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

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3052610" data-attributes="member: 35788">Ischarus and Rhema looked to one another and nodded without even thinking of Semeion and Charis who were still with the horses.  They were out with the horses along the path; out-of-sight out-of-mind.  The light gray semi-transparent figure took their nod as a sign of interest in its story.The ghostly image began with a long sigh before speaking.  “Some time ago, as I said earlier about the amount of time that you both feel as a year, I was journeying into Quehalost as a scout.  The organization that I was working for employed me to travel into Quehalost and look for useful areas.  Of course, nobody in their right mind would come into Quehalost and develop the land.  It would take too many resources in terms of defense just to keep the place.  However, that didn’t mean that my organization couldn’t infiltrate the area and learn what we could from the natives.”“You might think that Quehalost is a backward region where the constant fighting keeps the level of advances down to a minimum.  And in many areas you might be correct.  However, the amount of things that we can learn by studying the inhabitants in regard to tactics, defensiveness, and subterfuge is simply amazing.  Because this land is such a rolling boil of existence in regard to power and domination these areas have to be taken rather seriously at all times.”As the figure spoke, both Ischarus and Semeion noticed that while its chest seemed to simulate the heaving and falling of a patterned breathing, the figure was not actually taking in any air.  The figures lips moved and the audible sound of his voice could be easily heard, but there was no movement of air.  Even as the figure shifted, paced a bit, and even gestured with his hands the air did not stir when it drew close to either Rhema or Ischarus.  However, even with this discovery neither Rhema nor Ischarus interrupted the tale.The figure continued.  “Perhaps the thing that impressed me most was this small goblin tribe.  Sure, they have more than the small goblins dwelling among them.  They have their larger cousins as part of their network.  But their territory specifically borders three territories that you would assume would overtake this goblin tribe and enslave them.  One the one side there is the land of the red wyrm.  This is the one that to this day you seem to be pursuing if I have understood your conversations correctly.  On the opposite side of this tribe’s territory and not to far from where I was drawn to you as you rested is a land controlled by a particular figure who seems to have an insane curiosity with creating hordes of animal servants as experiments.  At first I thought the figure was a twisted druid that merely gave intelligence to mundane animals.  Yet the creatures would also display rather unique phrenic activity.  The figure was more than merely a misguided nature worshipper.  The third threat is the one that I expected to outright destroy this goblin tribe and its territory.  Bordering further towards the center of Quehalost is a land controlled by a demonic lord bent on possession of Quehalost as a portal to dominate the land.  The demonic lord works to conquer the land so that it can strip it of its resources in building a vast means to bring his minions into this world to conquer it.  This third threat is by far the most aggressive.”The figure paused, allowing Rhema and Ischarus enough time to absorb the story so far as well as to give them an opportunity to ask any questions.  Neither Rhema nor Ischarus desired to interrupt the figure at this point, so the figure continued.  “Yet the whole time the goblin tribe has survived through several different means.  Against a massive threat they merely vanish.  They have learned how to leave the land as if they had never existed here.  Like true goblin nature they flee before an insurmountable force, knowing that forfeit is still a better option than death.  Once the massive threat has moved through the area, or abandoned the area because no sign of the goblin horde could be found, they reassemble and continue life as normal.”“Against a smaller threat, they have the ability to fight back.  Their use of guerilla tactics is amazing.  The smaller goblins attack from afar and whittle the enemy down to a point at which the goblin tribe has vastly superior odds.  Then they send in the bigger goblins to make quick work of whatever is left.  Their ingenuity and ability to monitor their land is really quite impressive.  That is why I acted to bring you in along their trail.  If you would have moved in the direction you were headed they would have been alerted to your presence and you would have been subject to their guerilla tactics.  You likely would have died a fate similar to mine.”For the first time, Ischarus spoke.  “Well, as frustrating as that trip was it is appreciated in retrospect.The figure replied with a smile.  “As I said before, the frustration was necessary because I needed to learn about your motivations for being in the land.”“Anyway, the more and more trips that I took into Quehalost the more I found myself growing fond of this goblin tribe.  When I would plan my trips I would intentionally plan them so that I would come in and out through this area simply so that I could spend a few days among them.  I watched them and learned from them.  Besides, the more I traveled through this land the more it began to feel like home and this truly became the safest way for me to come in and out of Quehalost.”Rhema nodded slowly.  “That much we understand.  It is nice to travel through such dangerous land on ground that you are most familiar with.  It minimizes accidents.”The figure smiled.  “Exactly.  So I began to grow fond of these goblins.  And then a year ago it happened to me.  I was watching the goblin tribe from a distance, curious about how they would handle a minor incursion of the druid’s latest creation.  The druid had managed to breed several black bears with the intelligence and ability to seemingly stun their prey with a thought.  The bears would then close on their wounded prey and finish the job.  I had been trailing the bears when I noticed that they were headed for the goblin territory.  I moved ahead of the bears and waited for the goblin tribe to be alerted to their presence.  I wanted to learn how the goblins would react to this threat.”After a short pause in the story, Rhema noted that the figure had paused with a look of sorrow upon his face.  She decided to help along this portion of the story.  “I take it that the exploration did not go well?”The figure dropped his eyes to the ground.  “I scouted ahead too late.  By the time I recognized the bears were headed into the goblin territory the goblins had already been alerted. They had already taken up defensive posts without me knowing about it.  I walked right into one of their traps.  By the time I realized what was happening it was too late.  I even knew their tactics but could do nothing to prevent my capture.”“Because I was only a single person who had been caught unaware I was not much of a threat.  I was taken to their tribal center where they starved me nearly to the point of death.  They displayed me for several days in a steel cage that was too short for me to even stand up and to narrow for me to lie down.  I believe they learned this tactic from the red wyrm that you seek.  I spent several days with some portion of my body bent.  One day I was stripped of my armor and clothing and led out here to this stone.  I was so weak that escape was not an option.  They tied me up …”Ischarus interrupted the story, watching Rhema as the figure arrived at this portion of the story.  “I think we get the rest of the story.  The evidence here makes it pretty certain.  But that doesn’t do much to explain why you are still here.”The figure nodded slowly at Ischarus’ interruption and looked Ischarus in the face once more when he asked his question.  “The reason that I am here, so far as I can tell, is because the goblin tribe still displays my leather and my weapons in the middle of their village as a trophy.  I have a mother and a father at home in Tongra and they are awaiting my return.  They must be told of my death, and bringing my armor and weapons to them would bring an end to their waiting.”Rhema looked a bit surprised.  “That is why you remain here?  Your equipment needs to be returned?”The figure nodded once more, this time shifting his look to Rhema.  “As far as I can tell, that is the reason I stay behind, unable to move on.  My death is a mere disappearance in the lives of my family and my organization.  My family must learn of my demise so that they can move on with their lives.  Fortunately I never married nor had children.  All I leave behind is parents and siblings.  My items are insignificant except that they are the only proof to my family that I have died.”Rhema began to speak, but Ischarus cut her off.  “We’ll need to discuss this matter with the other two in our party.”The figure nodded, and suddenly looked quite alert.  The ghostly figure’s eyes popped wide open and he spoke with great urgency.  “Yes, indeed!  And we must hurry!”The figure vanished from sight and a small gust of wind blew through the trees, passing directly across the flat horizontal sacrifice stone.[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]Ischarus and Rhema looked to one another and nodded without even thinking of Semeion and Charis who were still with the horses. They were out with the horses along the path; out-of-sight out-of-mind. The light gray semi-transparent figure took their nod as a sign of interest in its story.The ghostly image began with a long sigh before speaking. “Some time ago, as I said earlier about the amount of time that you both feel as a year, I was journeying into Quehalost as a scout. The organization that I was working for employed me to travel into Quehalost and look for useful areas. Of course, nobody in their right mind would come into Quehalost and develop the land. It would take too many resources in terms of defense just to keep the place. However, that didn’t mean that my organization couldn’t infiltrate the area and learn what we could from the natives.”“You might think that Quehalost is a backward region where the constant fighting keeps the level of advances down to a minimum. And in many areas you might be correct. However, the amount of things that we can learn by studying the inhabitants in regard to tactics, defensiveness, and subterfuge is simply amazing. Because this land is such a rolling boil of existence in regard to power and domination these areas have to be taken rather seriously at all times.”As the figure spoke, both Ischarus and Semeion noticed that while its chest seemed to simulate the heaving and falling of a patterned breathing, the figure was not actually taking in any air. The figures lips moved and the audible sound of his voice could be easily heard, but there was no movement of air. Even as the figure shifted, paced a bit, and even gestured with his hands the air did not stir when it drew close to either Rhema or Ischarus. However, even with this discovery neither Rhema nor Ischarus interrupted the tale.The figure continued. “Perhaps the thing that impressed me most was this small goblin tribe. Sure, they have more than the small goblins dwelling among them. They have their larger cousins as part of their network. But their territory specifically borders three territories that you would assume would overtake this goblin tribe and enslave them. One the one side there is the land of the red wyrm. This is the one that to this day you seem to be pursuing if I have understood your conversations correctly. On the opposite side of this tribe’s territory and not to far from where I was drawn to you as you rested is a land controlled by a particular figure who seems to have an insane curiosity with creating hordes of animal servants as experiments. At first I thought the figure was a twisted druid that merely gave intelligence to mundane animals. Yet the creatures would also display rather unique phrenic activity. The figure was more than merely a misguided nature worshipper. The third threat is the one that I expected to outright destroy this goblin tribe and its territory. Bordering further towards the center of Quehalost is a land controlled by a demonic lord bent on possession of Quehalost as a portal to dominate the land. The demonic lord works to conquer the land so that it can strip it of its resources in building a vast means to bring his minions into this world to conquer it. This third threat is by far the most aggressive.”The figure paused, allowing Rhema and Ischarus enough time to absorb the story so far as well as to give them an opportunity to ask any questions. Neither Rhema nor Ischarus desired to interrupt the figure at this point, so the figure continued. “Yet the whole time the goblin tribe has survived through several different means. Against a massive threat they merely vanish. They have learned how to leave the land as if they had never existed here. Like true goblin nature they flee before an insurmountable force, knowing that forfeit is still a better option than death. Once the massive threat has moved through the area, or abandoned the area because no sign of the goblin horde could be found, they reassemble and continue life as normal.”“Against a smaller threat, they have the ability to fight back. Their use of guerilla tactics is amazing. The smaller goblins attack from afar and whittle the enemy down to a point at which the goblin tribe has vastly superior odds. Then they send in the bigger goblins to make quick work of whatever is left. Their ingenuity and ability to monitor their land is really quite impressive. That is why I acted to bring you in along their trail. If you would have moved in the direction you were headed they would have been alerted to your presence and you would have been subject to their guerilla tactics. You likely would have died a fate similar to mine.”For the first time, Ischarus spoke. “Well, as frustrating as that trip was it is appreciated in retrospect.The figure replied with a smile. “As I said before, the frustration was necessary because I needed to learn about your motivations for being in the land.”“Anyway, the more and more trips that I took into Quehalost the more I found myself growing fond of this goblin tribe. When I would plan my trips I would intentionally plan them so that I would come in and out through this area simply so that I could spend a few days among them. I watched them and learned from them. Besides, the more I traveled through this land the more it began to feel like home and this truly became the safest way for me to come in and out of Quehalost.”Rhema nodded slowly. “That much we understand. It is nice to travel through such dangerous land on ground that you are most familiar with. It minimizes accidents.”The figure smiled. “Exactly. So I began to grow fond of these goblins. And then a year ago it happened to me. I was watching the goblin tribe from a distance, curious about how they would handle a minor incursion of the druid’s latest creation. The druid had managed to breed several black bears with the intelligence and ability to seemingly stun their prey with a thought. The bears would then close on their wounded prey and finish the job. I had been trailing the bears when I noticed that they were headed for the goblin territory. I moved ahead of the bears and waited for the goblin tribe to be alerted to their presence. I wanted to learn how the goblins would react to this threat.”After a short pause in the story, Rhema noted that the figure had paused with a look of sorrow upon his face. She decided to help along this portion of the story. “I take it that the exploration did not go well?”The figure dropped his eyes to the ground. “I scouted ahead too late. By the time I recognized the bears were headed into the goblin territory the goblins had already been alerted. They had already taken up defensive posts without me knowing about it. I walked right into one of their traps. By the time I realized what was happening it was too late. I even knew their tactics but could do nothing to prevent my capture.”“Because I was only a single person who had been caught unaware I was not much of a threat. I was taken to their tribal center where they starved me nearly to the point of death. They displayed me for several days in a steel cage that was too short for me to even stand up and to narrow for me to lie down. I believe they learned this tactic from the red wyrm that you seek. I spent several days with some portion of my body bent. One day I was stripped of my armor and clothing and led out here to this stone. I was so weak that escape was not an option. They tied me up …”Ischarus interrupted the story, watching Rhema as the figure arrived at this portion of the story. “I think we get the rest of the story. The evidence here makes it pretty certain. But that doesn’t do much to explain why you are still here.”The figure nodded slowly at Ischarus’ interruption and looked Ischarus in the face once more when he asked his question. “The reason that I am here, so far as I can tell, is because the goblin tribe still displays my leather and my weapons in the middle of their village as a trophy. I have a mother and a father at home in Tongra and they are awaiting my return. They must be told of my death, and bringing my armor and weapons to them would bring an end to their waiting.”Rhema looked a bit surprised. “That is why you remain here? Your equipment needs to be returned?”The figure nodded once more, this time shifting his look to Rhema. “As far as I can tell, that is the reason I stay behind, unable to move on. My death is a mere disappearance in the lives of my family and my organization. My family must learn of my demise so that they can move on with their lives. Fortunately I never married nor had children. All I leave behind is parents and siblings. My items are insignificant except that they are the only proof to my family that I have died.”Rhema began to speak, but Ischarus cut her off. “We’ll need to discuss this matter with the other two in our party.”The figure nodded, and suddenly looked quite alert. The ghostly figure’s eyes popped wide open and he spoke with great urgency. “Yes, indeed! And we must hurry!”The figure vanished from sight and a small gust of wind blew through the trees, passing directly across the flat horizontal sacrifice stone.[/Sblock]</blockquote>

Verification