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The Red Hand of Doom - Completed 8 February 2008: Against Tiamat and Epilogue
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<blockquote data-quote="Pedestrian" data-source="post: 3854381" data-attributes="member: 40208"><p>It hadn’t been half a day since they’d left Brindol, and already there was trouble. Seemed like the Hand had reached further than anyone thought. Sol was quite pleased with that thought. He would have shared it with Xerxes, but he was being all spooky. Besides, there was business to attend to.</p><p></p><p>Having just crested a gentle hill, the two found themselves looking down at a ruined caravan, clustered with a few dead bodies. A group of goblins were dancing on top of it, and a pair of two-headed giants were hooting and hollering, like as if they were going to take on the army next. Sol slid of his horse and unbuckled his axe. Xerxes also started to get off his mare, but the giants noticed them.</p><p></p><p>The ground shook at the brutes ran up to meet them, clubs coming down hard. Sol brought his axe up just in time to deflect the worst of the blow, but it still set his bones shaking. He didn’t have time to see how Xerxes was doing, but he needn’t have worried. All of a sudden, cold winds whipped up, and the other giant screamed as half of one of its face just dropped off.</p><p></p><p>Sol took his chance, leaping into the thick of things. He span his axe in a big arc, slashing down the melted giant, and hacking into the calf of the other. The goblins, for their bit, tried to stick him with their flimsy javelins, but he was too quick. Or they were just bad shots.</p><p></p><p>More angry than hurt, though probably a bit scared that his friend was dead, the other giant tried to pummel both him and Xerxes into bits. It got a good hit in, and put Sol off balance enough that he mistimed his next swing, only catching the mud before the giants fingers. Xerxes, on the other hand, just vanished. One second, it looked like the giant would be taking his head off with a club-swing, the next, Xerxes was gone, and a big spot of black had emerged and swallowed up the goblins. Sol could hear screams coming from inside it, but he had bigger troubles.</p><p></p><p>With Xerxes vanished, the giant managed to rub its two heads together and come up with one idea. Smashing Sol. He ducked and dodged, dived and weaved, parried with his axe, pulled out every trick he’d learnt on the sands, and some he made up just then, but two heads were better than one, especially when using arms as big as Sol was. He was knocked from side to side, slammed about, rolling with blows that should have clobbered him into the mud, all the while half-hearing the terrified yells of the goblins in the cloud. At least Xerxes was doing well. Barely standing, he still tried to bring his axe up to defend from one last swing.</p><p></p><p>Darkness. The giant rumbled in fear, then shrieked in pain. Then Sol could see again, and he lunged in, swinging so hard he span with the force of it. But the giant went down, and Sol just managed to get out of the way.</p><p></p><p>Sol sighed with the relief, leaning on his axe. Xerxes, using the belt Kayan had given him, poured channelled healing magic. It wasn’t like being cured by a priest, where you felt someone watching. Just, being fixed, getting better quick. Sol wondered if it was how a sword felt when it was being made.</p><p></p><p>The pair looked around the destroyed caravan. There were three iron coffers, heavy, so Sol lugged them back to the horses, who were munching on the grass. None of the guards had made it out alive. They wore the gold lion on a blue field of Brindol. Sol sighed. Every person dead meant a gap in the walls. A quick look showed their swords weren’t much cop either. Xerxes had found a satchel, containing a letter and a key. Sol grabbed the key excitedly. It matched the chests, solid, strong iron. He liked reading, but he liked treasure even more.</p><p></p><p>Engrossed in the letter, Xerxes waved absently at the chests, which clicked open as Sol reached them. Oh well, thought the half-Orc. He stuffed the key in his belt, and listened to what Xerxes was saying.</p><p></p><p>“For the eyes of Captain Ervath Helmbreaker.</p><p></p><p>“I wish to retain the service of the Shining Axes regiment of the Hammerfist Holds in the defence of the free city of Brindol. To that effect, I have despatched with this document coffers containing coins and valuable gems to the price of six thousand crowns.</p><p></p><p>“In honour,</p><p></p><p>“Lord Jaarmaath of Brindol.”</p><p></p><p>Sol was already rooting through the boxes, which held several sacks of coin, along with smaller velvet pouches containing rubies. He frowned for a bit, then began sorting them into piles.</p><p></p><p>“It seems as if these were intended for the dwarves of the Holds,” Xerxes tucked the letter into his vest, looking over as Sol split the coin and jewels between the horses.</p><p></p><p>“Yup. Good thing it’s on the way.” Sol pulled out the map, drew a thick finger from Brindol, “We go to Prosser, then along to Dauth, then up south to the Holds. From there, it’s all mountains an’ desert anyway. Nice to have a good sleep before we get to the Ghost Lord, anyway.” The division of treasures divided, the pair returned to the road.</p><p></p><p>By the end of the day, they had reached Prosser. Years past, the village had been victim of monstrous incursions, but a band by the name of the Six Blades had tamed the beasts of the Prosser Woods, which was now dwindling to nothing as logging took its toll. The place was small, mostly built out of the Blades’ own pockets, and as the woodland had declined, farming had sprung up. Much of the bread and beer of growing Brindol started on Prosser’s fields.</p><p></p><p>Only one Inn stood in the village, the Six Cups, run by Deillyr of the Starry Cloak, one of the blades. It was a quick stop, just overnight. Sol found himself ruminating over a mug of the local brew, while Deillyr asked about the Red Hand. Seemed the Prosser folk’d got it into their mind that they could stand here. Xerxes soon put paid to that idea, but Deillyr didn’t say they’d come ‘round but that she’d “talk it over” with the other Blades. Sol felt pretty bad that the place was probably going to go up in smoke. The beer was pretty good.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Pedestrian, post: 3854381, member: 40208"] It hadn’t been half a day since they’d left Brindol, and already there was trouble. Seemed like the Hand had reached further than anyone thought. Sol was quite pleased with that thought. He would have shared it with Xerxes, but he was being all spooky. Besides, there was business to attend to. Having just crested a gentle hill, the two found themselves looking down at a ruined caravan, clustered with a few dead bodies. A group of goblins were dancing on top of it, and a pair of two-headed giants were hooting and hollering, like as if they were going to take on the army next. Sol slid of his horse and unbuckled his axe. Xerxes also started to get off his mare, but the giants noticed them. The ground shook at the brutes ran up to meet them, clubs coming down hard. Sol brought his axe up just in time to deflect the worst of the blow, but it still set his bones shaking. He didn’t have time to see how Xerxes was doing, but he needn’t have worried. All of a sudden, cold winds whipped up, and the other giant screamed as half of one of its face just dropped off. Sol took his chance, leaping into the thick of things. He span his axe in a big arc, slashing down the melted giant, and hacking into the calf of the other. The goblins, for their bit, tried to stick him with their flimsy javelins, but he was too quick. Or they were just bad shots. More angry than hurt, though probably a bit scared that his friend was dead, the other giant tried to pummel both him and Xerxes into bits. It got a good hit in, and put Sol off balance enough that he mistimed his next swing, only catching the mud before the giants fingers. Xerxes, on the other hand, just vanished. One second, it looked like the giant would be taking his head off with a club-swing, the next, Xerxes was gone, and a big spot of black had emerged and swallowed up the goblins. Sol could hear screams coming from inside it, but he had bigger troubles. With Xerxes vanished, the giant managed to rub its two heads together and come up with one idea. Smashing Sol. He ducked and dodged, dived and weaved, parried with his axe, pulled out every trick he’d learnt on the sands, and some he made up just then, but two heads were better than one, especially when using arms as big as Sol was. He was knocked from side to side, slammed about, rolling with blows that should have clobbered him into the mud, all the while half-hearing the terrified yells of the goblins in the cloud. At least Xerxes was doing well. Barely standing, he still tried to bring his axe up to defend from one last swing. Darkness. The giant rumbled in fear, then shrieked in pain. Then Sol could see again, and he lunged in, swinging so hard he span with the force of it. But the giant went down, and Sol just managed to get out of the way. Sol sighed with the relief, leaning on his axe. Xerxes, using the belt Kayan had given him, poured channelled healing magic. It wasn’t like being cured by a priest, where you felt someone watching. Just, being fixed, getting better quick. Sol wondered if it was how a sword felt when it was being made. The pair looked around the destroyed caravan. There were three iron coffers, heavy, so Sol lugged them back to the horses, who were munching on the grass. None of the guards had made it out alive. They wore the gold lion on a blue field of Brindol. Sol sighed. Every person dead meant a gap in the walls. A quick look showed their swords weren’t much cop either. Xerxes had found a satchel, containing a letter and a key. Sol grabbed the key excitedly. It matched the chests, solid, strong iron. He liked reading, but he liked treasure even more. Engrossed in the letter, Xerxes waved absently at the chests, which clicked open as Sol reached them. Oh well, thought the half-Orc. He stuffed the key in his belt, and listened to what Xerxes was saying. “For the eyes of Captain Ervath Helmbreaker. “I wish to retain the service of the Shining Axes regiment of the Hammerfist Holds in the defence of the free city of Brindol. To that effect, I have despatched with this document coffers containing coins and valuable gems to the price of six thousand crowns. “In honour, “Lord Jaarmaath of Brindol.” Sol was already rooting through the boxes, which held several sacks of coin, along with smaller velvet pouches containing rubies. He frowned for a bit, then began sorting them into piles. “It seems as if these were intended for the dwarves of the Holds,” Xerxes tucked the letter into his vest, looking over as Sol split the coin and jewels between the horses. “Yup. Good thing it’s on the way.” Sol pulled out the map, drew a thick finger from Brindol, “We go to Prosser, then along to Dauth, then up south to the Holds. From there, it’s all mountains an’ desert anyway. Nice to have a good sleep before we get to the Ghost Lord, anyway.” The division of treasures divided, the pair returned to the road. By the end of the day, they had reached Prosser. Years past, the village had been victim of monstrous incursions, but a band by the name of the Six Blades had tamed the beasts of the Prosser Woods, which was now dwindling to nothing as logging took its toll. The place was small, mostly built out of the Blades’ own pockets, and as the woodland had declined, farming had sprung up. Much of the bread and beer of growing Brindol started on Prosser’s fields. Only one Inn stood in the village, the Six Cups, run by Deillyr of the Starry Cloak, one of the blades. It was a quick stop, just overnight. Sol found himself ruminating over a mug of the local brew, while Deillyr asked about the Red Hand. Seemed the Prosser folk’d got it into their mind that they could stand here. Xerxes soon put paid to that idea, but Deillyr didn’t say they’d come ‘round but that she’d “talk it over” with the other Blades. Sol felt pretty bad that the place was probably going to go up in smoke. The beer was pretty good. [/QUOTE]
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The Red Hand of Doom - Completed 8 February 2008: Against Tiamat and Epilogue
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