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Arcanis: Gonnes, Sons, and Treasure Runs (COMPLETED)
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<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 1906982" data-attributes="member: 3285"><p><strong>Temptations of the Flesh - Part 3: The Amber Menagerie</strong></p><p></p><p>Ilmarė put up one hand to halt the rest of her companions' progress down the hallway. She peeked into the adjoining room and then came back to them.</p><p></p><p>"Five hobgoblins and a prisoner," she whispered.</p><p></p><p>Kham's eyes lit up. "A prisoner? What kind of prisoner?"</p><p></p><p>"Altherian, judging by his robes."</p><p></p><p>Kham took off his lenses and threw open his jacket to grab two handgonnes from their holsters.</p><p></p><p>"Okay," said Quintus, "they haven't seen us yet—where the hell is he going?"</p><p></p><p>Kham rushed past Quintus, a handgonne in each hand. His headache had reached a fever pitch and his head throbbed with a high-pitched whine that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. </p><p></p><p>Quintus snarled and grabbed his spear. "Let's back him up!" he shouted as Kham skidded into the room.</p><p></p><p>The hobgoblins appeared to Kham as slow-moving white shadows, their every action precipitated by a wave of action that signaled their moves. He took aim at the heads of two of the shadows.</p><p></p><p>BLAM! BLAM!</p><p></p><p>Both hobgoblins walked into the path of the bullets and fell, dead. Perfects shots had pierced them between the eyes.</p><p></p><p>Javelins clattered around him, but Kham saw them coming. He dove and tumbled to his feet near the Altherian.</p><p></p><p>"Qolwa!" he shouted. </p><p></p><p>The older man had obviously been treated roughly. "Kham!" </p><p></p><p>"They're surrounded!" said Quintus. The three remaining hobgoblins advanced with longswords drawn on Kham. </p><p></p><p>Just then, Sebastian strode boldly forward before the three hobgoblins, one palm raised before him. "Fuco aspergo!"</p><p></p><p>A vivid cone of clashing colors sprang forth from his hand, engulfing the hobgoblins. They clutched their eyes, screaming, and fell to the ground.</p><p></p><p>Quintus' eyes were wide. "I didn't know you could do that."</p><p></p><p>Ilmarė calmly walked over to the hobgoblins. They were twitching on the ground, unconscious. </p><p></p><p>"Wow," said Kham, blinking over at Sebastian. "I take it all back. I'd rather have you watching my back any day."</p><p></p><p>Sebastian gave a weak smile. "I try not to advertise my abilities." He looked over his shoulder at Ilmarė. "What are you doing?" </p><p></p><p>"Finishing what you started," she said, wiping the blood off her blade.</p><p></p><p>"You…slit their throats?" Sebastian said as he looked over at the spreading pools of blood beneath the hobgoblin corpses.</p><p></p><p>"Did you expect me to let them get back up?" said Ilmarė coolly. "Would you have preferred they alert the others?"</p><p></p><p>"No, but…"</p><p></p><p>"If you want to survive Harvesters, you're going to have to be a lot more ruthless," said Ilmarė. "Hobgoblin life is brutal and short. I gave them a peaceful death. May you be so blessed when your time comes."</p><p></p><p>"You will need more than sorcery to defeat the cult," said Qolwa.</p><p></p><p>"Cult?" asked Quintus.</p><p></p><p>"Yes, the cult. They worship the blasphemous aspect of Larissa in her incarnation as Lady of Thorns." </p><p></p><p>"You two know each other, I take it?" asked Quintus.</p><p></p><p>"This is my…uh, Uncle Qolwa val'Abebi," said Kham, patting the old man on the shoulder. "He is a Sage of the Great Library of Coryan."</p><p></p><p>"You've strayed a bit from the library," said Quintus.</p><p></p><p>The old man smiled a weak smile. "I was invited to the Menisis estates to study these ruins, but I never made it to the manse."</p><p></p><p>"Impossible!" said Quintus. "The General would never willingly lure you into a trap."</p><p></p><p>"The letter I received had the seal of the General himself," said Qolwa.</p><p></p><p>"I believe you," said Kham, peering into his uncle's face for signs of harm. "Are you alright?"</p><p></p><p>"I'll be fine. They were forcing me to translate tomes written in ancient Auxunite. The things I've read…" He shuddered. "My goodness, I never noticed before," said Qolwa, his gaze locked with Kham's. "It seems you have the Gift! Did you know that the Gift runs strong in our line—"</p><p></p><p>Kham put one finger to his lips and Qolwa fell silent. "Can you make it out of here on your own?" he asked. </p><p></p><p>"Yes, I'll be fine. Did you retrieve…the item?"</p><p></p><p>Kham's eyes flicked nervously over to his companions, who were watching the exchange curiously. "Yes."</p><p></p><p>"Praise Althares!" said Qolwa, obviously relieved. "Then this wasn't all for naught."</p><p></p><p>"We were talking about the cult, remember uncle?"</p><p></p><p>"Yes, the cult! You must hurry. They've moved one of the chunks to the central chamber," Qolwa gestured at the teardrop-shaped hunks of stone.</p><p></p><p>"If I know cultists, that can't be good," said Kham.</p><p></p><p>Beldin was staring into one of the yellow teadrops. "This is amber, at least two tons each," he said. "There's something inside each of them."</p><p></p><p>"They call them the Beloved of Larissa. The Devourers of Flesh," said Qolwa.</p><p></p><p>Beldin peered closer. Inside was a massive figure, warped and misshapen. Suddenly he flinched backwards. "I think one of them moved."</p><p></p><p>"Let's get out of here," said Quintus. </p><p></p><p>"Yes, let's," said Kham, putting his lenses back on his nose. "I need to teach some cult members not to mess with the val'Abebi clan."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="talien, post: 1906982, member: 3285"] [b]Temptations of the Flesh - Part 3: The Amber Menagerie[/b] Ilmarė put up one hand to halt the rest of her companions' progress down the hallway. She peeked into the adjoining room and then came back to them. "Five hobgoblins and a prisoner," she whispered. Kham's eyes lit up. "A prisoner? What kind of prisoner?" "Altherian, judging by his robes." Kham took off his lenses and threw open his jacket to grab two handgonnes from their holsters. "Okay," said Quintus, "they haven't seen us yet—where the hell is he going?" Kham rushed past Quintus, a handgonne in each hand. His headache had reached a fever pitch and his head throbbed with a high-pitched whine that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Quintus snarled and grabbed his spear. "Let's back him up!" he shouted as Kham skidded into the room. The hobgoblins appeared to Kham as slow-moving white shadows, their every action precipitated by a wave of action that signaled their moves. He took aim at the heads of two of the shadows. BLAM! BLAM! Both hobgoblins walked into the path of the bullets and fell, dead. Perfects shots had pierced them between the eyes. Javelins clattered around him, but Kham saw them coming. He dove and tumbled to his feet near the Altherian. "Qolwa!" he shouted. The older man had obviously been treated roughly. "Kham!" "They're surrounded!" said Quintus. The three remaining hobgoblins advanced with longswords drawn on Kham. Just then, Sebastian strode boldly forward before the three hobgoblins, one palm raised before him. "Fuco aspergo!" A vivid cone of clashing colors sprang forth from his hand, engulfing the hobgoblins. They clutched their eyes, screaming, and fell to the ground. Quintus' eyes were wide. "I didn't know you could do that." Ilmarė calmly walked over to the hobgoblins. They were twitching on the ground, unconscious. "Wow," said Kham, blinking over at Sebastian. "I take it all back. I'd rather have you watching my back any day." Sebastian gave a weak smile. "I try not to advertise my abilities." He looked over his shoulder at Ilmarė. "What are you doing?" "Finishing what you started," she said, wiping the blood off her blade. "You…slit their throats?" Sebastian said as he looked over at the spreading pools of blood beneath the hobgoblin corpses. "Did you expect me to let them get back up?" said Ilmarė coolly. "Would you have preferred they alert the others?" "No, but…" "If you want to survive Harvesters, you're going to have to be a lot more ruthless," said Ilmarė. "Hobgoblin life is brutal and short. I gave them a peaceful death. May you be so blessed when your time comes." "You will need more than sorcery to defeat the cult," said Qolwa. "Cult?" asked Quintus. "Yes, the cult. They worship the blasphemous aspect of Larissa in her incarnation as Lady of Thorns." "You two know each other, I take it?" asked Quintus. "This is my…uh, Uncle Qolwa val'Abebi," said Kham, patting the old man on the shoulder. "He is a Sage of the Great Library of Coryan." "You've strayed a bit from the library," said Quintus. The old man smiled a weak smile. "I was invited to the Menisis estates to study these ruins, but I never made it to the manse." "Impossible!" said Quintus. "The General would never willingly lure you into a trap." "The letter I received had the seal of the General himself," said Qolwa. "I believe you," said Kham, peering into his uncle's face for signs of harm. "Are you alright?" "I'll be fine. They were forcing me to translate tomes written in ancient Auxunite. The things I've read…" He shuddered. "My goodness, I never noticed before," said Qolwa, his gaze locked with Kham's. "It seems you have the Gift! Did you know that the Gift runs strong in our line—" Kham put one finger to his lips and Qolwa fell silent. "Can you make it out of here on your own?" he asked. "Yes, I'll be fine. Did you retrieve…the item?" Kham's eyes flicked nervously over to his companions, who were watching the exchange curiously. "Yes." "Praise Althares!" said Qolwa, obviously relieved. "Then this wasn't all for naught." "We were talking about the cult, remember uncle?" "Yes, the cult! You must hurry. They've moved one of the chunks to the central chamber," Qolwa gestured at the teardrop-shaped hunks of stone. "If I know cultists, that can't be good," said Kham. Beldin was staring into one of the yellow teadrops. "This is amber, at least two tons each," he said. "There's something inside each of them." "They call them the Beloved of Larissa. The Devourers of Flesh," said Qolwa. Beldin peered closer. Inside was a massive figure, warped and misshapen. Suddenly he flinched backwards. "I think one of them moved." "Let's get out of here," said Quintus. "Yes, let's," said Kham, putting his lenses back on his nose. "I need to teach some cult members not to mess with the val'Abebi clan." [/QUOTE]
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