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Sniktch's Story Hour Prelude - From the Beginning (UPDATED 04/22)
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<blockquote data-quote="Sniktch" data-source="post: 428078" data-attributes="member: 7704"><p><strong>Jack and Eli have some fun</strong></p><p></p><p>As soon as Jack and Eli finished disposing of the bodies, carrying them all some distance into the woods, Jack began pestering Eli about the barred door on the first level.</p><p></p><p>“C’mon, Eli, we’ll jes take a look. Ya don’t even haveta go in, jes hang back ‘n cover me.”</p><p></p><p>Eli remained unconvinced. “Jack, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea until the others get back. Think about it – the Trembers and their gang of orcs just sealed it up, and they were more numerous than we. What if we can’t contain or handle whatever is in that room?”</p><p></p><p>“Bah, I’m tellin ya, jes stand back wit yer bow and cover me. I’ll jes open ‘er up ‘n have a look – if’n anythin’s movin in there, I’ll shut it again.”</p><p></p><p>This continued back and forth until Eli finally succumbed, more to preserve his sanity than because Jack had convinced him. Actually, he was positive that this was a bad idea; most likely their friends would return to find their corpses and some hideous creature on the loose. He let out a resigned sigh. Oh, well, if that happened at least he would have some peace and quiet. He nocked an arrow, pulled the string taut, and aimed at the door.</p><p></p><p>Jack approached the door with his axe ready and put his ear to it, listening intently for several minutes. Hearing nothing, he shrugged and removed the bar, then jumped back, waiting expectantly. When the door didn’t move, he shot Eli a smug look and grabbed the handle, pulling it open. </p><p></p><p>A lanky form exploded past him. It appeared to be a severely emaciated man with jaundiced, flaky skin stretched so thin his ribs threatened to burst free, long, greasy hair and wicked untrimmed fingernails that resembled claws. Its head swiveled to stare at Jack with eyes glowing red with hatred, and it bared sharp, yellowed teeth at him as it emitted an unnatural hiss. </p><p></p><p>Eli reacted at once, loosing the arrow he held ready, but it whistled past the beast. He began chanting a spell. Jack stepped in and caved in the left side of the creature’s chest with a brutal axe stroke, but it paid the wound no heed, pouncing upon him in a ferocious assault. A swipe of its hand raked Jack’s cheek, opening four parallel lacerations that immediately began to sting and burn the dwarf terribly. He started to bring his axe up for another stroke but his arm did not respond to his mental command. All of his limbs felt leaden, stiff and he stood paralyzed, unable even to scream. A ghoul! One of the ravenous, flesh-eating undead that sometimes hunted in packs near his homeland. Eli had been right about the door, and now his stubbornness had doomed them.</p><p></p><p>Eli finished his spell as the ghoul turned to face him, sending a streaking missile of force to explode on the side of the beast’s skull, ruining one of its eyes. The ghoul howled in rage and charged towards him, but Eli was already mouthing the words of another spell. He fell completely into the rhythm and pattern of the words, ignoring the pain as the creature leaped upon him and buried its fangs in his shoulder. When he spoke the final word of the spell his right hand became wreathed in a crackling aura of blue electricity. Grimacing now as the ghoul’s nails tore furrows in his flesh, he reached up and grasped the monster on its forehead, channeling the energy into its skull. The ghoul exploded messily, its charred husk collapsing to the ground.</p><p></p><p>After they recovered, they examined the room the ghoul had been trapped in. The room itself contained nothing but two moldering old coffins that held the half-gnawed skeletons of dwarven warriors. The bodies had clutched axes whose handles had long ago rotted away, but Jack could tell that the steel axe-heads were dwarf-forged and still in excellent condition. Jack insisted that they leave the bodies untouched and they left, re-barring the door.</p><p>_________________________</p><p></p><p>The others returned late that evening to find Jack and Eli recovering in front of a fire they’d built. Both looked battered and scratched from the fracas with the ghoul. Artimas introduced himself to his two new acquaintances, and Jack and Eli shared the story of their recently completed battle with the ghoul. Tomorrow they would head down to the bottom floor again, and hopefully they would solve the mystery of the Great Hall and gain access to the mines below. In the morning they would begin their adventure anew, but now they drifted into sleep…</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Sniktch, post: 428078, member: 7704"] [b]Jack and Eli have some fun[/b] As soon as Jack and Eli finished disposing of the bodies, carrying them all some distance into the woods, Jack began pestering Eli about the barred door on the first level. “C’mon, Eli, we’ll jes take a look. Ya don’t even haveta go in, jes hang back ‘n cover me.” Eli remained unconvinced. “Jack, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea until the others get back. Think about it – the Trembers and their gang of orcs just sealed it up, and they were more numerous than we. What if we can’t contain or handle whatever is in that room?” “Bah, I’m tellin ya, jes stand back wit yer bow and cover me. I’ll jes open ‘er up ‘n have a look – if’n anythin’s movin in there, I’ll shut it again.” This continued back and forth until Eli finally succumbed, more to preserve his sanity than because Jack had convinced him. Actually, he was positive that this was a bad idea; most likely their friends would return to find their corpses and some hideous creature on the loose. He let out a resigned sigh. Oh, well, if that happened at least he would have some peace and quiet. He nocked an arrow, pulled the string taut, and aimed at the door. Jack approached the door with his axe ready and put his ear to it, listening intently for several minutes. Hearing nothing, he shrugged and removed the bar, then jumped back, waiting expectantly. When the door didn’t move, he shot Eli a smug look and grabbed the handle, pulling it open. A lanky form exploded past him. It appeared to be a severely emaciated man with jaundiced, flaky skin stretched so thin his ribs threatened to burst free, long, greasy hair and wicked untrimmed fingernails that resembled claws. Its head swiveled to stare at Jack with eyes glowing red with hatred, and it bared sharp, yellowed teeth at him as it emitted an unnatural hiss. Eli reacted at once, loosing the arrow he held ready, but it whistled past the beast. He began chanting a spell. Jack stepped in and caved in the left side of the creature’s chest with a brutal axe stroke, but it paid the wound no heed, pouncing upon him in a ferocious assault. A swipe of its hand raked Jack’s cheek, opening four parallel lacerations that immediately began to sting and burn the dwarf terribly. He started to bring his axe up for another stroke but his arm did not respond to his mental command. All of his limbs felt leaden, stiff and he stood paralyzed, unable even to scream. A ghoul! One of the ravenous, flesh-eating undead that sometimes hunted in packs near his homeland. Eli had been right about the door, and now his stubbornness had doomed them. Eli finished his spell as the ghoul turned to face him, sending a streaking missile of force to explode on the side of the beast’s skull, ruining one of its eyes. The ghoul howled in rage and charged towards him, but Eli was already mouthing the words of another spell. He fell completely into the rhythm and pattern of the words, ignoring the pain as the creature leaped upon him and buried its fangs in his shoulder. When he spoke the final word of the spell his right hand became wreathed in a crackling aura of blue electricity. Grimacing now as the ghoul’s nails tore furrows in his flesh, he reached up and grasped the monster on its forehead, channeling the energy into its skull. The ghoul exploded messily, its charred husk collapsing to the ground. After they recovered, they examined the room the ghoul had been trapped in. The room itself contained nothing but two moldering old coffins that held the half-gnawed skeletons of dwarven warriors. The bodies had clutched axes whose handles had long ago rotted away, but Jack could tell that the steel axe-heads were dwarf-forged and still in excellent condition. Jack insisted that they leave the bodies untouched and they left, re-barring the door. _________________________ The others returned late that evening to find Jack and Eli recovering in front of a fire they’d built. Both looked battered and scratched from the fracas with the ghoul. Artimas introduced himself to his two new acquaintances, and Jack and Eli shared the story of their recently completed battle with the ghoul. Tomorrow they would head down to the bottom floor again, and hopefully they would solve the mystery of the Great Hall and gain access to the mines below. In the morning they would begin their adventure anew, but now they drifted into sleep… [/QUOTE]
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