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Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 6239633" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p>“...so I can only surmise...and this is pure conjecture, mind...that the combination of the liquid and the magical nature of this place, over the countless ages we know Gorathgraard has been here, led to the creature’s creation. I suspect it was entirely mindless. Very similar to the creation of mudmen, as Pyrnion initially proposed.” Alaria concluded her lengthy explanation of how a pool of spilled wines might become a giant tar-like killer monster.</p><p></p><p>“So it wasn’t a wine elemental?" Haelan asked innocently.</p><p></p><p>“Not as such...though very similar, Haelan." Alaria responded kindly. The magess had found, in times when she was nearly spent, being kind to Haelan was easier than when she was tightly wound with energies.</p><p></p><p>The party had traveled for over an hour in the sprawling wine cellar beneath the ancient keep. Passing row after row. Peering down to a limited distance and continuing along the perimeter. Gorathiel’s instructions had said there was a gate “in the wall" behind some old casks of wine. So they were hugging the walls, in hope.</p><p></p><p>Barring that, it was their fervent hope to find some chamber or alcove in which they might safely “camp” for a time, if not a full night. If they came along some casks, then great.</p><p></p><p>In the wake of the “wine elemental’s” attack, the companions had debated their course and it was decided that ‘in for a penny, in for a pound,’ as it were. All, except Alaria, believed leaving now might surely be missing their only chance at the dragon’s treasure vault. </p><p></p><p>At nearly two hours after their encounter with the wine-thing, they saw a light glowing from the wall ahead of them.</p><p></p><p>Against all objections, Duor raced forward with Jovias close in tow. The light was coming from behind an elaborately fashioned golden gate. Images of swans and humanoid figures seemed to swim and fly up and down the bars of gold.</p><p></p><p>Beyond the gates, a vast chamber, deep and high vaulted, was filled with mounds of gold and silver coins, jewels and gems, goblets and platters of shining metals, all lit and glittering from the shining golden light of an equally elaborately crafted chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the center of the chamber. </p><p></p><p>“By Feorn’s beard.” Duor said, breathless.</p><p></p><p>“I will write such a song as has never been heard.” Jovias said, wide-eyed in wonder at the wealth and riches strewn just before him, just beyond these gates.</p><p></p><p>The rest of the company arrived and were similarly awestruck.</p><p></p><p>“Will you look at that." Braddok said, almost as breathless as Duor.</p><p></p><p>“Manat’s star." Alaria breathed.</p><p></p><p>Through his amazement, Haelan mentioned offhandedly, “But...didn’t the stone face say that the gate was behind some casks?”</p><p></p><p>“Who cares what it said?!” Duor burst. “He’s been trapped upstairs for who knows how long. The casks prolly disintegrated years ago. LOOK AT THIS!” Duor argued.</p><p></p><p>“Makes sense." Pyrnion said and looked around at the floor and walls. Another wine-creature was not on his list of things to encounter again soon. The walls showed no signs of having anything before them. The floor also. No pool of goo.</p><p></p><p>“That’s good.” the zephari thought to himself.</p><p></p><p>No shards of wood, either...or the rusted metal of ages old bands that would have bound barrels of wine. In fact, even the all-pervading sickly-sweet smell didn’t seem to exist here. </p><p></p><p>The dwarf sniffed and rubbed an eye with a gloved hand. “This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Now...stand back! Give a dwarf some room. I’ll get us in here.” Duor commanded and even shoved Jovias back from the gates as he pulled his slender wrap of licks and oddly shaped tools from his belt. He began examining the obvious huge padlock.</p><p></p><p>“Take care, Duor. Gorathiel did say there would be traps.” Alaria cautioned.</p><p></p><p>“Yeah, yeah.” Duor grumbled under his beard as he fiddled with the lock.</p><p></p><p>Pyrnion stepped back and examined the walls and floor some more. No signs for scraping on the floor. No movement on the dust covered floors other than their own, that he could discern. He turned his gaze above them. Shadows...darkness...very complete. </p><p></p><p>The zepahrim were renowned for their distance vision, but in darkness it was little better than humans or daelvar. Was that movement or just his mind playing tricks in the shadows?</p><p></p><p>“Alaria, perhaps you should...” Haelan began to suggest. </p><p></p><p>“Yes, Haelan. <em>Arkani.</em>..” Alaria began to intone. <em><the beginnings of the Detect Magic cantrip></em></p><p></p><p>Movement! Pyrnion’s mind cried even before he could voice it.</p><p></p><p>Pyrnion wrapped an arm around the nearby magess and half-grabbed half-threw and half-leapt with the magess in his muscled forearm, wrapping them both in his golden wings.</p><p></p><p>What happened next was a blur, depending on whose point of view you had.</p><p></p><p>Duor was knelt before the golden shining gate and lock. He went from fiddling with a lock to feeling nothing at the end of his lockpicks and seeing nothing. Blackness filled his eyes and, indeed, mind. A thunderous jolt shook him, literally, off the ground to land heavily in the complete darkness.</p><p></p><p>Braddok and Jovias, the nearest behind Duor, were similarly ensconced in darkness. A force, like the hammer of Dunric the god-smith, slammed into them both.</p><p></p><p>Haelan, standing beside Alaria and slightly behind the satyr, was thrown several feet from the shockwave of the impact of the darkness.</p><p></p><p>Fen had begun to wander down the aisle between the rows of shelves behind them, to ensure nothing was “sneaking up on them." He flinched and instinctively sunk to his knee, wrapping himself in the sacred cloak as the shockwave of force shook the entire are they were in. He turned to see a towering globe of darkness give way to an abomination.</p><p></p><p>Alaria, hastily grabbed about the waist and carried/thrown by the zephari, found herself in the muscled embrace of the winged man. She looked in surprise and concern at the zephari’s face. His feathery eyebrows above tightly closed amber eagle-eyes. The shudder of the forceful slam...somewhere they had just a breath before been standing, shook her innards.</p><p></p><p>“What?!” she began to say, even as her mind knew 'we’re under attack!’</p><p></p><p>Turning, Pyrnion moved his wing, even as he looked at the magess and said “Are you unharmed?”</p><p></p><p>“I am...” Alaria began to reply even as the cloud of darkness before them dissipated, “o...” In the place of the darkness stood a creature, “...k?”...Evil in bestial form. </p><p></p><p>A torso and great powerful arms and claws, akin to a bear, a face not unlike a gorilla...except for the tusks of a boar...jaws and teeth like a lion...the legs and hooves of a goat, not unlike Jovias’ own.</p><p></p><p>And strewn about those hooves...the unconscious forms of Jovias, Duor and Braddok. </p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #b22222"><em><strong>“Rejoice, mortals! For you find your end in the esteemed presence of Nishkibuul, the Ever-damned and Ever-damning!”</strong></em></span></span> the creature said without saying. The presence of its voice in their minds was like nails grating on a chalkboard.</p><p></p><p>“Abomination!” Fen cried and, spear tip flaring in green light, raced forward. </p><p></p><p>Pyrnion grabbed Fen about the waist as he tried to charge passed his and Alaria’s position. In the other large muscled arm, he hooked Alaria and with a lunge of his large thighs, launched the three of them into the air, turning invisible as he did so.</p><p></p><p>“BRADDOK! Haelan?!” Alaria cried in Pyrnion‘s ear, more question than command.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #b22222"><em><strong>“Yesshh. Fly little bird-man. FLY! Heh...hehhehhehhehheh<span style="font-size: 15px">hahahaHAHAHA</span><span style="font-size: 18px">HAHAHAWHAW</span></strong></em></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="color: #b22222"><em><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">HAWHAWHUHUHUHUH!!!! </span></strong></em></span></span><span style="font-size: 18px">”</span> the creature’s inhuman voice echoed behind yet all around them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 6239633, member: 92511"] “...so I can only surmise...and this is pure conjecture, mind...that the combination of the liquid and the magical nature of this place, over the countless ages we know Gorathgraard has been here, led to the creature’s creation. I suspect it was entirely mindless. Very similar to the creation of mudmen, as Pyrnion initially proposed.” Alaria concluded her lengthy explanation of how a pool of spilled wines might become a giant tar-like killer monster. “So it wasn’t a wine elemental?" Haelan asked innocently. “Not as such...though very similar, Haelan." Alaria responded kindly. The magess had found, in times when she was nearly spent, being kind to Haelan was easier than when she was tightly wound with energies. The party had traveled for over an hour in the sprawling wine cellar beneath the ancient keep. Passing row after row. Peering down to a limited distance and continuing along the perimeter. Gorathiel’s instructions had said there was a gate “in the wall" behind some old casks of wine. So they were hugging the walls, in hope. Barring that, it was their fervent hope to find some chamber or alcove in which they might safely “camp” for a time, if not a full night. If they came along some casks, then great. In the wake of the “wine elemental’s” attack, the companions had debated their course and it was decided that ‘in for a penny, in for a pound,’ as it were. All, except Alaria, believed leaving now might surely be missing their only chance at the dragon’s treasure vault. At nearly two hours after their encounter with the wine-thing, they saw a light glowing from the wall ahead of them. Against all objections, Duor raced forward with Jovias close in tow. The light was coming from behind an elaborately fashioned golden gate. Images of swans and humanoid figures seemed to swim and fly up and down the bars of gold. Beyond the gates, a vast chamber, deep and high vaulted, was filled with mounds of gold and silver coins, jewels and gems, goblets and platters of shining metals, all lit and glittering from the shining golden light of an equally elaborately crafted chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the center of the chamber. “By Feorn’s beard.” Duor said, breathless. “I will write such a song as has never been heard.” Jovias said, wide-eyed in wonder at the wealth and riches strewn just before him, just beyond these gates. The rest of the company arrived and were similarly awestruck. “Will you look at that." Braddok said, almost as breathless as Duor. “Manat’s star." Alaria breathed. Through his amazement, Haelan mentioned offhandedly, “But...didn’t the stone face say that the gate was behind some casks?” “Who cares what it said?!” Duor burst. “He’s been trapped upstairs for who knows how long. The casks prolly disintegrated years ago. LOOK AT THIS!” Duor argued. “Makes sense." Pyrnion said and looked around at the floor and walls. Another wine-creature was not on his list of things to encounter again soon. The walls showed no signs of having anything before them. The floor also. No pool of goo. “That’s good.” the zephari thought to himself. No shards of wood, either...or the rusted metal of ages old bands that would have bound barrels of wine. In fact, even the all-pervading sickly-sweet smell didn’t seem to exist here. The dwarf sniffed and rubbed an eye with a gloved hand. “This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Now...stand back! Give a dwarf some room. I’ll get us in here.” Duor commanded and even shoved Jovias back from the gates as he pulled his slender wrap of licks and oddly shaped tools from his belt. He began examining the obvious huge padlock. “Take care, Duor. Gorathiel did say there would be traps.” Alaria cautioned. “Yeah, yeah.” Duor grumbled under his beard as he fiddled with the lock. Pyrnion stepped back and examined the walls and floor some more. No signs for scraping on the floor. No movement on the dust covered floors other than their own, that he could discern. He turned his gaze above them. Shadows...darkness...very complete. The zepahrim were renowned for their distance vision, but in darkness it was little better than humans or daelvar. Was that movement or just his mind playing tricks in the shadows? “Alaria, perhaps you should...” Haelan began to suggest. “Yes, Haelan. [I]Arkani.[/I]..” Alaria began to intone. [I]<the beginnings of the Detect Magic cantrip>[/I] Movement! Pyrnion’s mind cried even before he could voice it. Pyrnion wrapped an arm around the nearby magess and half-grabbed half-threw and half-leapt with the magess in his muscled forearm, wrapping them both in his golden wings. What happened next was a blur, depending on whose point of view you had. Duor was knelt before the golden shining gate and lock. He went from fiddling with a lock to feeling nothing at the end of his lockpicks and seeing nothing. Blackness filled his eyes and, indeed, mind. A thunderous jolt shook him, literally, off the ground to land heavily in the complete darkness. Braddok and Jovias, the nearest behind Duor, were similarly ensconced in darkness. A force, like the hammer of Dunric the god-smith, slammed into them both. Haelan, standing beside Alaria and slightly behind the satyr, was thrown several feet from the shockwave of the impact of the darkness. Fen had begun to wander down the aisle between the rows of shelves behind them, to ensure nothing was “sneaking up on them." He flinched and instinctively sunk to his knee, wrapping himself in the sacred cloak as the shockwave of force shook the entire are they were in. He turned to see a towering globe of darkness give way to an abomination. Alaria, hastily grabbed about the waist and carried/thrown by the zephari, found herself in the muscled embrace of the winged man. She looked in surprise and concern at the zephari’s face. His feathery eyebrows above tightly closed amber eagle-eyes. The shudder of the forceful slam...somewhere they had just a breath before been standing, shook her innards. “What?!” she began to say, even as her mind knew 'we’re under attack!’ Turning, Pyrnion moved his wing, even as he looked at the magess and said “Are you unharmed?” “I am...” Alaria began to reply even as the cloud of darkness before them dissipated, “o...” In the place of the darkness stood a creature, “...k?”...Evil in bestial form. A torso and great powerful arms and claws, akin to a bear, a face not unlike a gorilla...except for the tusks of a boar...jaws and teeth like a lion...the legs and hooves of a goat, not unlike Jovias’ own. And strewn about those hooves...the unconscious forms of Jovias, Duor and Braddok. [SIZE=3][COLOR=#b22222][I][B]“Rejoice, mortals! For you find your end in the esteemed presence of Nishkibuul, the Ever-damned and Ever-damning!”[/B][/I][/COLOR][/SIZE] the creature said without saying. The presence of its voice in their minds was like nails grating on a chalkboard. “Abomination!” Fen cried and, spear tip flaring in green light, raced forward. Pyrnion grabbed Fen about the waist as he tried to charge passed his and Alaria’s position. In the other large muscled arm, he hooked Alaria and with a lunge of his large thighs, launched the three of them into the air, turning invisible as he did so. “BRADDOK! Haelan?!” Alaria cried in Pyrnion‘s ear, more question than command. [SIZE=3][COLOR=#b22222][I][B]“Yesshh. Fly little bird-man. FLY! Heh...hehhehhehhehheh[SIZE=4]hahahaHAHAHA[/SIZE][SIZE=5]HAHAHAWHAW HAWHAWHUHUHUHUH!!!! [/SIZE][/B][/I][/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=5]”[/SIZE] the creature’s inhuman voice echoed behind yet all around them. [/QUOTE]
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