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Arcanis: Gonnes, Sons, and Treasure Runs (COMPLETED)
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<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 2045550" data-attributes="member: 3285"><p><strong>The Seeds of Our Destruction - Part 8: Bug Hunt</strong></p><p></p><p>"Just a reminder," said Ilmarė. "Humans cannot see in the dark."</p><p></p><p>Quintus was drenched in filth. He wiped his mouth. "I'm well aware, thank you."</p><p></p><p>"So what's giving off that light?" asked Kham. He pointed to a sickly greenish glow at the end of the tunnel system with one of his handgonnes. </p><p></p><p>Clicking noises answered them. </p><p></p><p>The central waterway of the tunnel flowed into a large pool that flowed in three different directions ahead of them. Across the way, pipes discharged sewage back into the pool. Amidst the pipes, large man-sized cocoons pulsed with a sickly green light. Squatting in the back of the chamber was a twisted hybrid being.</p><p></p><p>It was over five feet in height, but only partially covered in a chitinous armor. One arm was enlarged to four times its normal size, while three-quarters of its face had been transformed into an insect-like visage. One eye was multi-faceted, while twin mandibles grew out of its extended mouth.</p><p></p><p>"IlHuan," Ilmarė whispered.</p><p></p><p>The ilHuan stood and lifted both of its hands in a sign of peace. It spoke in a clicking, rasping voice.</p><p></p><p>"Hold!" it said. "Peace! I have no quarrel with you. I am of the ilHuan and mean you no harm."</p><p></p><p>Kham looked over at Ilmarė. "Wow, for once the elf's right."</p><p></p><p>Suddenly, the creature convulsed slightly. "Please," it said in a very human voice. "My name is Senmet. Help me!"</p><p></p><p>Vlad kept his sword and shield out before him. "Well, I think we know what happened to Senmet."</p><p></p><p>"And we know who was stalking the others," said Quintus, keeping his gladius before him. </p><p></p><p>Ilmarė removed her bow and knocked an arrow. </p><p></p><p>"Whoa!" said Kham, standing in front of her. "What are you doing?"</p><p></p><p>The Elorii said nothing. She kept her arrow at the ready.</p><p></p><p>"I see the butchers still live," came the human, clipped voice. "Kill them while you can, humans. If not, they will rise up and destroy you as they did us."</p><p></p><p>"Who is 'us', exactly?" asked Kham.</p><p></p><p>The human voice was in control. "I was part of Menu's gang," the Senmet-voice said in pained tones. "We opened the crates and found the urn. I found a half-dozen green spheres inside, but they were so fragile that I shattered one. I got some of the goo that was inside of the egg on me…" A series of clicks interrupted the dialogue as Senmet was overcome by a seizure.</p><p></p><p>"I can guess what happened next," Ilmarė said. "The ilHuan could only partially gestate in its human host. It used Senmet to capture the others as hosts." She looked over at the cocoons. </p><p></p><p>"The butcher is correct," the insectoid voice said. "But we took only the humans this body despised to give the ilHuan a chance to live again.”</p><p></p><p>“Menu’s gang,” Kham sniffed. “Looks like Senmet didn’t particularly like how they treated his girlfriend.”</p><p></p><p>“We have no more eggs to incubate,” the ilHuan said. “We merely seek to live in peace and find the rest of the hidden cache of eggs."</p><p></p><p>Senmet twitched again and the human voice spoke. "Please, I can already feel it taking over the rest of my body. Kill me," he pleaded, "don't let me live like this!"</p><p></p><p>"Illiir's grace," Quintus said under his breath. </p><p></p><p>"I will put you out of your misery," said Ilmarė, bow taut.</p><p></p><p>"Of course you would, butcher," the insectoid voice replied. "I expect no mercy from you, any more than that you showed Endrade."</p><p></p><p>Vlad looked back and forth between Senmet and Ilmarė. "Do you two know each other?"</p><p></p><p>"It was a long time ago," she said.</p><p></p><p>Senmet turned to the others. "Would you not risk all, do anything, to assure the survival of your race? We ask only to be left alone and in peace. We have learned that your people live upon the ground and only rarely venture below. The ilHuan live mostly underground and rarely travel above. Is it not logical, then, that of all the intelligent races that exist in this place, humans and ilHuan can peacefully coexist? "</p><p></p><p>Kham lowered his gonnes. "Well this just ruins everything. I can't kill this…whatever it is."</p><p></p><p>Quintus looked at him sideways. "Why not? You heard him—he wants to die. It's our duty to arrest Senmet and bring him in for questioning."</p><p></p><p>"But that would be the end of the ilHuan," said Vlad. </p><p></p><p>"I say we kill them all," said Ilmarė.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="talien, post: 2045550, member: 3285"] [b]The Seeds of Our Destruction - Part 8: Bug Hunt[/b] "Just a reminder," said Ilmarė. "Humans cannot see in the dark." Quintus was drenched in filth. He wiped his mouth. "I'm well aware, thank you." "So what's giving off that light?" asked Kham. He pointed to a sickly greenish glow at the end of the tunnel system with one of his handgonnes. Clicking noises answered them. The central waterway of the tunnel flowed into a large pool that flowed in three different directions ahead of them. Across the way, pipes discharged sewage back into the pool. Amidst the pipes, large man-sized cocoons pulsed with a sickly green light. Squatting in the back of the chamber was a twisted hybrid being. It was over five feet in height, but only partially covered in a chitinous armor. One arm was enlarged to four times its normal size, while three-quarters of its face had been transformed into an insect-like visage. One eye was multi-faceted, while twin mandibles grew out of its extended mouth. "IlHuan," Ilmarė whispered. The ilHuan stood and lifted both of its hands in a sign of peace. It spoke in a clicking, rasping voice. "Hold!" it said. "Peace! I have no quarrel with you. I am of the ilHuan and mean you no harm." Kham looked over at Ilmarė. "Wow, for once the elf's right." Suddenly, the creature convulsed slightly. "Please," it said in a very human voice. "My name is Senmet. Help me!" Vlad kept his sword and shield out before him. "Well, I think we know what happened to Senmet." "And we know who was stalking the others," said Quintus, keeping his gladius before him. Ilmarė removed her bow and knocked an arrow. "Whoa!" said Kham, standing in front of her. "What are you doing?" The Elorii said nothing. She kept her arrow at the ready. "I see the butchers still live," came the human, clipped voice. "Kill them while you can, humans. If not, they will rise up and destroy you as they did us." "Who is 'us', exactly?" asked Kham. The human voice was in control. "I was part of Menu's gang," the Senmet-voice said in pained tones. "We opened the crates and found the urn. I found a half-dozen green spheres inside, but they were so fragile that I shattered one. I got some of the goo that was inside of the egg on me…" A series of clicks interrupted the dialogue as Senmet was overcome by a seizure. "I can guess what happened next," Ilmarė said. "The ilHuan could only partially gestate in its human host. It used Senmet to capture the others as hosts." She looked over at the cocoons. "The butcher is correct," the insectoid voice said. "But we took only the humans this body despised to give the ilHuan a chance to live again.” “Menu’s gang,” Kham sniffed. “Looks like Senmet didn’t particularly like how they treated his girlfriend.” “We have no more eggs to incubate,” the ilHuan said. “We merely seek to live in peace and find the rest of the hidden cache of eggs." Senmet twitched again and the human voice spoke. "Please, I can already feel it taking over the rest of my body. Kill me," he pleaded, "don't let me live like this!" "Illiir's grace," Quintus said under his breath. "I will put you out of your misery," said Ilmarė, bow taut. "Of course you would, butcher," the insectoid voice replied. "I expect no mercy from you, any more than that you showed Endrade." Vlad looked back and forth between Senmet and Ilmarė. "Do you two know each other?" "It was a long time ago," she said. Senmet turned to the others. "Would you not risk all, do anything, to assure the survival of your race? We ask only to be left alone and in peace. We have learned that your people live upon the ground and only rarely venture below. The ilHuan live mostly underground and rarely travel above. Is it not logical, then, that of all the intelligent races that exist in this place, humans and ilHuan can peacefully coexist? " Kham lowered his gonnes. "Well this just ruins everything. I can't kill this…whatever it is." Quintus looked at him sideways. "Why not? You heard him—he wants to die. It's our duty to arrest Senmet and bring him in for questioning." "But that would be the end of the ilHuan," said Vlad. "I say we kill them all," said Ilmarė. [/QUOTE]
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