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Sir Gerard d'Montfort - In his own words (a tale of Anka Seth)- Updated Nov 11th
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<blockquote data-quote="Haraash Saan" data-source="post: 5119401" data-attributes="member: 46615"><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">It took several minutes for the general stink to dissipate, but no one went near Argonne. His only salvation would be a long bath. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Argonne coughed and spluttered as his eyes watered, “Perhaps I’ll put him in my pack.” </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">So he unshouldered it and gently placed the Zwingly inside. “There you go laddie, make yourself comfy.”</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">There was another hiss, this time from within Argonne’s pack. The skunk had been quick to claim it as his own.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">We had previously decided that our biggest threat were the wizards. We could not even fathom what they were capable of, ignorance breeds fear. They were to be our preliminary target. If at all possible we were to remove them from calculations as quickly and quietly as possible. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The route down was via a ramp that continued down from the corridor that we had entered this room from, and it was always guarded by sentries. And if they were alert, then we would not stand a chance against alerted bandits and their magicians. Another plan was needed.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The rough map that Hermaeon had sketched in the dirt had indicated that the room that we were now in was almost above the wizards personally chambers. Why not dig down, I thought out loudly. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The others laughed at my idea. How would we dig through rock? We did not even know how deep it was. I could appreciate their impertinence and felt myself flush at the stupidity of the idea. None of us carried tools, shovels and the like, and it would take days to make a hole big enough for a man to squeeze through.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">However Argonne, the madman, did not laugh. He looked at me with a puzzled expression and then started clawing at the floor, pushing and prodding it with his fingers, testing it. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">I watched him, hoping to distract the others from my silly suggestion and focus their attention elsewhere. He seemed to find the spot he had been trying to locate, and placed both palms against the earth. His eyes rolled back into his head, so that only their whites could be seem, and his lips began to recite some soundless chant. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">His arms started to tense as he began to push with all his might against the rock floor, and then, the rock moved. He was pushing the very rock downward! At first it was only a small impression the size of his hands, but gradually it became deeper and more rounded and with a few minutes there was an obvious hole.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">As it got deeper his hands seemed to push, rub and smooth. The hole got wider as his hands worked against the sides of the stone basin he had formed. Minutes turned into an hour, and all the while we gathered around him silently and watched as he formed a larger and deeper hole. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The only thing he said the entire time he moved the rock, and that was in a harsh whisper that reeked of strain, was, “Rope. Ankles. Take my weight.”</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">We quickly satisfied his request and tied a rope firmly around both of his legs and Morgan, Strav and Zhontell ensured that they kept the rope taut to take his weight.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">They did well! When he finally broke through, his legs were all that were visible and they stuck straight out from the hole. He broke through some four and a half feet down. He slipped about but the trio managed to hold and then pull him slowly back and out of the hole.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">His face was dripped with sweat, such had been his exertion. Hunched against a wall he rasped, “Corridor.” in between deep breaths.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">I was too bewildered to say anything more than, “How?”</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">His weary face turned to my question and smiled, not something one should ever see the repulsively ugly Argonne actually do, “Foeld will always show the way.”</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">His discussion with Lorcan had obviously revealed some new path for our woodsman. He was definitely a strange one. Just maybe the skunk was the incarnation of the beheaded Foeldian.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Moxadder in a rare turn of coherence suggested that he “Nip down and take a look-see.” </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Better him than me I thought, as he scampered into the hole using his long limbs to prop himself against its walls and climb down the shaft.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">“Wait ‘ere.” He said as he disappeared from sight.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">It was not long before we heard the Fastendian’s soft whisper from the beneath us.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">“The hole drops into the corridor that leads to one of the wizards rooms. It should be safe enough to drop down as the mage is now dead. But throw down the silent stone first. You lot make so too much noise.” He said.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Mortec dropped the stone down the hole. And then one by one we followed.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">We stood in another tunnel that had been widened in places to allow a person to travel easily to the room at one end of it. The other end had a thick curtain blocking it. Moxadder stood by the curtain. He seemed to be listening for any activity.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Strav, Mortec, Argonne and I went to search the deceased wizards room. He lay, quite motionless, on his bed. A small oil lamp flickered on a shelf giving the room adding to the rooms already eerie atmosphere. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The wizard, Saeff (Hermaeon had told us that there was only one male spell weaver), was drenched in his own blood. He had been reading when Moxadder had caught him unawares. The book, Laster’s Ribald Bedtime Tales, was splattered with blood from the artery that Moxadder had cut.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">A quick rummage in Saeff’s room revealed several books, of which Mortec and I would investigate later, some papers that I sensed were infused with magic and several vials and bottles with curious labels such as, Fleetness of Foot and Balm of Lilly. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Behind the curtain was a common room of sorts. Tapestries hung from the wall depicting varying scenes, from a battle to a maid by a stream. The central feature of the room was a large table with four chairs placed around it. On it were various writing implements, and a crude wooden plate on which lay the scraps of a forgotten meal. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">There were three other curtains covering exits from the room. The one immediately to our right was made from a blue cloth with a large bat embroided on it. By our reckoning this was the Sorceress Polema’s room. She had come here with Korb and had seduced Hermaeon. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Raedemass’s cave, the woman Polema replaced as Korb’s partner, was opposite Saeff’s quarters. The entrance to her room was covered with a green silk that featured fey creatures of myth and legend.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The final curtain led to the corridor beyond the wizards dwellings and it was there that Morgan and Argonne tip toed to so that they could stand guard to the chamber.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Figuring Raedemass was a potential ally, being a Foeldian not an usurping bandit, we sent Moxadder to investigate Polema’s cave. It was empty. There were only simple furnishings that included a cot that had been unslept in.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Moxadder found Raedemass snoring in her bed, blissfully unaware of the fate that was about to befall her. She woke with a start, but she was sensibly silent.</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Our sneak stood over her, one hand clasping her mouth shut, the other holding a dagger across her throat. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">I pushed the green silk aside as I strode into the room. “Raedemass. We are friends here to free you from the bandits.” I spoke quickly and urgently. “We have Hermaeon with us”</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Her eyes widened in disbelief at that news. “Yes its true. Korb and the others left him as a gift for the Forest Troll that lived in the cave above the waterfall not two days away to the west. We killed the troll and freed him.”</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">“I will not hurt you, but my friend,” I gestured to Moxadder, “could afford no sudden noises as the other bandits may be alerted. Will you help us?”</span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Her eyes immediately reflected a steely resolve at my request. </span></p><p> </p><p> <span style="font-family: 'Arial'">“Good. Moxadder, release her.” I ordered.</span></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Haraash Saan, post: 5119401, member: 46615"] [FONT=Arial]It took several minutes for the general stink to dissipate, but no one went near Argonne. His only salvation would be a long bath. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Argonne coughed and spluttered as his eyes watered, “Perhaps I’ll put him in my pack.” [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]So he unshouldered it and gently placed the Zwingly inside. “There you go laddie, make yourself comfy.”[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]There was another hiss, this time from within Argonne’s pack. The skunk had been quick to claim it as his own.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]We had previously decided that our biggest threat were the wizards. We could not even fathom what they were capable of, ignorance breeds fear. They were to be our preliminary target. If at all possible we were to remove them from calculations as quickly and quietly as possible. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]The route down was via a ramp that continued down from the corridor that we had entered this room from, and it was always guarded by sentries. And if they were alert, then we would not stand a chance against alerted bandits and their magicians. Another plan was needed.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]The rough map that Hermaeon had sketched in the dirt had indicated that the room that we were now in was almost above the wizards personally chambers. Why not dig down, I thought out loudly. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]The others laughed at my idea. How would we dig through rock? We did not even know how deep it was. I could appreciate their impertinence and felt myself flush at the stupidity of the idea. None of us carried tools, shovels and the like, and it would take days to make a hole big enough for a man to squeeze through.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]However Argonne, the madman, did not laugh. He looked at me with a puzzled expression and then started clawing at the floor, pushing and prodding it with his fingers, testing it. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]I watched him, hoping to distract the others from my silly suggestion and focus their attention elsewhere. He seemed to find the spot he had been trying to locate, and placed both palms against the earth. His eyes rolled back into his head, so that only their whites could be seem, and his lips began to recite some soundless chant. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]His arms started to tense as he began to push with all his might against the rock floor, and then, the rock moved. He was pushing the very rock downward! At first it was only a small impression the size of his hands, but gradually it became deeper and more rounded and with a few minutes there was an obvious hole.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]As it got deeper his hands seemed to push, rub and smooth. The hole got wider as his hands worked against the sides of the stone basin he had formed. Minutes turned into an hour, and all the while we gathered around him silently and watched as he formed a larger and deeper hole. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]The only thing he said the entire time he moved the rock, and that was in a harsh whisper that reeked of strain, was, “Rope. Ankles. Take my weight.”[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]We quickly satisfied his request and tied a rope firmly around both of his legs and Morgan, Strav and Zhontell ensured that they kept the rope taut to take his weight.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]They did well! When he finally broke through, his legs were all that were visible and they stuck straight out from the hole. He broke through some four and a half feet down. He slipped about but the trio managed to hold and then pull him slowly back and out of the hole.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]His face was dripped with sweat, such had been his exertion. Hunched against a wall he rasped, “Corridor.” in between deep breaths.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]I was too bewildered to say anything more than, “How?”[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]His weary face turned to my question and smiled, not something one should ever see the repulsively ugly Argonne actually do, “Foeld will always show the way.”[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]His discussion with Lorcan had obviously revealed some new path for our woodsman. He was definitely a strange one. Just maybe the skunk was the incarnation of the beheaded Foeldian.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Moxadder in a rare turn of coherence suggested that he “Nip down and take a look-see.” [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Better him than me I thought, as he scampered into the hole using his long limbs to prop himself against its walls and climb down the shaft.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]“Wait ‘ere.” He said as he disappeared from sight.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]It was not long before we heard the Fastendian’s soft whisper from the beneath us.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]“The hole drops into the corridor that leads to one of the wizards rooms. It should be safe enough to drop down as the mage is now dead. But throw down the silent stone first. You lot make so too much noise.” He said.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Mortec dropped the stone down the hole. And then one by one we followed.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]We stood in another tunnel that had been widened in places to allow a person to travel easily to the room at one end of it. The other end had a thick curtain blocking it. Moxadder stood by the curtain. He seemed to be listening for any activity.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Strav, Mortec, Argonne and I went to search the deceased wizards room. He lay, quite motionless, on his bed. A small oil lamp flickered on a shelf giving the room adding to the rooms already eerie atmosphere. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]The wizard, Saeff (Hermaeon had told us that there was only one male spell weaver), was drenched in his own blood. He had been reading when Moxadder had caught him unawares. The book, Laster’s Ribald Bedtime Tales, was splattered with blood from the artery that Moxadder had cut.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]A quick rummage in Saeff’s room revealed several books, of which Mortec and I would investigate later, some papers that I sensed were infused with magic and several vials and bottles with curious labels such as, Fleetness of Foot and Balm of Lilly. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Behind the curtain was a common room of sorts. Tapestries hung from the wall depicting varying scenes, from a battle to a maid by a stream. The central feature of the room was a large table with four chairs placed around it. On it were various writing implements, and a crude wooden plate on which lay the scraps of a forgotten meal. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]There were three other curtains covering exits from the room. The one immediately to our right was made from a blue cloth with a large bat embroided on it. By our reckoning this was the Sorceress Polema’s room. She had come here with Korb and had seduced Hermaeon. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Raedemass’s cave, the woman Polema replaced as Korb’s partner, was opposite Saeff’s quarters. The entrance to her room was covered with a green silk that featured fey creatures of myth and legend.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]The final curtain led to the corridor beyond the wizards dwellings and it was there that Morgan and Argonne tip toed to so that they could stand guard to the chamber.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Figuring Raedemass was a potential ally, being a Foeldian not an usurping bandit, we sent Moxadder to investigate Polema’s cave. It was empty. There were only simple furnishings that included a cot that had been unslept in.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Moxadder found Raedemass snoring in her bed, blissfully unaware of the fate that was about to befall her. She woke with a start, but she was sensibly silent.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Our sneak stood over her, one hand clasping her mouth shut, the other holding a dagger across her throat. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]I pushed the green silk aside as I strode into the room. “Raedemass. We are friends here to free you from the bandits.” I spoke quickly and urgently. “We have Hermaeon with us”[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Her eyes widened in disbelief at that news. “Yes its true. Korb and the others left him as a gift for the Forest Troll that lived in the cave above the waterfall not two days away to the west. We killed the troll and freed him.”[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]“I will not hurt you, but my friend,” I gestured to Moxadder, “could afford no sudden noises as the other bandits may be alerted. Will you help us?”[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]Her eyes immediately reflected a steely resolve at my request. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial]“Good. Moxadder, release her.” I ordered.[/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial] [/FONT] [/QUOTE]
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Sir Gerard d'Montfort - In his own words (a tale of Anka Seth)- Updated Nov 11th
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