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Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5451347" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p>“Haelan!” the voice of Alaria echoed down through rocky passage.</p><p> </p><p> The halfling priest had been scrambling through the harpy lair searching for an exit. He had breathed a prayer of thanks to Faerantha when his captor watcher had swiftly left him, not a moment before his protective spell flared and faded from existence, its magic spent. He only found one other chamber than the one he’d been held in. It contained a disheveled “nest” of feathers and scraps and bones he had not examined closely in his haste to locate an escape route. The other passage that the harpy, Estraytha, had entered through ended abruptly with an opening in the ceiling he couldn't possibly reach. He saw light filtering in from what must be one of the other cliff side openings he’d noticed at his arrival. But he couldn’t hope to climb up to it. Hearing his name, the Hilltender trotted back out to the opening he’d been tossed through by the wicked elder harpy, Grizzelda.</p><p> </p><p> As he cautiously neared the opening a rope dropped into his view.</p><p> </p><p> He poked his head out the opening and looked up with his typical broad smile. No less than twenty feet above he saw the faces of Braddok and Erevan…and someone else he didn’t recognize.</p><p> </p><p> “Bless the Hill Mother, I knew you’d come.” Haelan called up to his comrades. “Where…Where are the harpies? Is everyone ok?” he asked nervously.</p><p> </p><p> “They’ve left. You’re safe.” answered Braddok. “But hurry. Climb up.”</p><p> </p><p> Haelan turned to look down the cliff face to the swirling sea crashing on jagged rocks, easily sixty feet below. Feeling himself momentarily reel with vertigo, he backed a few steps from the opening. Placing his hand against the side of the passage to steady himself. Haelan let out a shakey breath. </p><p> </p><p> “I think it better you come down here.” called out the halfling nervously.</p><p> </p><p> “Come down? Why? Is there treasure!?” came Duor’s voice in enthusiastic response.</p><p> </p><p> Haelan gulped and cautiously made his way to the opening, careful not to look down. “Um, well I don’t know as yet. But we should check, shouldn’t we?” Haelan half-smiled up at his rescuers. If nothing else, he hoped he could count on the dwarf’s apparent greed to get the company to come down.</p><p> </p><p> Erevan cocked his head and looked at Braddok with his typical confused elf look. Braddok didn’t notice. “Is there another way out of there?” the warrior called.</p><p> </p><p> “Well…” Haelan thought, “I don’t really know. There’s a passage I can’t get to. It <em>might</em> lead out.” The priest mentally berated himself for his cowardice, but took confidence that he was telling the truth. He really<em> didn’t</em> know. “Might be treasure in there too. But I can’t get to it myself. I’d need wings…” at that moment it occurred to Haelan why there would be a passage in this lair that went straight up.</p><p> </p><p> Braddok let out an exasperated breath. “Come now, Haelan. We haven’t all day for this.”</p><p> </p><p> Duor, now partially visible beside the dark haired swordsman interjected, “But if there’s treasure, Braddok. We should check it out. I mean, really shouldn’t we? Maybe the pearl’s down‘ere.”</p><p> </p><p> Alaria, thought about this for a moment as she extended her arm, newly healed by Trihna. “The harpy did make it sound like they were bound here to watch something for this Tresahd.” Alaria weighed the option a moment longer. “Faeryl, er ‘Fen’, do you know anything about a Tresahd from your time here?” Alaria then realized she had no idea how long that had been. </p><p> </p><p> The red-headed druid turned to the magess, “I’m sorry, lady. I have not. I have noted some suspicious comings and goings…specifically of goblins…Pirates by the looks of them. No telling their names from my…observations. I was careful not to be seen.”</p><p> </p><p> “Goblin pirates?” questioned Coerraine. Erevan also looked at the druid with a questioning brow. Duor's mind did back flips at the thought. Where there's pirates, there's treasure!</p><p></p><p> </p><p> “Goblins?” called up Haelan. “The harpy’s mentioned something about goblins as they bickered before you arrived.” </p><p> </p><p> “Alright.” said Alaria, “Braddok, do you think you can get down there?”</p><p> </p><p> “Be no trouble a’tall, boss lady.” perked up Duor. Whatever issues the dwarf had with sea travel, heights gave the rogue no pause. “Hold it tight, Braddok. I’ll go down.”</p><p> </p><p> “Erevan, do you think you can safely go as well?” Alaria asked. She was not about to dare such a death-defying climb.</p><p> </p><p> The elf shrugged and looked over the edge. His grace and balance unwavering. “Should be easy enough.” he replied.</p><p> </p><p> “Fine. Duor and Erevan go down and aid Haelan. Be quick. We cannot be sure the harpies, or their condor pets won’t return.” Alaria said.</p><p> </p><p> “Oh, they weren’t their pets. They were merely subject to the creature’s enchantment, like your warriors.” Fen offered. </p><p> </p><p> Braddok shot the half-elf a disapproving look. Coerraine also frowned a bit at the newcomer.</p><p> </p><p> Noticing his apparent unintended insult, Fen quickly added, “I’ll be happy to make the climb also. I’ve never seen a harpy lair before.” he smiled.</p><p> </p><p> “The pearl is not there.” said Trihna make-of-factly. The priestess again held the directional orb in her hand. It very clearly glowed back to the north between the islands curved mountains.</p><p> </p><p> Braddok looked to Alaria. He wasn’t sure where this druid had come from or why he was there with them, but he knew he wasn’t going to trust any heathen stranger who apparently knew a bit about this vile island.</p><p> </p><p> “Very well. Your aid is, again, most welcome.” the magess conceded. “Make a quick search of the lair. Gather anything of value you can carry and help Haelan back up. We are running out of daylight and I’d like to get back on our appointed trail.”</p><p> </p><p> With Coerraine and Braddok securing the rope’s end the elf, half-elf and dwarf descended swiftly and joined Haelan in the harpy lair. Fen boosted Haelan up into the shaft while Duor easily found handholds and clambered up the stone walls on his own. Erevan went to explore the other chamber, trusting his companions to be able to take care of themselves with the mysterious newcomer.</p><p> </p><p> The nest of Shireen revealed no treasure or secrets. Some bones, a chipped rusty knife and scraps of substandard armor and filthy cloth, all obviously goblin in origin. As he returned to the passage with the shaft he noticed a momentary flicker of cool air to his left. Closer examination of the main chamber’s wall revealed a hidden door. A quick examination of the wall found the section of stone that turned to cause a section of the wall to slide to the side. The opening looked into another passage that descended further into the darkness of the promontory. Cool and damp but somewhat stale air wafted up from the opening. He could discern no sounds or motion coming up from the darkness, though the passage most definitely led down.</p><p> </p><p> “Not a bad haul, I suppose. Better’n none, eh?” Duor said offhandedly as he examined the jewel encrusted necklace he’d found in Estraytha’s chamber. The dwarf halfling and half-elf came wandering back out to the main chamber. “Few silvers too. Not so much to split, but I’ll just hold onto ‘em an’…Here now. What’s this?” the dwarf stuck his head into the opening before the silent elf.</p><p> </p><p> “This is something we will not be entering without the others.” Erevan said plainly. </p><p> </p><p> “Hmph.” The dwarf grumbled under his beard. Who put the point-ear in charge? Duor thought.</p><p> </p><p> “That must be the other lair.” said Fen.</p><p> </p><p> The other three turned to look at the half-elf with untrusting eyes.</p><p> </p><p> “There were three harpies. Were there not? We’ve found <em>two</em> nests.” The druid pointed out innocently.</p><p> </p><p> “True. But the air does not carry the stench of these chambers.” Erevan observed.</p><p> </p><p> “How goes it?” Braddok’s voice sounded.</p><p> </p><p> Haelan trotted back to the opening and stopped a few steps back from the edge. “You all probably should come down here. We’ve found….something.” called the halfling cleric.</p><p> </p><p> Bollux, thought Braddok. We’re never going to get to finding this pearl.</p><p> </p><p> Alaria, too, seemed annoyed. But, she was left little choice but to trust her companions.</p><p> </p><p> With some difficulty and great care, the whole party eventually stood cramped in the none-too-large central chamber of the harpies’ lair. </p><p> </p><p> A whispered syllable caused the end of Alaria’s staff to emit a soft golden light. Haelan, also, made a simple prayer and the pinecone-shaped head of his mace was surrounded in a honey-colored glow. Braddok and Coerraine readied their weapons. Erevan nocked an arrow and Duor reluctantly taking the lead, the party filed into and began to descend the narrow passage. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>--------------------------------</p><p></p><p>Next up, "Descent to the Depths of...something."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5451347, member: 92511"] “Haelan!” the voice of Alaria echoed down through rocky passage. The halfling priest had been scrambling through the harpy lair searching for an exit. He had breathed a prayer of thanks to Faerantha when his captor watcher had swiftly left him, not a moment before his protective spell flared and faded from existence, its magic spent. He only found one other chamber than the one he’d been held in. It contained a disheveled “nest” of feathers and scraps and bones he had not examined closely in his haste to locate an escape route. The other passage that the harpy, Estraytha, had entered through ended abruptly with an opening in the ceiling he couldn't possibly reach. He saw light filtering in from what must be one of the other cliff side openings he’d noticed at his arrival. But he couldn’t hope to climb up to it. Hearing his name, the Hilltender trotted back out to the opening he’d been tossed through by the wicked elder harpy, Grizzelda. As he cautiously neared the opening a rope dropped into his view. He poked his head out the opening and looked up with his typical broad smile. No less than twenty feet above he saw the faces of Braddok and Erevan…and someone else he didn’t recognize. “Bless the Hill Mother, I knew you’d come.” Haelan called up to his comrades. “Where…Where are the harpies? Is everyone ok?” he asked nervously. “They’ve left. You’re safe.” answered Braddok. “But hurry. Climb up.” Haelan turned to look down the cliff face to the swirling sea crashing on jagged rocks, easily sixty feet below. Feeling himself momentarily reel with vertigo, he backed a few steps from the opening. Placing his hand against the side of the passage to steady himself. Haelan let out a shakey breath. “I think it better you come down here.” called out the halfling nervously. “Come down? Why? Is there treasure!?” came Duor’s voice in enthusiastic response. Haelan gulped and cautiously made his way to the opening, careful not to look down. “Um, well I don’t know as yet. But we should check, shouldn’t we?” Haelan half-smiled up at his rescuers. If nothing else, he hoped he could count on the dwarf’s apparent greed to get the company to come down. Erevan cocked his head and looked at Braddok with his typical confused elf look. Braddok didn’t notice. “Is there another way out of there?” the warrior called. “Well…” Haelan thought, “I don’t really know. There’s a passage I can’t get to. It [I]might[/I] lead out.” The priest mentally berated himself for his cowardice, but took confidence that he was telling the truth. He really[I] didn’t[/I] know. “Might be treasure in there too. But I can’t get to it myself. I’d need wings…” at that moment it occurred to Haelan why there would be a passage in this lair that went straight up. Braddok let out an exasperated breath. “Come now, Haelan. We haven’t all day for this.” Duor, now partially visible beside the dark haired swordsman interjected, “But if there’s treasure, Braddok. We should check it out. I mean, really shouldn’t we? Maybe the pearl’s down‘ere.” Alaria, thought about this for a moment as she extended her arm, newly healed by Trihna. “The harpy did make it sound like they were bound here to watch something for this Tresahd.” Alaria weighed the option a moment longer. “Faeryl, er ‘Fen’, do you know anything about a Tresahd from your time here?” Alaria then realized she had no idea how long that had been. The red-headed druid turned to the magess, “I’m sorry, lady. I have not. I have noted some suspicious comings and goings…specifically of goblins…Pirates by the looks of them. No telling their names from my…observations. I was careful not to be seen.” “Goblin pirates?” questioned Coerraine. Erevan also looked at the druid with a questioning brow. Duor's mind did back flips at the thought. Where there's pirates, there's treasure! “Goblins?” called up Haelan. “The harpy’s mentioned something about goblins as they bickered before you arrived.” “Alright.” said Alaria, “Braddok, do you think you can get down there?” “Be no trouble a’tall, boss lady.” perked up Duor. Whatever issues the dwarf had with sea travel, heights gave the rogue no pause. “Hold it tight, Braddok. I’ll go down.” “Erevan, do you think you can safely go as well?” Alaria asked. She was not about to dare such a death-defying climb. The elf shrugged and looked over the edge. His grace and balance unwavering. “Should be easy enough.” he replied. “Fine. Duor and Erevan go down and aid Haelan. Be quick. We cannot be sure the harpies, or their condor pets won’t return.” Alaria said. “Oh, they weren’t their pets. They were merely subject to the creature’s enchantment, like your warriors.” Fen offered. Braddok shot the half-elf a disapproving look. Coerraine also frowned a bit at the newcomer. Noticing his apparent unintended insult, Fen quickly added, “I’ll be happy to make the climb also. I’ve never seen a harpy lair before.” he smiled. “The pearl is not there.” said Trihna make-of-factly. The priestess again held the directional orb in her hand. It very clearly glowed back to the north between the islands curved mountains. Braddok looked to Alaria. He wasn’t sure where this druid had come from or why he was there with them, but he knew he wasn’t going to trust any heathen stranger who apparently knew a bit about this vile island. “Very well. Your aid is, again, most welcome.” the magess conceded. “Make a quick search of the lair. Gather anything of value you can carry and help Haelan back up. We are running out of daylight and I’d like to get back on our appointed trail.” With Coerraine and Braddok securing the rope’s end the elf, half-elf and dwarf descended swiftly and joined Haelan in the harpy lair. Fen boosted Haelan up into the shaft while Duor easily found handholds and clambered up the stone walls on his own. Erevan went to explore the other chamber, trusting his companions to be able to take care of themselves with the mysterious newcomer. The nest of Shireen revealed no treasure or secrets. Some bones, a chipped rusty knife and scraps of substandard armor and filthy cloth, all obviously goblin in origin. As he returned to the passage with the shaft he noticed a momentary flicker of cool air to his left. Closer examination of the main chamber’s wall revealed a hidden door. A quick examination of the wall found the section of stone that turned to cause a section of the wall to slide to the side. The opening looked into another passage that descended further into the darkness of the promontory. Cool and damp but somewhat stale air wafted up from the opening. He could discern no sounds or motion coming up from the darkness, though the passage most definitely led down. “Not a bad haul, I suppose. Better’n none, eh?” Duor said offhandedly as he examined the jewel encrusted necklace he’d found in Estraytha’s chamber. The dwarf halfling and half-elf came wandering back out to the main chamber. “Few silvers too. Not so much to split, but I’ll just hold onto ‘em an’…Here now. What’s this?” the dwarf stuck his head into the opening before the silent elf. “This is something we will not be entering without the others.” Erevan said plainly. “Hmph.” The dwarf grumbled under his beard. Who put the point-ear in charge? Duor thought. “That must be the other lair.” said Fen. The other three turned to look at the half-elf with untrusting eyes. “There were three harpies. Were there not? We’ve found [I]two[/I] nests.” The druid pointed out innocently. “True. But the air does not carry the stench of these chambers.” Erevan observed. “How goes it?” Braddok’s voice sounded. Haelan trotted back to the opening and stopped a few steps back from the edge. “You all probably should come down here. We’ve found….something.” called the halfling cleric. Bollux, thought Braddok. We’re never going to get to finding this pearl. Alaria, too, seemed annoyed. But, she was left little choice but to trust her companions. With some difficulty and great care, the whole party eventually stood cramped in the none-too-large central chamber of the harpies’ lair. A whispered syllable caused the end of Alaria’s staff to emit a soft golden light. Haelan, also, made a simple prayer and the pinecone-shaped head of his mace was surrounded in a honey-colored glow. Braddok and Coerraine readied their weapons. Erevan nocked an arrow and Duor reluctantly taking the lead, the party filed into and began to descend the narrow passage. -------------------------------- Next up, "Descent to the Depths of...something." [/QUOTE]
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