as the man tried to circle around him. They pulled back again, circling about warily.
“Surrender now and the rest of you will live,” Kezzek said.
They roared and charged in. This looks like it might be it, Kezzek thought as they all finally rushed him at once. At least I'll take most of them with me.
There was a cry from above them and a compact, burly form fell from the sky and landed in the middle of the largest press of them, sending them reeling in all directions and breaking up their momentum. Kezzek took the opportunity to body slam one into a wall and run another through with his quor'rel. He slammed a boot into another's back as Kormak slammed two of their heads together with a sickening crunch and vaulted another to land at Kezzek's side.
“Looked like you were having fun with out me,” Kormak said, flashing his hideous grin at Kezzek.
Kezzek's orcishness overrode his Greywarden discipline and he grinned back. “This city is rich in law-breakers.”
“It's you breaking the laws!” one of the Thornspill thugs yelled. “Cut them down, for Crazz!”
“For Crazz!” the others yelled and charged again.
***
Kezzek stood, still bleeding from his many wounds, and stared defiantly at Bradic Webdyn and his personal guard. “Do you realize what you've done Greywarden?”
“I upheld the Law, nothing more.”
“The Law? You broke the Peace. You, a foreigner without a mercenary writ, murdered forty-three Thornspills in the streets of Port!”
“Hey, at least half-a-dozen of those were mine you know,” Kormak said. Kezzek glared at him and the dwarf rolled his eyes.
“What do you have to say for yourself Greywarden?”
“Three of them were knifing a Webdyn in an alley and I arrested them. When they resisted, I dragged their bodies into the street and, unfortunately, into a large gang of Thornspills. Their leader, one Crazz, demanded an explanation, and had his men attack me before I could answer. The rest was self-defense.”
“Perhaps in the lands where you come from, you were following the law-” Bradic said.
“Greywardens are the law,” Kezzek said.
“Not in the Freeholds. Kezzek Stone, I hereby banish you from the Freeholds for blatant disruption of Hold Law. Let it be known throughout Port and the Freeholds. You have until dawn tomorrow to be gone from these lands.” Bradic lowered his voice and the hardness in his eyes was replaced by sadness.
“The Webdyns will be killed to the last child for this.”
He turned and rode away with his entourage before Kezzek could say another word.
“So what exactly happened here?” Kezzek said as they walked off the docks.
“Eh, Webdyn's mercs took the town from the Thornspills in their last Feud,” the burly Port dockworker said, setting down a massive bundle of cloth and wiping his brow. “Only problem bein' that Steamport's suddenly gone and now there's almost no trade goin' on, so Webdyn can't pay his mercs. So, last night the Thornspills started movin' back in and sounds like they're going to get another Fued going so they can take it back.”
“Whose side are you on?” Harold said.
“You see a Freehold tattoo anywhere? I'm no Freeholder, I'm a citizen of Port. If you want some advice, don't get mixed up in any Freehold business. They take it seriously, but as long as you're not involved, they're honor-bound or somesuch not to harm you.”
“Where are you going?” Suniel said as Kormak started to slip off into the crowd with his dog.
“I thought I'd see how many people I could murder here,” the dwarf said dryly. “No, this is the first real civilization we've been to since I joined up with this motley outfit, so I thought I get some business done.”
“And just what business is that? Hey!” Suniel shouted as the dwarf slipped off into the crowds. He turned to Harold. “Where are you going?”
“The Crystal Towers has been trying to get the Freeholds to ally with us for centuries. If these Webdyns just lost their mercenaries, maybe they're looking for some allies.”
“Well, I have Black Carriage business myself,” Suniel said, turning to where Guntl and the goblins were leading his carriage down the ship's gang plank.
“Do you think the Turtle will be safe down there?” Kezzek said, gesturing out into the bay where they'd left the turtle at on the lake floor.
“I think it's unlikely that someone will be swimming that deep out there,” Suniel said. “Besides, I told the silver guardian to attack the first thing that entered the turtle that wasn't me. Oh, and here, No Tongue made this and I think he wanted me to give it to you.”
Kezzek caught the little wooden carving and examined it more closely. It was a carving, painted black, of a disturbing, smooth skinned, tentacled creature with a vertical row of eyes that radiated evil even as a simple carving. Kezzek looked back up in time to see the others head out their separate ways into the teeming streets of the city.
“Oh well,” Kezzek said, tossing the creepy carving aside. “Guess I'll go see if I can find some crime.”
***
“Nice to be off that ship,” Ambassador Roderic said as he and Harold sat down in the common room of the Gilded Rose. “Looking forward to a real meal too.”
“We should be expecting Bradic Webdyn, he's apparently the one in charge of the Webdyn forces in the city. I thought he might-”
Just then the door swung open and a tall man with a spiderweb tattooed on his neck and jaw walked in. His eyes scanned the room and he walked purposefully over to Harold and Roderic. “Hail, I am Bradic of the Webdyn Freehold. One of my men said you wished to speak with me.”
Harold and Roderic stood and shook hands with Bradic in turn. “Yes, we understand you are having difficulties with the Thornspills?”
“Well, you might say that. My cousin initiated the Feud to take the port, but unfortunately, by the time we'd heard about Steamport's fall, the mercenaries were already hired so the decision was made to go through with it anyway. Now that we've lost the mercenaries we're heavily outnumbered by the Thornspills, and, to be honest, badly in need of allies. Unfortunately, none of the other Freeholds in the area are willing to join with us, given the Thornspill's strength. So-”
The door slammed open, the Webdyn man who entered freezing in his tracks as Harold put an arrow into him.
Harold lowered the bow as the man dropped to a knee. “Lord Bradic! The Thornspills are saying two of our mercenaries killed forty Thornspills and violated the peace. They're declaring a total Hold War!”
“Perfect timing,” Harold mumbled to Roderic as they followed Bradic to the door. “Of course this would happen right before we got to the negotiations.”
“Well, maybe they'll seek us out. I don't know anything about Hold Wars, but it sounds like the could use allies,” Roderic said.
“Maybe,” Harold said. He stopped and listened intently, hoping to catch some snippet of the conversation Bradic was having with one of his captains as they mounted up and rode into the town. He caught a few last words before they road out of sight and groaned.
“A Greywarden?”
***
“Your running out of men,” Kezzek growled as he booted another Thornspill corpse to join the other two-dozen that lay sprawled in the street. Two dozen men still surrounded him and he was bleeding from a dozen wounds, but his orcish blood was roaring in his ears. “I hope Crazz wasn't important to you.”
He stepped on the body of Crazz. He'd killed him first, since he seemed to be the leader, but that seemed to have goaded the Thornspill's men on instead of driving them away.
They rushed him again, stumbling over the bodies, and he smashed one in the face with his gauntlet and cut another one down as the man tried to circle around him. They pulled back again, circling about warily.
“Surrender now and the rest of you will live,” Kezzek said.
They roared and charged in. This looks like it might be it, Kezzek thought as they all finally rushed him at once. At least I'll take most of them with me.
There was a cry from above them and a compact, burly form fell from the sky and landed in the middle of the largest press of them, sending them reeling in all directions and breaking up their momentum. Kezzek took the opportunity to body slam one into a wall and run another through with his quor'rel. He slammed a boot into another's back as Kormak slammed two of their heads together with a sickening crunch and vaulted another to land at Kezzek's side.
“Looked like you were having fun with out me,” Kormak said, flashing his hideous grin at Kezzek.
Kezzek's orcishness overrode his Greywarden discipline and he grinned back. “This city is rich in law-breakers.”
“It's you breaking the laws!” one of the Thornspill thugs yelled. “Cut them down, for Crazz!”
“For Crazz!” the others yelled and charged again.
***
Kezzek stood, still bleeding from his many wounds, and stared defiantly at Bradic Webdyn and his personal guard. “Do you realize what you've done Greywarden?”
“I upheld the Law, nothing more.”
“The Law? You broke the Peace. You, a foreigner without a mercenary writ, murdered forty-three Thornspills in the streets of Port!”
“Hey, at least half-a-dozen of those were mine you know,” Kormak said. Kezzek glared at him and the dwarf rolled his eyes.
“What do you have to say for yourself Greywarden?”
“Three of them were knifing a Webdyn in an alley and I arrested them. When they resisted, I dragged their bodies into the street and, unfortunately, into a large gang of Thornspills. Their leader, one Crazz, demanded an explanation, and had his men attack me before I could answer. The rest was self-defense.”
“Perhaps in the lands where you come from, you were following the law-” Bradic said.
“Greywardens are the law,” Kezzek said.
“Not in the Freeholds. Kezzek Stone, I hereby banish you from the Freeholds for blatant disruption of Hold Law. Let it be known throughout Port and the Freeholds. You have until dawn tomorrow to be gone from these lands.” Bradic lowered his voice and the hardness in his eyes was replaced by sadness.
“The Webdyns will be killed to the last child for this.”
He turned and rode away with his entourage before Kezzek could say another word.
Last edited:
Similar Threads
AD6_gamerati_skyscraper
Recent & Upcoming Releases
-
April 16 2024 -
May 31 2024 -
June 3 2024 -
June 4 2024 -
June 18 2024 -
July 16 2024 -
September 17 2024 -
October 1 2024 -
November 12 2024 -
February 18 2025
