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The Things We Lost -- Update 6/13 - Eberron fiction.
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<blockquote data-quote="ragboy" data-source="post: 3471891" data-attributes="member: 4151"><p><em>Finally dug this back out and started working on it. Don't know if I still have readers out there.... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></em> </p><p>-----------------</p><p></p><p>"How many were there, Verloot?" Kath said, still feeling light-headed. </p><p></p><p>A shaky, expectant feeling gripped her, as it always did after her feral form washed itself out of her mind. </p><p></p><p>"Four of them," the gnome said. "All but this one was killed." </p><p></p><p>"We don't know that," she said, looking closer at the prisoner. </p><p></p><p>She was struck again by its skewed features. The head was slightly lopsided, the ridges on either side of its eyes uneven. The creature breathed easily, though still had not regained consciousness. The ropes binding its arms suddenly seemed too thin. Verloot had bunched the tentacles into his arcane net, a prized possession.</p><p></p><p>"Poison Dusk lizardkin, most likely," said Teech, officiously. "We've seen an increase in raids over the last season." </p><p></p><p>The big man brushed his long mustaches down with one hand, trying his best to look officious. </p><p></p><p>"Lizardkin with these?" Verloot scoffed, pointing to the banded and ridged tentacles. "There's a reason you were slumming around Whitecliff without a job. I'm seeing that now."</p><p></p><p>The captain opened his mouth, eyes strayed to Kath, and then stepped back. </p><p></p><p>"These aren't Poison Dusk," Kath said, trying to smooth the situation over. "They’re too big, for one thing. Something else. Maybe another lizardkin species some Khyber-touched mage has altered." </p><p></p><p>The creature's eyes suddenly popped open, and it went into a frenzy, straining against its bonds. The tentacles thrashed inside the net, but were held fast. As it struggled, its face seemed to soften and melt. Kath watched in horror as the reptilian features faded to only hints of a snout and jagged teeth. The tentacles seemed to draw into the body, becoming on vestigial bumps on the shoulders. The man before her was obviously a shifter. Or once had been. </p><p></p><p>"Let me out of here," he snarled, wide yellow eyes glimmering. </p><p></p><p>Verloot stepped on his stomach. </p><p></p><p>"Stop your yapping until we have something to ask," he said. He lay the point of his sword on the shifter's chest. "Otherwise, we'll forget we care what you have to say and pitch your corpse over to the chawfish with your brothers." </p><p></p><p>The shifter ceased his struggle.</p><p></p><p>"What has happened to you?" Kath asked with more empathy than she intended. "What...are those?"</p><p></p><p>"We've been perfected," the shifter said, his short sharp teeth glowing. "The Beast has changed us for the better, sister." </p><p></p><p>Kath recoiled from his words. Images of her shifter kin dying at the hands of the Brelish army assaulted her. And Uri's painful wounds and disappearance bubbled to the surface of her thoughts. Her breath caught in her throat at his memory. The last days of the Last War took much from her.</p><p></p><p>Verloot took Kath's silence as his cue to continue the interrogation. </p><p></p><p>"We're looking for a hunted war criminal, Gruber Thiel," the gnome said, pressing slightly on the hilt of his sword. "He was a Grand Dracolan in the Karrnathi army, and was known to slaughter whole villages to the last child and raise them to supplement his undead forces." </p><p></p><p>Book, who had drifted up, added: "He goes by a number of aliases, Bebin Durn, Haight, Grogan the Black." </p><p></p><p>"I don't know anything about him," the shifter said, sullenly. He grimaced as the point of the sword dug deeper into his chest. "We are a small tribe. Lost and forgotten. Driven out from the lands of men and elves and all you other softer races." His feral eyes settled on Verloot's. </p><p></p><p>"I'll show you soft, you..."</p><p></p><p>"Verloot," Kath said. "I'll talk to him alone." </p><p></p><p>The gnome turned a surprised look on her, then shook his head. Sheathing his sword, he gave the prisoner a solid kick in the ribs before stomping away. Kath watched him go, then bent over the shifter.</p><p></p><p>"Who did this to you?" she said. </p><p></p><p>"The Beast has clarified all that is right in us," he said, voice straining suddenly. "You'll know his power, too, soon enough." </p><p></p><p>His shift was almost instantaneous, tentacles ripping from his flesh and shredding his bonds. One of the appendages encircled Kath's throat in an instant, dragging her into the air. Polearms thrust in from every direction, and Verloot's charging swipe took the thing's head off. Kath dropped heavily to the deck, her head lolling. Book crouched by her side. </p><p></p><p>"Kath," he said softly. "Lady, are you okay?"</p><p></p><p>She stirred finally, pushing herself up and nodding. The fresh wound on her throat oozed blood.</p><p></p><p>"Let's just get that bastard Thiel," she said.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ragboy, post: 3471891, member: 4151"] [I]Finally dug this back out and started working on it. Don't know if I still have readers out there.... :)[/I] ----------------- "How many were there, Verloot?" Kath said, still feeling light-headed. A shaky, expectant feeling gripped her, as it always did after her feral form washed itself out of her mind. "Four of them," the gnome said. "All but this one was killed." "We don't know that," she said, looking closer at the prisoner. She was struck again by its skewed features. The head was slightly lopsided, the ridges on either side of its eyes uneven. The creature breathed easily, though still had not regained consciousness. The ropes binding its arms suddenly seemed too thin. Verloot had bunched the tentacles into his arcane net, a prized possession. "Poison Dusk lizardkin, most likely," said Teech, officiously. "We've seen an increase in raids over the last season." The big man brushed his long mustaches down with one hand, trying his best to look officious. "Lizardkin with these?" Verloot scoffed, pointing to the banded and ridged tentacles. "There's a reason you were slumming around Whitecliff without a job. I'm seeing that now." The captain opened his mouth, eyes strayed to Kath, and then stepped back. "These aren't Poison Dusk," Kath said, trying to smooth the situation over. "They’re too big, for one thing. Something else. Maybe another lizardkin species some Khyber-touched mage has altered." The creature's eyes suddenly popped open, and it went into a frenzy, straining against its bonds. The tentacles thrashed inside the net, but were held fast. As it struggled, its face seemed to soften and melt. Kath watched in horror as the reptilian features faded to only hints of a snout and jagged teeth. The tentacles seemed to draw into the body, becoming on vestigial bumps on the shoulders. The man before her was obviously a shifter. Or once had been. "Let me out of here," he snarled, wide yellow eyes glimmering. Verloot stepped on his stomach. "Stop your yapping until we have something to ask," he said. He lay the point of his sword on the shifter's chest. "Otherwise, we'll forget we care what you have to say and pitch your corpse over to the chawfish with your brothers." The shifter ceased his struggle. "What has happened to you?" Kath asked with more empathy than she intended. "What...are those?" "We've been perfected," the shifter said, his short sharp teeth glowing. "The Beast has changed us for the better, sister." Kath recoiled from his words. Images of her shifter kin dying at the hands of the Brelish army assaulted her. And Uri's painful wounds and disappearance bubbled to the surface of her thoughts. Her breath caught in her throat at his memory. The last days of the Last War took much from her. Verloot took Kath's silence as his cue to continue the interrogation. "We're looking for a hunted war criminal, Gruber Thiel," the gnome said, pressing slightly on the hilt of his sword. "He was a Grand Dracolan in the Karrnathi army, and was known to slaughter whole villages to the last child and raise them to supplement his undead forces." Book, who had drifted up, added: "He goes by a number of aliases, Bebin Durn, Haight, Grogan the Black." "I don't know anything about him," the shifter said, sullenly. He grimaced as the point of the sword dug deeper into his chest. "We are a small tribe. Lost and forgotten. Driven out from the lands of men and elves and all you other softer races." His feral eyes settled on Verloot's. "I'll show you soft, you..." "Verloot," Kath said. "I'll talk to him alone." The gnome turned a surprised look on her, then shook his head. Sheathing his sword, he gave the prisoner a solid kick in the ribs before stomping away. Kath watched him go, then bent over the shifter. "Who did this to you?" she said. "The Beast has clarified all that is right in us," he said, voice straining suddenly. "You'll know his power, too, soon enough." His shift was almost instantaneous, tentacles ripping from his flesh and shredding his bonds. One of the appendages encircled Kath's throat in an instant, dragging her into the air. Polearms thrust in from every direction, and Verloot's charging swipe took the thing's head off. Kath dropped heavily to the deck, her head lolling. Book crouched by her side. "Kath," he said softly. "Lady, are you okay?" She stirred finally, pushing herself up and nodding. The fresh wound on her throat oozed blood. "Let's just get that bastard Thiel," she said. [/QUOTE]
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