Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
On the Trail of Copper Bloodhounds… [16August06]
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Monty Tomasi" data-source="post: 2874311" data-attributes="member: 40137"><p>Part VI:</p><p></p><p></p><p>“Don’t go in there,” Ella warned quietly.</p><p></p><p>The Arcanoloth gasped in shocked outrage, his paw in front of his muzzle and his deep dark eyes narrowing. “Oh sweet Heavens, my dear Ella, I’m shocked that you should say such a thing. After all you are a native to our fair Cage and as everyone knows I am simply a humble shop-keeper trying to make ends meet. You would not believe some of the rumours that go around about even simple shop-keepers in a street like this.”</p><p></p><p>“I would be delighted to join you for some tea,” Oho announced as he stepped across the threshold and in to the Friendly Fiend.</p><p></p><p>Valori lowered her goggles carefully over her eyes and wound the tiny spring mechanism on the side. Between the two lenses blue and green coloured alchemical fluids began to swirl and the mouse-haired Harmonium officer adjusted the back of the strap underneath her pony-tail to get a good look at the Arcanoloth.</p><p></p><p>“Oh wait just a moment, my dear,” A’kin said with a wide grin, smoothing down his robe. “Allow me to present my better profile,” he said as he turned to face side-ways in the doorway and struck a pose.</p><p></p><p>Valori stared through her goggles for some time at the Arcanoloth, her vision filtered by an ever-shifting aquamarine haze. Ella coughed and shifted around to glance up and down the street. She sighed and after looking at Valori and A’kin in turn, she lent with her back against the glass-front of the Friendly Fiend shop crossing her arms in front of her chest.</p><p></p><p>“If you don’t mind,” A’kin said after holding his pose for a minute. “I have a couple of customers in the shop that really could do with my attention, your friend Oho amongst them. If you feel reluctant to come inside and have a look around, you could always just browse the small sampling of my wares in the window.” The Arcanoloth disappeared in to the shop and the door closed without a sound.</p><p></p><p>“I’m not sure what to make of him,” Valori admitted after moving her goggles back in to their original position where they rested just above her fore-head. </p><p></p><p>“Most times I’d tell you to make up your own mind about things,” Valori replied. “But in this instance you can trust me when I tell you that dealing with a fiend of any description is very bad news.”</p><p></p><p>“Hmm,” Valori pursed her lips, took out a stack of small triangular parchment sheets tied together with a piece of red string and began to scribble on it a long sequence of numbers and symbols.</p><p></p><p>Having completely filled three of the pages with numbers, Valori took an abrupt step back from the shop and pointed at it with a trembling finger.</p><p></p><p>“That’s impossible!”</p><p></p><p>“What is?” Ella said as she spun around and peered through the window in to the dark shop. She pulled a pair of thin daggers, little more than stilettos that were hidden in the lining of her cloak, as she readied herself for an attack.</p><p></p><p>“That should not be here,” Valori muttered, stepping closer to the glass. “I’ve calculated the odds of finding such things here, taking in to account even quite a few educated guesses. But it simply does not add up, the odds are by far too slim.”</p><p></p><p>“Hold on a second,” Ella said as she lowered her daggers. “What in the Nine Hells are you talking about girl?”</p><p></p><p>“Those are Rhulic-forged quenched serricsteel pistols.” Valori had her hands and nose pressed against the glass as she peered at two beautiful silvery pistols with ornate runic carvings that stood on a specially made wooden stand in the window close to the doorway. “I even know the name of the artisan who made them. They were on display when I was little and seeing their beauty first got me interested in alchemy and building mechanika.”</p><p></p><p>“Oh for the love of Tomeri,” Ella swore. She grabbed her companion by the shoulder and forcibly spun her around. Ella took Valori by the chin and forced the other Harmonium officer to look in to her eyes.</p><p></p><p>“I don’t know anything about alchemy or that other stuff. But what I do know is that A’kin sells things that people need, not want. Do you understand the difference?”</p><p></p><p>“The odds are just too remote for this to be reasonably possible…” Valori’s eyes were unfocused as she mentally tallied tables of numbers.</p><p></p><p>“Snap out of it, Officer Vasco” Ella commanded.</p><p></p><p>“Yes Sir,” Valori saluted. Ella and Valori stared at each other for a brief instance and promptly burst out laughing. “I’m sorry Ella, it’s become an automatic response since Sarge first recruited me.”</p><p></p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” Ella said with a big grin. “I’ve been through three Harmonium training camps and that was a mighty fine salute.”</p><p></p><p>“Really? I’ve been practicing…”</p><p></p><p>“Trust me when I say that I know a good salute when I see one.”</p><p></p><p>The two women laughed some more and then they both turned towards the shop.</p><p></p><p>“Did you hear something?”</p><p></p><p>“What?”</p><p></p><p>“I thought that I could hear something going on inside the shop. Sounded like something falling over.”</p><p></p><p>“Oh, sorry I didn’t.”</p><p></p><p>“You called those things pistols, what are they?”</p><p></p><p>“Well, a pistol is a… well it’s a pistol. It’s a projectile weapon commonly used in my world. It fires bullets that travel at a very high velocity; they can do a lot of damage in the right hands. I can draw some charts if you like to illustrate how…”</p><p></p><p>“That’s ok. Knowing that it is a weapon is enough for me. They are incredibly beautiful though.”</p><p></p><p>“You think so? I’ve dreamt about this pair of pistols since I was a little girl.”</p><p></p><p>“I can see why.”</p><p></p><p>“How much do you think that he is charging for them?”</p><p></p><p>“Valori, please tell me that you are not thinking about buying them?”</p><p></p><p>“Oh, what! Of course not, I was just wondering how much he would charge for them.”</p><p></p><p>“Good. ‘Cause I want to buy them.”</p><p></p><p>Valori looked at Ella in surprise but before she could say anything, the door of the Friendly Fiend burst open and an old man flew through in to the street. He wore a long merchant’s jacket, pantaloons and green leathery ankle length boots. In each hand he had a silk bag that jangled with the sound of gem-stones rubbing against each other.</p><p></p><p>“Stop! Thief!” A’kin cried as he raced for the doorway.</p><p></p><p>The old man took one look back at the shop and then at the two Harmonium officers caught flat-footed by the shop window. He held the corners of his jacket and began to run down the road. His coat-tails fluttered in the wind, as if they were stubby wings flapping behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“Arrest that thief!” A’kin said as he took Ell a by the elbow. She felt something cold, hard and firm pressed in to her hand. “Quick Corporal Thorn-Willow-Hook, do something before he gets away!”</p><p></p><p>Ella began to sprint after the old man without a moment’s hesitation, her city guard’s instinct kicked in and she immediately began to chase after the fleeing figure.</p><p></p><p>Valori quickly tugged forward her slender crossbow that was on a strap beneath her long coat and pressed a switch to unfold the four arms. Patting her pockets she tried to find the small metal cylinder to put in to the stock of the device with which to charge up her web-flinging crossbow. Cursing herself under her breath she failed to find the small accumulator and instead she took off one of the small thin vials from her bandolier and began to carefully extract the woollen packet stuffed inside.</p><p></p><p>As Ella began to gain on the old man she noticed that he appeared no longer to be running along the ground. His flapping coat-tails had extended and grew rapidly outwards in to a pair of magnificent white feathered wings. With a grunt of exertion the old man lifted upwards and began a rapid ascent.</p><p></p><p>“Sod it!” Ella shouted. “Halt in the name of the Harmonium!”</p><p></p><p>The red-armoured, coppery haired guard skidded to a halt and reached for one of her concealed throwing knives. Realising that she was still holding something, Ella began to fling that instead but then she noticed out of the corner of her eye that it was one of the Rhulic-forged quenched serricsteel pistols. </p><p></p><p>Just before she let go of the weapon, as her arm came forward from her aborted throw, she held her arm steady pointing at the fleeing figure and her angry face suddenly became calm and focused. Not understanding how or what exactly she was doing Ella pointed the strange device at the rising thief and gently pressed her finger. Tugging almost imperceptibly as if on a friend’s hand, rather than squeezing down hard – the weapon sudden roared with a deafening blast that shook Ella all the way up her shoulder and down her spine.</p><p></p><p>A small dark sphere of pure pitch blackness shot upwards faster than the eye could follow and the retreating figure shrieked in pain. The feminine cry of pain abruptly heralded the halting the ascent and subsequent rapid descent. What had previously been the figure of an old man in merchants garb taking flight was transformed in to that of a stunningly beautiful woman with white feathery wings falling out of the sky. She fell through the wooden roof of one of the shops and disappeared from sight.</p><p></p><p>“Here,” A’kin said as he pressed the other pistol in to Valori’s hand. She stared at him incredulously but he dismissed her curt shake of the head. “Take this my dear, your friend Ella will need it. She seems to have a gift for using it. Now go! Catch that thief!”</p><p></p><p>“But Oho…”</p><p></p><p>“…will be just fine,” A’kin stated firmly. “I’ll take care of him. Now go!”</p><p></p><p>Valori shouldered her crossbow and held the gun out in front of her as she ran to catch up with her companion. Sprinting up the street she tried to check that the gun was primed and loaded and it was then that it struck her that the gun did not contain a bullet or any blasting powder.</p><p></p><p>Several moments later the front door of the shop exploded outwards and the erinye strode out in to the street. The ruined top of one of her wings oozed with dark, black blood that matted the flight feathers together. The gem bags were tucked in to her belt and she had discarded her long coat. The merchant’s outfit did not suit her new form, but there were few around to jest at her comical appearance. As soon as the pistol had fired and the erinye fallen through in to one of the shops, the street had cleared within a very short period of time.</p><p></p><p>A drizzle of dirty rain began to fall, slowly turning the dirty road in to a muddy track. Two fat grey and green pigeons waddled out of the way of the angry fiend marching out in to the street to confront the two Harmonium officers. The erinye seethed with anger and as the rain spattered down it hissed and sizzled on her skin, forming a thin layer of mist that danced and curled around her. </p><p></p><p>Valori covered the distance between her and Ella within a short span of time. The other officer was still holding the smocking pistol in her outstretched hand pointed at the advancing erinye. Ella reached behind her with her other hand to steer Valori so that she stood behind her and her foe, out of harms way. Her hand came in to contact with the other serricsteel pistol and instinctively she took hold of it.</p><p></p><p>“Ella…” Valori began as she was about to explain the lack of bullet. But she stopped herself as the thought entered her mind that the first pistol might also have been not loaded. “Gun-mage?”</p><p></p><p>Ella ignored her companion’s question and nudged Valori to begin retreating back down the street.</p><p></p><p>“That is going to cost you,” the erinye’s eyes flashed red and she quickly pulled out three small bones from a pouch that she snapped one after the other. “I’m going to enjoy watching my minions…”</p><p></p><p>Ella fired both pistols at the same time less than a couple of dozen feet from her enemy. She felt a surge of energy running from deep within her, as a well-spring of darkness opened up deep within her and a flood of raw energy channelled in to the pistols. The first discharge went wide and disintegrated the remainder of the shop’s doorframe in a thunderous shower of splinters. The other hit the erinye in the chest and knocked her back in to the shop.</p><p></p><p>“Um, Ella,” Valori whispered frantically. “She’s called in reinforcements.”</p><p></p><p>Three bearded figures materialised around them, each with a saw-toothed glaive that they held at the ready. The three dark skinned muscle-bound creatures towered over the two Harmonium officers. One of them smiled wickedly displaying its pointed teeth with an exhalation of fetid breath that stank of death and torment. The other two followed suit and a wave of fear struck both Harmonium officers causing them to take a step back in to each other.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Monty Tomasi, post: 2874311, member: 40137"] Part VI: “Don’t go in there,” Ella warned quietly. The Arcanoloth gasped in shocked outrage, his paw in front of his muzzle and his deep dark eyes narrowing. “Oh sweet Heavens, my dear Ella, I’m shocked that you should say such a thing. After all you are a native to our fair Cage and as everyone knows I am simply a humble shop-keeper trying to make ends meet. You would not believe some of the rumours that go around about even simple shop-keepers in a street like this.” “I would be delighted to join you for some tea,” Oho announced as he stepped across the threshold and in to the Friendly Fiend. Valori lowered her goggles carefully over her eyes and wound the tiny spring mechanism on the side. Between the two lenses blue and green coloured alchemical fluids began to swirl and the mouse-haired Harmonium officer adjusted the back of the strap underneath her pony-tail to get a good look at the Arcanoloth. “Oh wait just a moment, my dear,” A’kin said with a wide grin, smoothing down his robe. “Allow me to present my better profile,” he said as he turned to face side-ways in the doorway and struck a pose. Valori stared through her goggles for some time at the Arcanoloth, her vision filtered by an ever-shifting aquamarine haze. Ella coughed and shifted around to glance up and down the street. She sighed and after looking at Valori and A’kin in turn, she lent with her back against the glass-front of the Friendly Fiend shop crossing her arms in front of her chest. “If you don’t mind,” A’kin said after holding his pose for a minute. “I have a couple of customers in the shop that really could do with my attention, your friend Oho amongst them. If you feel reluctant to come inside and have a look around, you could always just browse the small sampling of my wares in the window.” The Arcanoloth disappeared in to the shop and the door closed without a sound. “I’m not sure what to make of him,” Valori admitted after moving her goggles back in to their original position where they rested just above her fore-head. “Most times I’d tell you to make up your own mind about things,” Valori replied. “But in this instance you can trust me when I tell you that dealing with a fiend of any description is very bad news.” “Hmm,” Valori pursed her lips, took out a stack of small triangular parchment sheets tied together with a piece of red string and began to scribble on it a long sequence of numbers and symbols. Having completely filled three of the pages with numbers, Valori took an abrupt step back from the shop and pointed at it with a trembling finger. “That’s impossible!” “What is?” Ella said as she spun around and peered through the window in to the dark shop. She pulled a pair of thin daggers, little more than stilettos that were hidden in the lining of her cloak, as she readied herself for an attack. “That should not be here,” Valori muttered, stepping closer to the glass. “I’ve calculated the odds of finding such things here, taking in to account even quite a few educated guesses. But it simply does not add up, the odds are by far too slim.” “Hold on a second,” Ella said as she lowered her daggers. “What in the Nine Hells are you talking about girl?” “Those are Rhulic-forged quenched serricsteel pistols.” Valori had her hands and nose pressed against the glass as she peered at two beautiful silvery pistols with ornate runic carvings that stood on a specially made wooden stand in the window close to the doorway. “I even know the name of the artisan who made them. They were on display when I was little and seeing their beauty first got me interested in alchemy and building mechanika.” “Oh for the love of Tomeri,” Ella swore. She grabbed her companion by the shoulder and forcibly spun her around. Ella took Valori by the chin and forced the other Harmonium officer to look in to her eyes. “I don’t know anything about alchemy or that other stuff. But what I do know is that A’kin sells things that people need, not want. Do you understand the difference?” “The odds are just too remote for this to be reasonably possible…” Valori’s eyes were unfocused as she mentally tallied tables of numbers. “Snap out of it, Officer Vasco” Ella commanded. “Yes Sir,” Valori saluted. Ella and Valori stared at each other for a brief instance and promptly burst out laughing. “I’m sorry Ella, it’s become an automatic response since Sarge first recruited me.” “Don’t worry about it,” Ella said with a big grin. “I’ve been through three Harmonium training camps and that was a mighty fine salute.” “Really? I’ve been practicing…” “Trust me when I say that I know a good salute when I see one.” The two women laughed some more and then they both turned towards the shop. “Did you hear something?” “What?” “I thought that I could hear something going on inside the shop. Sounded like something falling over.” “Oh, sorry I didn’t.” “You called those things pistols, what are they?” “Well, a pistol is a… well it’s a pistol. It’s a projectile weapon commonly used in my world. It fires bullets that travel at a very high velocity; they can do a lot of damage in the right hands. I can draw some charts if you like to illustrate how…” “That’s ok. Knowing that it is a weapon is enough for me. They are incredibly beautiful though.” “You think so? I’ve dreamt about this pair of pistols since I was a little girl.” “I can see why.” “How much do you think that he is charging for them?” “Valori, please tell me that you are not thinking about buying them?” “Oh, what! Of course not, I was just wondering how much he would charge for them.” “Good. ‘Cause I want to buy them.” Valori looked at Ella in surprise but before she could say anything, the door of the Friendly Fiend burst open and an old man flew through in to the street. He wore a long merchant’s jacket, pantaloons and green leathery ankle length boots. In each hand he had a silk bag that jangled with the sound of gem-stones rubbing against each other. “Stop! Thief!” A’kin cried as he raced for the doorway. The old man took one look back at the shop and then at the two Harmonium officers caught flat-footed by the shop window. He held the corners of his jacket and began to run down the road. His coat-tails fluttered in the wind, as if they were stubby wings flapping behind him. “Arrest that thief!” A’kin said as he took Ell a by the elbow. She felt something cold, hard and firm pressed in to her hand. “Quick Corporal Thorn-Willow-Hook, do something before he gets away!” Ella began to sprint after the old man without a moment’s hesitation, her city guard’s instinct kicked in and she immediately began to chase after the fleeing figure. Valori quickly tugged forward her slender crossbow that was on a strap beneath her long coat and pressed a switch to unfold the four arms. Patting her pockets she tried to find the small metal cylinder to put in to the stock of the device with which to charge up her web-flinging crossbow. Cursing herself under her breath she failed to find the small accumulator and instead she took off one of the small thin vials from her bandolier and began to carefully extract the woollen packet stuffed inside. As Ella began to gain on the old man she noticed that he appeared no longer to be running along the ground. His flapping coat-tails had extended and grew rapidly outwards in to a pair of magnificent white feathered wings. With a grunt of exertion the old man lifted upwards and began a rapid ascent. “Sod it!” Ella shouted. “Halt in the name of the Harmonium!” The red-armoured, coppery haired guard skidded to a halt and reached for one of her concealed throwing knives. Realising that she was still holding something, Ella began to fling that instead but then she noticed out of the corner of her eye that it was one of the Rhulic-forged quenched serricsteel pistols. Just before she let go of the weapon, as her arm came forward from her aborted throw, she held her arm steady pointing at the fleeing figure and her angry face suddenly became calm and focused. Not understanding how or what exactly she was doing Ella pointed the strange device at the rising thief and gently pressed her finger. Tugging almost imperceptibly as if on a friend’s hand, rather than squeezing down hard – the weapon sudden roared with a deafening blast that shook Ella all the way up her shoulder and down her spine. A small dark sphere of pure pitch blackness shot upwards faster than the eye could follow and the retreating figure shrieked in pain. The feminine cry of pain abruptly heralded the halting the ascent and subsequent rapid descent. What had previously been the figure of an old man in merchants garb taking flight was transformed in to that of a stunningly beautiful woman with white feathery wings falling out of the sky. She fell through the wooden roof of one of the shops and disappeared from sight. “Here,” A’kin said as he pressed the other pistol in to Valori’s hand. She stared at him incredulously but he dismissed her curt shake of the head. “Take this my dear, your friend Ella will need it. She seems to have a gift for using it. Now go! Catch that thief!” “But Oho…” “…will be just fine,” A’kin stated firmly. “I’ll take care of him. Now go!” Valori shouldered her crossbow and held the gun out in front of her as she ran to catch up with her companion. Sprinting up the street she tried to check that the gun was primed and loaded and it was then that it struck her that the gun did not contain a bullet or any blasting powder. Several moments later the front door of the shop exploded outwards and the erinye strode out in to the street. The ruined top of one of her wings oozed with dark, black blood that matted the flight feathers together. The gem bags were tucked in to her belt and she had discarded her long coat. The merchant’s outfit did not suit her new form, but there were few around to jest at her comical appearance. As soon as the pistol had fired and the erinye fallen through in to one of the shops, the street had cleared within a very short period of time. A drizzle of dirty rain began to fall, slowly turning the dirty road in to a muddy track. Two fat grey and green pigeons waddled out of the way of the angry fiend marching out in to the street to confront the two Harmonium officers. The erinye seethed with anger and as the rain spattered down it hissed and sizzled on her skin, forming a thin layer of mist that danced and curled around her. Valori covered the distance between her and Ella within a short span of time. The other officer was still holding the smocking pistol in her outstretched hand pointed at the advancing erinye. Ella reached behind her with her other hand to steer Valori so that she stood behind her and her foe, out of harms way. Her hand came in to contact with the other serricsteel pistol and instinctively she took hold of it. “Ella…” Valori began as she was about to explain the lack of bullet. But she stopped herself as the thought entered her mind that the first pistol might also have been not loaded. “Gun-mage?” Ella ignored her companion’s question and nudged Valori to begin retreating back down the street. “That is going to cost you,” the erinye’s eyes flashed red and she quickly pulled out three small bones from a pouch that she snapped one after the other. “I’m going to enjoy watching my minions…” Ella fired both pistols at the same time less than a couple of dozen feet from her enemy. She felt a surge of energy running from deep within her, as a well-spring of darkness opened up deep within her and a flood of raw energy channelled in to the pistols. The first discharge went wide and disintegrated the remainder of the shop’s doorframe in a thunderous shower of splinters. The other hit the erinye in the chest and knocked her back in to the shop. “Um, Ella,” Valori whispered frantically. “She’s called in reinforcements.” Three bearded figures materialised around them, each with a saw-toothed glaive that they held at the ready. The three dark skinned muscle-bound creatures towered over the two Harmonium officers. One of them smiled wickedly displaying its pointed teeth with an exhalation of fetid breath that stank of death and torment. The other two followed suit and a wave of fear struck both Harmonium officers causing them to take a step back in to each other. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
On the Trail of Copper Bloodhounds… [16August06]
Top