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Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5559961" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p>Coerraine joined his companions on the treetop platform and the group carried on. The Redstar Knight toiled inwardly with his feelings of remorse and fury. He was under the presumption that the warband they had encountered nearly a week before was responsible for all of this destruction and death which they now picked through like the scavenger birds that picked at the remains in the glade below. </p><p> </p><p> Initially, Coerraine was consumed with a rant to bestow on their “leader”, the mage Alaria. It was her decision to avoid the warband. These deaths were on her head. But a single look at the tear stained face of the young woman quelled his rage. She, obviously, was punishing herself enough, thought the blond paladin.</p><p> </p><p> They moved swiftly but with caution. From dwelling to dwelling, they found a number more bodies, both goblinoid and elvin warriors. A few dressed in similar blue robes to the mage they had discovered. Broken weapons of goblin and elf make were broken and littered about. Furniture and belongings strewn haphazardly. Coerraine murmured a prayer of thanks to Celradorn that they had not encountered the bodies of any children or females in the carnage.</p><p> </p><p> “How many elves were stationed here, Erevan? Do you know?” the paladin questioned softly.</p><p> </p><p> Erevan shrugged a response. “I can not say. I have not been to this outpost before.”</p><p> </p><p> “When I passed through two winters passed,” offered Fen, “there were not a force of more than twenty trained soldiers. About half as many support staff, as I recall.” The half-elf looked around thoughtfully. “Thankfully, I have not noticed any of the workers among the dead…and I would estimate that we have located almost all of the warriors.”</p><p> </p><p> “Thank Manat for small blessings.” Alaria whispered. The mage that died before her had coupled with the carnage in the glade below firmly cemented her guilt. She tried desperately to argue with herself that their small number could have done little to impede such ferocity. But the remorse still stung at her heart.</p><p> </p><p> By the time they came to the final treetop building, they had managed to accrue a second full quiver of elvish arrows for Erevan. Braddok replenished his little used quiver with the superior crafted bolts as well. Duor had added a length of elvish rope to his equipment. The dwarf rogue was as much disgusted as infuriated that all of the corpses seemed to have been robbed of any coin purses they might have possessed. Damned goblins, Duor cursed to himself.</p><p> </p><p> Haelan respectfully asked Erevan if it would be alright for him to take a discarded helmet of one of the elf warriors. The steel helm was banded in copper and brass with a great spreading oak tree at the bridge of the nose. He felt it would be a tribute to both, the warrior who apparently had slain a number of goblins before falling himself, and to his nature-loving goddess. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Erevan smile slightly at the suggestion and nodded his consent.</p><p> </p><p> As the party saw a final bridge that led from the last tree housing a construction to the high ground above the falls. </p><p> </p><p> “How are we to proceed now?” Alaria questioned out loud. “Without the elves here, how are we to get the boat to the top of the falls?”</p><p> </p><p> As party pondered this, Duor raised a gloved hand in what the party took as a sign to “be quiet.” The dwarf leaned slightly toward the edge of the platform. Erevan, similarly crooked his head in the manner he often did when noticing some imperceptible sound. </p><p> </p><p> Duor scowled and pointed down toward the eastern edge of the glade. As the party watched, three goblins cautiously stalked their way into the open. They were obviously trying to be stealthy, but grumbled among each other in their garbled tongue. Only a firm hand on his chest kept Coerraine from racing down the wooden steps to engage the murderers.</p><p> </p><p> Erevan crouched near the edge and nocked an arrow, all the while straining to hear the goblin conversation. “They are deserters.” Said the elf, finally . “They are hoping to scavenge what riches they can and return to their camp unnoticed.”</p><p> </p><p> “They shall do no such thing.” Said Alaria pointedly. She motioned for Braddok and Coerraine toward the ramp then motioned for them to wait. They nodded, in position as the magess reached into her one of her compnent pouches and withdrew a handful of the pink sand they’d seen in Hawkview.</p><p> </p><p> She purposely moved to the edge of the platform , flung the pink sand before her, and pronounced in a surprisingly quiet voice, “<em>Contro es amberall buul.</em>”<mage spell: <em>Sleep</em>> .</p><p> </p><p> As the first goblin noticed the fine grains of twinkling sand fall lightly into the glade he had time to turn and point up at the mage’s face, scowling at them in fury, before he dropped into an arcane slumber. A second of the trio similarly fell without even turning. The third croaked some sound as he raised his shortbow toward her position. Then he too fell to Alaria’s mystic assault.</p><p> </p><p> Braddok and Coerraine hurried down the platform. Coeraine was obviously planning on skewering the goblins where they lay before Alaria interrupted his thoughts. </p><p> </p><p> “Bind them. We need them alive for information.” She said.</p><p> </p><p> “All of them?” asked Duor in all sincerity. Alaria frowned at the suggestion.</p><p></p><p> </p><p> “What one does not know, another might.” Pointed out Erevan.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Carg awoke to a rough shaking. When his wholy red eyes jolted open, he found a golden spear head in his face. A blond armored human held the spear and scowled darkly at him.</p><p> </p><p> “Give me one reason not to smite you where you stand, creature.” He said.</p><p> </p><p> His companions were roused in an equally rough manner. Borf had a red-headed half-elf holding a spear to his throat. Trak looked nervously at the dark cloaked dwarf holding a crossbow before him.</p><p> </p><p> Carg shuddered visibly to see another human female with a staff, a swordsman and another elf standing with his arms folded behind the armed captors. </p><p> </p><p> “<em>What happened here</em>.” <translated from goblin> Said the elf.</p><p> </p><p> “Carg not creature.” The goblin soldier spat defiantly in what little human tongue he knew.</p><p> </p><p> “What about your friends here?” said the dwarf. “Maybe they know? You can get rid of that one, Coerraine.”</p><p> </p><p> “No! No! Not talk hoomun. Only Carg.” He quickly replied. Carg struggled in his bonds to find himself completely immobilized.</p><p> </p><p> “<em>Fine…Carg.”</em> Said the elf, again in goblin. “<em>You tell me or you all die now.”</em></p><p> </p><p> <em>“We killed your people.” </em>Said the goblin archer called Trak with a sneer.</p><p> </p><p> The dwarf lowered his crossbow and shot Trak in leg. The goblin let out a snarling yelp.</p><p> </p><p> “Duor!” called the female. The dwarf seemed not to be bothered and the female made no further chastisement. Slowly, calmly, the dwarf merely reloaded his hand crossbow and again pointed it at Trak’s head. Then his dark eyes shifted to look at Carg.</p><p> </p><p> <em>“ The Master brought us here. You can see what happened. The Bloody Talon will kill all point-ear,”</em> Carg said, his voice full of defiance and menace. He looked to the humans and finally back at the dwarf<em>, <span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">“</span></em><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Then the Master will kill you all!”</span> </span>his final word directed at the dwarf.</p><p> </p><p> “Ain’t happened in a thousand thousand ears, scumbucket.” Said the dwarf. “Ain’t gonna happen now.”</p><p> </p><p> The smallest goblin, Borf, whimpered and tried to scuttle away from the spear tip before him.</p><p> </p><p> “No kill! No kill! Master’s fault.” Borf cried in broken Common.</p><p> </p><p> <em>“Traitor!”</em> shouted Trak. “<em>The Master will flay your cowardly hide</em>.”</p><p> </p><p> Carg also looked with disapproval at the smallest of his companions.</p><p> </p><p> “Just looking for eat.” Carg quickly amended. “No want fight. Forgive Borf. He just soft boy.”</p><p> </p><p> The female said something to the elf. Then the elf spoke again, “<em>Who is your ‘Master’? How large a force does he command and where are you heading.”</em></p><p> </p><p> Trak let out a gutteral laugh.<em> “You’ll never defeat the Master. Sharzaak will rise and the goblins will rule everything.”</em></p><p> </p><p></p><p>At this, the elf raised an eyebrow. The female looked nervously at the elf. </p><p> </p><p> <em>“Be silent, Trak!” </em>Carg commanded.</p><p> </p><p> <em>“How many are you and where do you go?”</em> the elf repeated. </p><p> </p><p> “Carg no know! Not know! Many many gobilenses. Burgbars too. Ogorses. The Master brings all to him. Gone to kill the elves. All elves in the big wood.” Carg quickly tried to answer as the blond humans spear pressed against his throat. He sealed his lips and pressed his eyes shut as the spear bit into his mottled grey-green flesh. </p><p> </p><p> “Easy, Coerraine.” Came a meek voice from Carg’s right. He had not noticed the small hairfoot behind the big man. “It is wrong to torture them.”</p><p> </p><p> The blond armored human closed his eyes and heaved an exhale. “You are correct, Hilltender. Celradorn, forgive my anger.” He rose and stepped away from the Carg. "I can not slay a bound foe." The goblin sighed in relief.</p><p> </p><p> Then the other human with the sword stepped forward and leveled his blade before Carg. “You are fortunate, murderer. My friend here has a certain code of respect.” The warrior leveled his sword blade to Carg’s neck. “UNfortunately, I do not share such…moral qualms.”</p><p> </p><p> “Wut’s is ‘morl kwallms’?” said Carg innocently.</p><p> </p><p> “Means yer skewered either way, goblin.” Said the dwarf.</p><p> </p><p> The elf looked at the female. The female looked at him mournfully, turned and walked away.</p><p> </p><p> <em>“The goblins will rise! Death to the elves</em>!” shouted Trak before the dwarf put another crossbow bolt between his eyes.</p><p> </p><p> Borg began to murmur prayers to the goblin gods, broken by uncontrollable sobs.</p><p> </p><p> <em>“Who is your Master?”</em> questioned the elf again. Carg, now seeing they had no hope of survival. Simply lowered his head.</p><p> </p><p> <em>“You will kill me anyway. I will not answer you.”</em> Carg mumbled.</p><p> </p><p> The human with the sword to his throat turned to look at the elf.</p><p> </p><p> <em>“Tell me and I will free you and your companion.” </em>Said the elf.</p><p> </p><p> Carg thought for a moment. “The Master have many..." he struggled to find the human word, "...names. We call Bulgruch. He mightiest leader we have ever have.” He paused for a moment and, fearing he would be slain anyway, added, “You not beat him. No one beat Bulgruch.”</p><p> </p><p> The elf’s brow furrowed a moment. “Release them.” He said to the captors.</p><p> </p><p> “Are yeh out of yer pointy-eared head, Erevan!” the dwarf yelled.</p><p> </p><p></p><p>“You can’t be serious!” said the blond spear-wielder.</p><p> </p><p> The half-elf untied Borg without hesitation. The hairfoot came and undid Carg’s bonds.</p><p> </p><p> The goblins sat for a moment, frozen by awe and fear.</p><p> </p><p> The human warriors looked down at the newly released and completely unarmed goblins. The swordsman made a lunging movement at Carg. That was enough to send he and Borf scurrying for the trees.</p><p> </p><p> Carg ran as fast as his clawed feet could carry him. First he heard the whizzing noise. Then the wet thud of what he presumed to be Borf hitting the blood-soaked mud. Then another whizzing noise as he turned to look before the pain ripped through his shoulder. The force of the impact on the slippery ground knocked him prone. He looked back at the elf as it drew another arrow into his longbow. </p><p> </p><p> “Curse to all elves and their big bows.” Carg thought. </p><p> </p><p> Hatred burned in the elf’s almond-shaped eyes but otherwise, no emotion shown on his face.</p><p> </p><p> “Erevan!” said the blond man.</p><p> </p><p> “I said I would set them free. I never said I would let them live.” Said the elf. </p><p> </p><p> Carg felt the next bolt slam into his chest. As his vision blurred, Carg noticed the hairfoot looking at him in great sadness. Then…Carg felt the darkness come upon him.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5559961, member: 92511"] Coerraine joined his companions on the treetop platform and the group carried on. The Redstar Knight toiled inwardly with his feelings of remorse and fury. He was under the presumption that the warband they had encountered nearly a week before was responsible for all of this destruction and death which they now picked through like the scavenger birds that picked at the remains in the glade below. Initially, Coerraine was consumed with a rant to bestow on their “leader”, the mage Alaria. It was her decision to avoid the warband. These deaths were on her head. But a single look at the tear stained face of the young woman quelled his rage. She, obviously, was punishing herself enough, thought the blond paladin. They moved swiftly but with caution. From dwelling to dwelling, they found a number more bodies, both goblinoid and elvin warriors. A few dressed in similar blue robes to the mage they had discovered. Broken weapons of goblin and elf make were broken and littered about. Furniture and belongings strewn haphazardly. Coerraine murmured a prayer of thanks to Celradorn that they had not encountered the bodies of any children or females in the carnage. “How many elves were stationed here, Erevan? Do you know?” the paladin questioned softly. Erevan shrugged a response. “I can not say. I have not been to this outpost before.” “When I passed through two winters passed,” offered Fen, “there were not a force of more than twenty trained soldiers. About half as many support staff, as I recall.” The half-elf looked around thoughtfully. “Thankfully, I have not noticed any of the workers among the dead…and I would estimate that we have located almost all of the warriors.” “Thank Manat for small blessings.” Alaria whispered. The mage that died before her had coupled with the carnage in the glade below firmly cemented her guilt. She tried desperately to argue with herself that their small number could have done little to impede such ferocity. But the remorse still stung at her heart. By the time they came to the final treetop building, they had managed to accrue a second full quiver of elvish arrows for Erevan. Braddok replenished his little used quiver with the superior crafted bolts as well. Duor had added a length of elvish rope to his equipment. The dwarf rogue was as much disgusted as infuriated that all of the corpses seemed to have been robbed of any coin purses they might have possessed. Damned goblins, Duor cursed to himself. Haelan respectfully asked Erevan if it would be alright for him to take a discarded helmet of one of the elf warriors. The steel helm was banded in copper and brass with a great spreading oak tree at the bridge of the nose. He felt it would be a tribute to both, the warrior who apparently had slain a number of goblins before falling himself, and to his nature-loving goddess. Erevan smile slightly at the suggestion and nodded his consent. As the party saw a final bridge that led from the last tree housing a construction to the high ground above the falls. “How are we to proceed now?” Alaria questioned out loud. “Without the elves here, how are we to get the boat to the top of the falls?” As party pondered this, Duor raised a gloved hand in what the party took as a sign to “be quiet.” The dwarf leaned slightly toward the edge of the platform. Erevan, similarly crooked his head in the manner he often did when noticing some imperceptible sound. Duor scowled and pointed down toward the eastern edge of the glade. As the party watched, three goblins cautiously stalked their way into the open. They were obviously trying to be stealthy, but grumbled among each other in their garbled tongue. Only a firm hand on his chest kept Coerraine from racing down the wooden steps to engage the murderers. Erevan crouched near the edge and nocked an arrow, all the while straining to hear the goblin conversation. “They are deserters.” Said the elf, finally . “They are hoping to scavenge what riches they can and return to their camp unnoticed.” “They shall do no such thing.” Said Alaria pointedly. She motioned for Braddok and Coerraine toward the ramp then motioned for them to wait. They nodded, in position as the magess reached into her one of her compnent pouches and withdrew a handful of the pink sand they’d seen in Hawkview. She purposely moved to the edge of the platform , flung the pink sand before her, and pronounced in a surprisingly quiet voice, “[I]Contro es amberall buul.[/I]”<mage spell: [I]Sleep[/I]> . As the first goblin noticed the fine grains of twinkling sand fall lightly into the glade he had time to turn and point up at the mage’s face, scowling at them in fury, before he dropped into an arcane slumber. A second of the trio similarly fell without even turning. The third croaked some sound as he raised his shortbow toward her position. Then he too fell to Alaria’s mystic assault. Braddok and Coerraine hurried down the platform. Coeraine was obviously planning on skewering the goblins where they lay before Alaria interrupted his thoughts. “Bind them. We need them alive for information.” She said. “All of them?” asked Duor in all sincerity. Alaria frowned at the suggestion. “What one does not know, another might.” Pointed out Erevan. Carg awoke to a rough shaking. When his wholy red eyes jolted open, he found a golden spear head in his face. A blond armored human held the spear and scowled darkly at him. “Give me one reason not to smite you where you stand, creature.” He said. His companions were roused in an equally rough manner. Borf had a red-headed half-elf holding a spear to his throat. Trak looked nervously at the dark cloaked dwarf holding a crossbow before him. Carg shuddered visibly to see another human female with a staff, a swordsman and another elf standing with his arms folded behind the armed captors. “[I]What happened here[/I].” <translated from goblin> Said the elf. “Carg not creature.” The goblin soldier spat defiantly in what little human tongue he knew. “What about your friends here?” said the dwarf. “Maybe they know? You can get rid of that one, Coerraine.” “No! No! Not talk hoomun. Only Carg.” He quickly replied. Carg struggled in his bonds to find himself completely immobilized. “[I]Fine…Carg.”[/I] Said the elf, again in goblin. “[I]You tell me or you all die now.”[/I] [I]“We killed your people.” [/I]Said the goblin archer called Trak with a sneer. The dwarf lowered his crossbow and shot Trak in leg. The goblin let out a snarling yelp. “Duor!” called the female. The dwarf seemed not to be bothered and the female made no further chastisement. Slowly, calmly, the dwarf merely reloaded his hand crossbow and again pointed it at Trak’s head. Then his dark eyes shifted to look at Carg. [I]“ The Master brought us here. You can see what happened. The Bloody Talon will kill all point-ear,”[/I] Carg said, his voice full of defiance and menace. He looked to the humans and finally back at the dwarf[I], [FONT=Verdana]“[/FONT][/I][FONT=Arial][FONT=Verdana]Then the Master will kill you all!”[/FONT] [/FONT]his final word directed at the dwarf. “Ain’t happened in a thousand thousand ears, scumbucket.” Said the dwarf. “Ain’t gonna happen now.” The smallest goblin, Borf, whimpered and tried to scuttle away from the spear tip before him. “No kill! No kill! Master’s fault.” Borf cried in broken Common. [I]“Traitor!”[/I] shouted Trak. “[I]The Master will flay your cowardly hide[/I].” Carg also looked with disapproval at the smallest of his companions. “Just looking for eat.” Carg quickly amended. “No want fight. Forgive Borf. He just soft boy.” The female said something to the elf. Then the elf spoke again, “[I]Who is your ‘Master’? How large a force does he command and where are you heading.”[/I] Trak let out a gutteral laugh.[I] “You’ll never defeat the Master. Sharzaak will rise and the goblins will rule everything.”[/I] At this, the elf raised an eyebrow. The female looked nervously at the elf. [I]“Be silent, Trak!” [/I]Carg commanded. [I]“How many are you and where do you go?”[/I] the elf repeated. “Carg no know! Not know! Many many gobilenses. Burgbars too. Ogorses. The Master brings all to him. Gone to kill the elves. All elves in the big wood.” Carg quickly tried to answer as the blond humans spear pressed against his throat. He sealed his lips and pressed his eyes shut as the spear bit into his mottled grey-green flesh. “Easy, Coerraine.” Came a meek voice from Carg’s right. He had not noticed the small hairfoot behind the big man. “It is wrong to torture them.” The blond armored human closed his eyes and heaved an exhale. “You are correct, Hilltender. Celradorn, forgive my anger.” He rose and stepped away from the Carg. "I can not slay a bound foe." The goblin sighed in relief. Then the other human with the sword stepped forward and leveled his blade before Carg. “You are fortunate, murderer. My friend here has a certain code of respect.” The warrior leveled his sword blade to Carg’s neck. “UNfortunately, I do not share such…moral qualms.” “Wut’s is ‘morl kwallms’?” said Carg innocently. “Means yer skewered either way, goblin.” Said the dwarf. The elf looked at the female. The female looked at him mournfully, turned and walked away. [I]“The goblins will rise! Death to the elves[/I]!” shouted Trak before the dwarf put another crossbow bolt between his eyes. Borg began to murmur prayers to the goblin gods, broken by uncontrollable sobs. [I]“Who is your Master?”[/I] questioned the elf again. Carg, now seeing they had no hope of survival. Simply lowered his head. [I]“You will kill me anyway. I will not answer you.”[/I] Carg mumbled. The human with the sword to his throat turned to look at the elf. [I]“Tell me and I will free you and your companion.” [/I]Said the elf. Carg thought for a moment. “The Master have many..." he struggled to find the human word, "...names. We call Bulgruch. He mightiest leader we have ever have.” He paused for a moment and, fearing he would be slain anyway, added, “You not beat him. No one beat Bulgruch.” The elf’s brow furrowed a moment. “Release them.” He said to the captors. “Are yeh out of yer pointy-eared head, Erevan!” the dwarf yelled. “You can’t be serious!” said the blond spear-wielder. The half-elf untied Borg without hesitation. The hairfoot came and undid Carg’s bonds. The goblins sat for a moment, frozen by awe and fear. The human warriors looked down at the newly released and completely unarmed goblins. The swordsman made a lunging movement at Carg. That was enough to send he and Borf scurrying for the trees. Carg ran as fast as his clawed feet could carry him. First he heard the whizzing noise. Then the wet thud of what he presumed to be Borf hitting the blood-soaked mud. Then another whizzing noise as he turned to look before the pain ripped through his shoulder. The force of the impact on the slippery ground knocked him prone. He looked back at the elf as it drew another arrow into his longbow. “Curse to all elves and their big bows.” Carg thought. Hatred burned in the elf’s almond-shaped eyes but otherwise, no emotion shown on his face. “Erevan!” said the blond man. “I said I would set them free. I never said I would let them live.” Said the elf. Carg felt the next bolt slam into his chest. As his vision blurred, Carg noticed the hairfoot looking at him in great sadness. Then…Carg felt the darkness come upon him. [/QUOTE]
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