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Wulf's Collected Story Hour -- FINAL UPDATE 12/25
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<blockquote data-quote="Wulf Ratbane" data-source="post: 952" data-attributes="member: 94"><p><strong>THE HEART OF NIGHTFANG SPIRE (Part II)</strong></p><p></p><p><em>Lo, let that night be solitary;</em></p><p><em> let no joyful voice come therein. </em></p><p><em>Let them curse it that curse the day,</em></p><p><em> who are ready to raise up their mourning. </em></p><p></p><p>Slowly the realization set in that, should one of them even have an <em>inkling</em> as to the proper gear to dispense of vampires, they were nevertheless unequipped for the task. Wulf checked his pack. No wooden stakes. He had a couple of vials of holy water, though for the life of him he couldn't remember when, where, or why he'd have laden his pack with such useless tackle.</p><p></p><p>Though, at the moment, he thanked the gods for it. Holy water was <em>definitely</em> involved somehow.</p><p></p><p>Wulf cast his gaze across the bleak landscape, looking for anything that might serve as a stake large enough to drive through the heart of a dragon. Nothing but frozen prairie as far as he could see. "We need a stake..." he muttered.</p><p></p><p>Dorn, the priest, spoke up. "I have... uhh... I have these torches."</p><p></p><p>Wulf blinked in amazement. "Yer carryin' torches?"</p><p></p><p>"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"</p><p></p><p>"Cause yer a dwarf, and yer can see in the dark?"</p><p></p><p>Dorn was getting indignant. "It's standard adventuring gear. Everyone carries torches. What if you have to light a fire, hmm? What if your allies can't see? I believe in being helpful and prepared."</p><p></p><p>Wulf waved his hand. "Fine, fine. Yer prepared." Wulf looked down through the hole in the roof, into the dark recesses of the tower. Two vampire spawn dispatched already, and countless more inside. "Praise Moradin, yer prepared. How many yer got?"</p><p></p><p>"Ahh... three."</p><p></p><p>Wulf snatched a torch from Dorn and pounded through the dragon's heart. "That should do it."</p><p></p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p></p><p>Wulf emptied a vial of holy water onto the corpse and grinned. "Right. Forgot that part."</p><p></p><p>Still nothing happened.</p><p></p><p>"Try this again." Halma stepped up and cut the head off the dragon. It worked. Wulf picked up the head, tucked it into a bag, and tied it over his shoulder. "Just in case."</p><p></p><p>They all stood silently staring at the hole leading into the tower. Eventually, Halma shrugged and leapt into the hole. Wulf was not far behind. They beckoned their allies to join them and the party spread out into the gloom. Wulf noted that a healthy sense of paranoia had descended on the group, and he himself was not at all surprised when a half-dozen vampire spawn came shrieking out of the darkness to repel them. Unfortunately for the group, he'd not had a chance to organize them into their usual fighting wedge, and Alliane was quickly cut off and surrounded. Wulf sidled up to Keldas and cautioned Halma to stick close as well. Wulf was doubly concerned with the new priest and the paladin-- he didn't quite know what to make of them, yet.</p><p></p><p>Expecting the priest to call feebly upon the gods for protection, he was instead amazed to see Dorn wade forward with his immense axe, its edge gleaming with a holy light that made short work of the vampires facing him, blasting them into a fading mist. And it was the aasimar who sheathed his weapon and called up his celestial might, causing the surviving two vampires to turn to mist and slink away.</p><p></p><p>Wulf led the way into the next room, where they found six empty sarcophagi. Wulf sprinkled each coffin with holy water. "I think that'll keep em from comin' back. Seems right, anyhow."</p><p></p><p>Alliane and Dorn had each been drained by the sudden ambush, yet the group wanted to continue on.</p><p></p><p>"Are yer out of yer bleedin' minds? Six vampires in the <em>first room</em> and yer want to go looking for more?" Wulf himself was still drained from his encounter in the shed below. "Hell no. Mystery of the caravans: solved. Time to go back to the Forge."</p><p></p><p>Halma shrugged. "The Old Man is just going to send us right back."</p><p></p><p>Dorn spoke up next. "We can't just leave a pit of stinkin' eeeevil laying about."</p><p></p><p>"Yer just watch me. There's plenty more evil in the world I can stick a boot to, without muckin' about with vampires."</p><p></p><p>In the end, the best Wulf could do was to persuade them to retreat for the night. They fled as quickly as their wings could carry them, across the blighted landscape for several miles, until at last they came to the edge of a wood. Wulf immediately started chopping up saplings to make wooden stakes.</p><p></p><p>Halma was scanning the sky. "Winter time. We have at least 12 hours of night. Maybe more."</p><p></p><p>Wulf looked over at Keldas. "Well, that certainly puts a damper on yer <em>Rope Trick</em>. What yer good for, maybe nine hours?"</p><p></p><p>"About that, yes. We'll just have to spend some time camped out, the old fashioned way."</p><p></p><p>Wulf sighed. "We're screwed."</p><p></p><p>------------------------</p><p></p><p>Sure enough, it was on Wulf's watch, while they were all outside, that a trio of vampires came for them.</p><p></p><p>Wulf was becoming more observant-- or at least, more gainfully paranoid-- and he easily spotted the vampires. He stepped up to meet them, rousing his comrades with a simple cry of "VAMPIRES!" <em>Taranak</em> was ready and blazing in his hand, before they had even coalesced from mist into their human form. He eagerly swung his axe and hand axe in short quick strokes. "Taste... a little... of this!"</p><p></p><p>But the vampires were not alone. A dozen glowing red eyes appeared in the woods, and hungry wolves descended on the rear of the party. As they emerged from the woods, it seemed that the wood itself came alive and moved with them. Dozens upon dozens of twig blights came clacking and creaking out of the woods as well. Keldas, Alliane, and Dorn were surrounded.</p><p></p><p>Halma leapt up and charged to Dorn's defense, though the sturdy dwarf hardly seemed to need it. His most devastating spells were already cast, or forgotten as a result of the vampires' draining touch, but his great-axe was always ready. Unfortunately, though his axe easily cleft through the twig-blights, it was slow and seemingly endless work, even with Halma nearby cleaving through them in great numbers. </p><p></p><p>Wulf was too busy with the vampires to worry about the others. "Give me a hand here, ass-mar!" The paladin jumped up to help Wulf, his holy symbol at the ready.</p><p></p><p>"Not that," Wulf grunted. "Just hack 'em, the pricks..." Another vampire turned to mist as the paladin caught the drift and drew his glowing longsword, eagerly joining the fight.</p><p></p><p>The wolves had dragged Alliane to the ground and were threatening to finish her off. In a rare moment of aptitude, Keldas fended off the wolves around him, casting defensively, and conjured forth a blistering belch of acid that covered nearly all the wolves and twigs-- and neatly missed every last one of his own allies. Wulf and the paladin finished off the vampires just as the stench of bubbling wolf-and-twig goo wafted in their direction. Wulf turned in time to see Alliane regain her feet, defiantly pull out her mace, and crush the life out of the last surviving wolves.</p><p></p><p>"Good to see yer finally learned some useful tricks, elf."</p><p></p><p>Keldas ignored him, watching the vampires' misty forms float away towards the tower. "We're still not making any progress."</p><p></p><p>Wulf grinned. "Aye, but it can't be any fun gettin' yer ass blasted into a fine mist ever' night. They'll get the hint."</p><p></p><p>Wulf was still feeling confident when they returned to the tower the next day, fully rested and restored.</p><p></p><p>It wouldn't last long.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Wulf Ratbane, post: 952, member: 94"] [b]THE HEART OF NIGHTFANG SPIRE (Part II)[/b] [i]Lo, let that night be solitary; let no joyful voice come therein. Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. [/i] Slowly the realization set in that, should one of them even have an [i]inkling[/i] as to the proper gear to dispense of vampires, they were nevertheless unequipped for the task. Wulf checked his pack. No wooden stakes. He had a couple of vials of holy water, though for the life of him he couldn't remember when, where, or why he'd have laden his pack with such useless tackle. Though, at the moment, he thanked the gods for it. Holy water was [i]definitely[/i] involved somehow. Wulf cast his gaze across the bleak landscape, looking for anything that might serve as a stake large enough to drive through the heart of a dragon. Nothing but frozen prairie as far as he could see. "We need a stake..." he muttered. Dorn, the priest, spoke up. "I have... uhh... I have these torches." Wulf blinked in amazement. "Yer carryin' torches?" "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" "Cause yer a dwarf, and yer can see in the dark?" Dorn was getting indignant. "It's standard adventuring gear. Everyone carries torches. What if you have to light a fire, hmm? What if your allies can't see? I believe in being helpful and prepared." Wulf waved his hand. "Fine, fine. Yer prepared." Wulf looked down through the hole in the roof, into the dark recesses of the tower. Two vampire spawn dispatched already, and countless more inside. "Praise Moradin, yer prepared. How many yer got?" "Ahh... three." Wulf snatched a torch from Dorn and pounded through the dragon's heart. "That should do it." Nothing happened. Wulf emptied a vial of holy water onto the corpse and grinned. "Right. Forgot that part." Still nothing happened. "Try this again." Halma stepped up and cut the head off the dragon. It worked. Wulf picked up the head, tucked it into a bag, and tied it over his shoulder. "Just in case." They all stood silently staring at the hole leading into the tower. Eventually, Halma shrugged and leapt into the hole. Wulf was not far behind. They beckoned their allies to join them and the party spread out into the gloom. Wulf noted that a healthy sense of paranoia had descended on the group, and he himself was not at all surprised when a half-dozen vampire spawn came shrieking out of the darkness to repel them. Unfortunately for the group, he'd not had a chance to organize them into their usual fighting wedge, and Alliane was quickly cut off and surrounded. Wulf sidled up to Keldas and cautioned Halma to stick close as well. Wulf was doubly concerned with the new priest and the paladin-- he didn't quite know what to make of them, yet. Expecting the priest to call feebly upon the gods for protection, he was instead amazed to see Dorn wade forward with his immense axe, its edge gleaming with a holy light that made short work of the vampires facing him, blasting them into a fading mist. And it was the aasimar who sheathed his weapon and called up his celestial might, causing the surviving two vampires to turn to mist and slink away. Wulf led the way into the next room, where they found six empty sarcophagi. Wulf sprinkled each coffin with holy water. "I think that'll keep em from comin' back. Seems right, anyhow." Alliane and Dorn had each been drained by the sudden ambush, yet the group wanted to continue on. "Are yer out of yer bleedin' minds? Six vampires in the [i]first room[/i] and yer want to go looking for more?" Wulf himself was still drained from his encounter in the shed below. "Hell no. Mystery of the caravans: solved. Time to go back to the Forge." Halma shrugged. "The Old Man is just going to send us right back." Dorn spoke up next. "We can't just leave a pit of stinkin' eeeevil laying about." "Yer just watch me. There's plenty more evil in the world I can stick a boot to, without muckin' about with vampires." In the end, the best Wulf could do was to persuade them to retreat for the night. They fled as quickly as their wings could carry them, across the blighted landscape for several miles, until at last they came to the edge of a wood. Wulf immediately started chopping up saplings to make wooden stakes. Halma was scanning the sky. "Winter time. We have at least 12 hours of night. Maybe more." Wulf looked over at Keldas. "Well, that certainly puts a damper on yer [i]Rope Trick[/i]. What yer good for, maybe nine hours?" "About that, yes. We'll just have to spend some time camped out, the old fashioned way." Wulf sighed. "We're screwed." ------------------------ Sure enough, it was on Wulf's watch, while they were all outside, that a trio of vampires came for them. Wulf was becoming more observant-- or at least, more gainfully paranoid-- and he easily spotted the vampires. He stepped up to meet them, rousing his comrades with a simple cry of "VAMPIRES!" [i]Taranak[/i] was ready and blazing in his hand, before they had even coalesced from mist into their human form. He eagerly swung his axe and hand axe in short quick strokes. "Taste... a little... of this!" But the vampires were not alone. A dozen glowing red eyes appeared in the woods, and hungry wolves descended on the rear of the party. As they emerged from the woods, it seemed that the wood itself came alive and moved with them. Dozens upon dozens of twig blights came clacking and creaking out of the woods as well. Keldas, Alliane, and Dorn were surrounded. Halma leapt up and charged to Dorn's defense, though the sturdy dwarf hardly seemed to need it. His most devastating spells were already cast, or forgotten as a result of the vampires' draining touch, but his great-axe was always ready. Unfortunately, though his axe easily cleft through the twig-blights, it was slow and seemingly endless work, even with Halma nearby cleaving through them in great numbers. Wulf was too busy with the vampires to worry about the others. "Give me a hand here, ass-mar!" The paladin jumped up to help Wulf, his holy symbol at the ready. "Not that," Wulf grunted. "Just hack 'em, the pricks..." Another vampire turned to mist as the paladin caught the drift and drew his glowing longsword, eagerly joining the fight. The wolves had dragged Alliane to the ground and were threatening to finish her off. In a rare moment of aptitude, Keldas fended off the wolves around him, casting defensively, and conjured forth a blistering belch of acid that covered nearly all the wolves and twigs-- and neatly missed every last one of his own allies. Wulf and the paladin finished off the vampires just as the stench of bubbling wolf-and-twig goo wafted in their direction. Wulf turned in time to see Alliane regain her feet, defiantly pull out her mace, and crush the life out of the last surviving wolves. "Good to see yer finally learned some useful tricks, elf." Keldas ignored him, watching the vampires' misty forms float away towards the tower. "We're still not making any progress." Wulf grinned. "Aye, but it can't be any fun gettin' yer ass blasted into a fine mist ever' night. They'll get the hint." Wulf was still feeling confident when they returned to the tower the next day, fully rested and restored. It wouldn't last long. [/QUOTE]
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