Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mahiro Satsu" data-source="post: 304729" data-attributes="member: 4970">Episode VIII The Trials of EnthandasCharacters: Bronn Spellforger (shield dwarf male Wiz5); Caramip Murnig (gnome female Brd4); Roman Gemalee (gold elf male Ftr4); Saeita Neví (wild elf female Mnk5); Van Dyksun (human male Rgr4/Rog1); Velm Trueforger (shield dwarf male Ftr4/Clr1–Clangeddin).NIGHTSCALE:The puling cry of the maggot reaches my ears: This isn’t over! You may be assured that it is not, insect. The chill subterranean air lofts beneath my wings as I swing back toward the crumbling towers at the far end of the bridge.There: the tiny gnome ducks into the staircase as I approach, a dark shape in shadows, a doom floating on air, a spectre of death personified. These fools do not realize what easy prey they are. When will Zandris show herself?I land atop the bridge, breathing downward, showering the worm (a dwarf who fancies himself a wizard—what a joke!) with scouring acid. His magic protects him—for now—and he ducks to safety.I hear them within, shouting that they must flee. I smell the fear sweat, hear the moans of absolute terror…they are mine.ZANDRIS WINTER:Ah, Nightscale...she is beautiful…spurs of bone and glistening black scales.Nightscale, coiled atop the far tower, striking the fear of the serpent into these heretics who style themselves “Wolf Company.” They will be slaves of Yss-Fara, fodder for Ooltugula’s experiments, prey of the Coil, food for Meerschaulk the Coiled God.“Give us the skull!” I shout. The time is at hand, for me to take what we have desired for so long…the srtifact spoken of in the ancient riddles of Clan Darkfell: Hathos’ Skull. “I know you have the remains of the Exile…you brought them from behind the waterfall. Surrender them and you shall live. It is all you need to do, really quite an easy thing.” I use the Voice of the Serpent, but it fails to persuade.One of them—the cowardly fighter called Corwyn Black—tries to flee. I change him into an asp with a wave of my hand. Crawl on your belly in the dust, as you deserve. Tempus cannot help you now.They pour out of the tower like ants from a sinking log. They run away toward the ruins of Aerunedar.And I hear the sound of our Lord approaching, he whose veins hold the blood of dragons, the beat of the drums and the chant of the troglodytes: Yss-fara, Yss-fara, Yss-fara…“The skull of Hathos,” I insist. “Give it to me and your lives will be spared…for now.”“Come get it,” says a wavering voice from within. It sounds like the young white-haired ranger, Van Dyksun.“No tricks,” I say.A canvas sack, bones rattling within, is tossed to me. I look inside.I smile. It is the skull.“Await us at the ziggurat,” I tell Nightscale, and she flies away toward the monument. I gaze in the direction of the fleeing Wolf Company. The fools—they will find nothing but death in those ruins.</blockquote>

Verification