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Arcanis: Gonnes, Sons, and Treasure Runs (COMPLETED)
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<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 2357527" data-attributes="member: 3285"><p><strong>The Children of Leviathan - Part 8b: The Caves</strong></p><p></p><p>They crept up a naturally hewn stairway to get a better view of the cavern, which had a gaping hole in the roof. A winch hung from the lip. The cavern walls danced with a lurid play of shadows and light from the top of the steps. </p><p></p><p>Once they reached the top, a large pile of crates, barrels and chests were visible at the center of the tier. Then the source of the light became apparent.</p><p></p><p>It was the lithe black woman that killed Captain Bezyli, her head wreathed with writhing snakes. She faced a stone altar that shed a sickly greenish flame, its surface carved with carven images. A well-muscled man with a wicked looking club lined with razor sharp shark teeth stood behind it.</p><p></p><p>Kham coughed and wheezed at Cal, spitting up seawater. “If the ladies weren’t taking a bath,” he said in reference to his handgonnes, “I’d shoot you.” </p><p></p><p>“Shh!” hissed Ilmarė.</p><p></p><p>“Uh, I think they see us,” said Vlad.</p><p></p><p>The woman turned towards them, her face obscured by a scaly pulsing green mask studded with gems, coral and crowned with swaying serpents. The large man grinned a grin filled with sharpened teeth. He struck a tubular bell next to him that resounded with a hollow peal.</p><p></p><p>“Get ready,” said Vlad, drawing his sword.</p><p></p><p>With a roar, the cultist bounded up a chest to vault onto the hanging rope. He slashed at the rope and something gave, swinging him towards Vlad.</p><p></p><p>“Down!” shouted Vlad as the winch whistled overhead. </p><p></p><p>The WOOSH of a spiked club penetrated the air where Vlad’s head had been. Vlad turned to face his assailant. Cal spun his axe out from his back, nearly nicking Kham in the face.</p><p></p><p>“Target the woman!” shouted Ilmarė. She drew her bow and fired, but the masked woman fled through a door on the other side of the altar.</p><p></p><p>Vlad parried another blow with his shield and stabbed the big man in the thigh. The retaliating swing from the cultist nearly pushed him off the edge of the tier into the water. He teetered for a moment and then righted himself even as the cultist lunged forward. </p><p></p><p>It was a mistake. Vlad was not nearly as unbalanced as he appeared. He hunched low and stabbed the cultist in the abdomen. The cultist fell to the ground in a pool of blood.</p><p></p><p>“I could get used to fighting in chainmail,” Vlad said with a satisfied smile.</p><p></p><p>“Who lives in a grotto down under the sea,” sang Cal.</p><p></p><p>“Why do you keep singing that damn…oh…” Kham craned his neck to see. The Ss’ressen and the Val were both staring upwards with wide eyes.</p><p></p><p>Vlad spun around to see a giant octopus, its rubbery skin covered in seaweed and slime, crawling itself along the cliff where he stood. </p><p></p><p>“We can take it Cal,” said Vlad, hunching down behind his shield. Quintus’ words echoed in his head. “Stand your ground!”</p><p></p><p>Five tentacles snaked up over the cliff, each wielding a longsword. They snapped and darted like snakes, gifted with inhuman speed no human swordsman could ever match.</p><p></p><p>“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Ilmarė, knocking another arrow.</p><p></p><p>Vlad didn’t have time to respond as two blades struck at him simultaneously. He blocked one with his shield and parried the other with his longsword. The blows were strong enough to rattle his teeth.</p><p></p><p>Cal suffered the wrath of three of the swords and he didn’t have the benefit of a shield. A gash appeared in his scales along his chest and another on his thigh, spinning him about like a top. Ss’ressen and passenger went flying in different directions.</p><p></p><p>“Oh crap,” said Vlad as all five tentacles arched backwards to strike at him.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="talien, post: 2357527, member: 3285"] [b]The Children of Leviathan - Part 8b: The Caves[/b] They crept up a naturally hewn stairway to get a better view of the cavern, which had a gaping hole in the roof. A winch hung from the lip. The cavern walls danced with a lurid play of shadows and light from the top of the steps. Once they reached the top, a large pile of crates, barrels and chests were visible at the center of the tier. Then the source of the light became apparent. It was the lithe black woman that killed Captain Bezyli, her head wreathed with writhing snakes. She faced a stone altar that shed a sickly greenish flame, its surface carved with carven images. A well-muscled man with a wicked looking club lined with razor sharp shark teeth stood behind it. Kham coughed and wheezed at Cal, spitting up seawater. “If the ladies weren’t taking a bath,” he said in reference to his handgonnes, “I’d shoot you.” “Shh!” hissed Ilmarė. “Uh, I think they see us,” said Vlad. The woman turned towards them, her face obscured by a scaly pulsing green mask studded with gems, coral and crowned with swaying serpents. The large man grinned a grin filled with sharpened teeth. He struck a tubular bell next to him that resounded with a hollow peal. “Get ready,” said Vlad, drawing his sword. With a roar, the cultist bounded up a chest to vault onto the hanging rope. He slashed at the rope and something gave, swinging him towards Vlad. “Down!” shouted Vlad as the winch whistled overhead. The WOOSH of a spiked club penetrated the air where Vlad’s head had been. Vlad turned to face his assailant. Cal spun his axe out from his back, nearly nicking Kham in the face. “Target the woman!” shouted Ilmarė. She drew her bow and fired, but the masked woman fled through a door on the other side of the altar. Vlad parried another blow with his shield and stabbed the big man in the thigh. The retaliating swing from the cultist nearly pushed him off the edge of the tier into the water. He teetered for a moment and then righted himself even as the cultist lunged forward. It was a mistake. Vlad was not nearly as unbalanced as he appeared. He hunched low and stabbed the cultist in the abdomen. The cultist fell to the ground in a pool of blood. “I could get used to fighting in chainmail,” Vlad said with a satisfied smile. “Who lives in a grotto down under the sea,” sang Cal. “Why do you keep singing that damn…oh…” Kham craned his neck to see. The Ss’ressen and the Val were both staring upwards with wide eyes. Vlad spun around to see a giant octopus, its rubbery skin covered in seaweed and slime, crawling itself along the cliff where he stood. “We can take it Cal,” said Vlad, hunching down behind his shield. Quintus’ words echoed in his head. “Stand your ground!” Five tentacles snaked up over the cliff, each wielding a longsword. They snapped and darted like snakes, gifted with inhuman speed no human swordsman could ever match. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Ilmarė, knocking another arrow. Vlad didn’t have time to respond as two blades struck at him simultaneously. He blocked one with his shield and parried the other with his longsword. The blows were strong enough to rattle his teeth. Cal suffered the wrath of three of the swords and he didn’t have the benefit of a shield. A gash appeared in his scales along his chest and another on his thigh, spinning him about like a top. Ss’ressen and passenger went flying in different directions. “Oh crap,” said Vlad as all five tentacles arched backwards to strike at him. [/QUOTE]
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