carborundum
Adventurer
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Coils of Scuttlecove (Evil Campaign, Mature, no spoilers)
--Non-Story Post--
Thanks to all of those who've replied so far, glad you're enjoying the story so far.
As for a little background on the game, yes, Shae is my character. I'm giving the story from her point of view mostly, I'll probably have to switch to the other character's perspectives for some of what happens later as the mechanations start to heat up.
My group has talked alot about how we can make this party work while still remaining true to character but, quite honestly, we haven't found it hard to find motivations for not killing each other. Shae, for example, is a Chaotic Evil Rogue/Battle Dancer (at this point in the story) and yes, she's casually homicidal particularly against men (more on that in the story later). But this doesn't mean that she's dumb enough not to see advantage in having the others around.
Another factor's probably Jacith, since he holds the purse strings we can't really ignore his leadership. Even so, honestly, we've been surprised at how playing evil characters feels alot like playing good characters, just we don't have to worry about things like morals and conscience. We still kill things and take their stuff, it's just that we don't have to justify ourselves.
--end non-story post--
Thanks to all of those who've replied so far, glad you're enjoying the story so far.
As for a little background on the game, yes, Shae is my character. I'm giving the story from her point of view mostly, I'll probably have to switch to the other character's perspectives for some of what happens later as the mechanations start to heat up.
My group has talked alot about how we can make this party work while still remaining true to character but, quite honestly, we haven't found it hard to find motivations for not killing each other. Shae, for example, is a Chaotic Evil Rogue/Battle Dancer (at this point in the story) and yes, she's casually homicidal particularly against men (more on that in the story later). But this doesn't mean that she's dumb enough not to see advantage in having the others around.
Another factor's probably Jacith, since he holds the purse strings we can't really ignore his leadership. Even so, honestly, we've been surprised at how playing evil characters feels alot like playing good characters, just we don't have to worry about things like morals and conscience. We still kill things and take their stuff, it's just that we don't have to justify ourselves.
--end non-story post--
"So what's our move?" Dukar looked to jacith for guidance.
"Ignore him," Jacith shrugged, "fool like that will get himself killed without our help. Lets see if he follows us through the gate."
Outside Scuttlecove, the untamed jumgle quickly swallowed them up. Shae was forced to snatch a veil from her saddlebags to protect her face from clouds of stinging insects. The miniscule devils, freshly hatched under the shelter of the canopy, got so bad that Jacith called the party to a halt while he made some balm to drive the things away. Night fell quickly due in part to the jungle but also due to the mountain range in the west.
"We stop here," Jacith declaired as he dismounted in a small clearing by the side of the trail, "get a fire going quickly. I'm going to double back and see if our friend had the guts to follow us."
With that, he pulled his hood over his head and disappeared into the dense plantlife.
"I'll take care of the fire," Dukar offered, "you two get the girl's tent up."
"I have a name," Shae scowled as she slid off her horse.
"How nice for you."
They got all four tents up in short order despite Zeladi's complaining. "I swear," the necromancer vowed, "when we get to Lashess, I'm buying one of those extradimensional sleeping quarter spells."
"Quit yapping," Dukar snickered, "this sort of thing builds muscle, makes you stronger."
"I'll try to remember that when I'm lounging on a satin divan between courses delivered by unseen servants while you fight to sleep with the mosquetos and the rain and the rats..."
"Shhh!" Shae silenced them, looking out into the jungle. "You hear that?"
Dukar picked up his enormous flail and scanned the treeline.
The necromancer shrugged. "I don't hear anything."
"Quiet, fool!" Dukar hissed.
The Jungle rustled once before Jacith burst through the treeline, an unconscious man slung over his shoulder. "Dukar, I've got a job for you." With a great heave, their leader dropped the Sannish addict next to the fire. He had several cuts and bruises that had been hastily bandaged.
Dukar raised one eyebrow. "You want me to waste healing on this berk?"
"Yes," Jacith explained patiently, "so we can torture some information out of him."
The dark priest's eyes lit up. "My pleasure."
"No, not you. It's Shae's stock in trade."
Dukar glared but did as he was bade, falling to his knees and laying hands over the addict's wounds. "Dark Lord Hextor, heal this man so that he may know the pain of living once more."
The addict groaned as his wounds scabbed over, knitting together painfully and imperfectly.
Shae returned with some rope. "Dukar, hold him while I tie him up... hurt him a little but don't break anything."
Dukar flashed her a grateful grin as he flipped the addict over and shoved both arms far enough up his back to cause pain without breaking. Smiling with gratitude, Shae bound his arms and legs with practiced ease. With the priest's help, she flipped their victim over and straddled his stomach, his arms pinned under his own body.
"Hmmm, he's cute," Shae observed.
Dukar rolled his eyes, mumbling something about wenches. Zeladi, however, watched with eagerness from the other side of the campfire. Jacith was all business, hovering behind Shae with his arms folded. "I want to know why he's following us. Get on with it."
Shae looked down the addict and smiled. Gently, she reached out to stroke his cheek. "Wakey, wakey, time to get up."
"Alyssa?" The addict groaned, still half conscious. The name caused Shae to blink, pushing back memories. To cover her shock, she slapped him hard across the face.
"OW! What the..." He stopped when he saw Shae's face. "Am I dead? Are you an angel?"
Shae smiled, running her hands down his muscular chest. "What's your name?"
"Aaron," he said, blinking in the firelight, "Aaron Islaran."
"Islaran?" Jacith mused. "Of the noble house Islaran?"
"That's right... who... who are you? What's going on?"
Shae shushed him tenderly, massaging his upper right arm and shoulder. "Calm yourself, Aaron. We just want to ask you some questions. You will answer them truthfully and all will be well. Otherwise, it will go something like this."
With a quick twist, she dislocated his shoulder. They patiently waited out the screaming. "Now that we have established that I'm not an angel and that there are all sorts of nasty things I can do yo your body without killing you, let's see how we do on the first question. Who do you work for?"
"K-Kedward Bone! Kedward Bone sent me to..."
She interrupted him by popping the shoulder back in. Yet again, she had to wait out the screaming before continuing. "Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We've got all night. Now, why don't you tell me why Kedward Bone sent you?"
"H-he h-eard," Aaron gulped, "he heard the Baron had hired you to investigate what's going on at Haven. H-he wanted someone he trusted to watch you and report back on your movements, that's all, I swear! All I had to do was watch."
"Do we believe him?" Zeladi asked.
"i do," Shae smiled, looking down into Aaron's face, "the eyes don't lie. It's hard to lie with the eyes, it takes training or talent. Of course, if you discover that your subject can lie to you with their eyes, then the eyes become useless to you and it's far better to pluck them out."
Jacith stepped into Aaron's field of vision. "What do you know about Haven?"
"Kedward has interests there. A contact who knows how to obtain the extracts from certain plants he needs for his alchemists to formulate some of his products. But there's been trouble there recently and shipments have become intermittant. Still, he was reluctant to raise his hand, so when the Baron hired you he figured you might draw the perpetrators into the open."
"And what do you get out of it?"
"M-my sister," the addict admitted, "he promised to help me find my sister."
"Alyssa," Shae nodded sadly.
"You know her?" Dukar asked.
"Oh, yes. She was a Skindancer. She used to roll her johns up until she picked the wrong one. Turned out the lad was part of the Crimson Fleet, they don't take kindly to that sort of thing. They hung her from the Plaza of Hanging Ruin."
Aaron half sat up in sheer excitement. "You know who killed her? Please, please, tell me, I have to avenge her death lest her spirit rot in her grave!"
"By Hextor," Dukar growled, "kill him before we have to hear the rest of this tripe."
"Kedward Bone might not take too kindly to that," Zeladi interjected.
"Agreed," Jacith said, "he lives. And he's coming with us."
"Like hell!" Dukar swore. "What do we need with that dead weight?"
"We play straight with Kedward Bone as long as he plays straight with us," Jacith reasoned. "The last thing we need right now is a pissed off wizard drug lord on our asses. And Shae, you can get off him now."
She did so reluctantly with only the mildest of protests before retrieving her rope.
"May I have my weapons back?" Aaron requested.
"No," Jacith rebuked. "And you'll not be taking a turn on guard. You can use my tent but the bedroll is mine."
"He could bunk in with me," Shae stroked his back. He winced away from her. "Thank-you for the offer but I'll sleep on the ground."
Dukar grinned as the addict fled into the tent. "Once bitten, twice shy."
"Oh, come on," Shae slumped onto one of the boulders they'd rolled next to the fire, "i've done worse to paying customers. He'll come around."
Besides, Shae thought, he needs to know who killed his sister.
"Ignore him," Jacith shrugged, "fool like that will get himself killed without our help. Lets see if he follows us through the gate."
Outside Scuttlecove, the untamed jumgle quickly swallowed them up. Shae was forced to snatch a veil from her saddlebags to protect her face from clouds of stinging insects. The miniscule devils, freshly hatched under the shelter of the canopy, got so bad that Jacith called the party to a halt while he made some balm to drive the things away. Night fell quickly due in part to the jungle but also due to the mountain range in the west.
"We stop here," Jacith declaired as he dismounted in a small clearing by the side of the trail, "get a fire going quickly. I'm going to double back and see if our friend had the guts to follow us."
With that, he pulled his hood over his head and disappeared into the dense plantlife.
"I'll take care of the fire," Dukar offered, "you two get the girl's tent up."
"I have a name," Shae scowled as she slid off her horse.
"How nice for you."
They got all four tents up in short order despite Zeladi's complaining. "I swear," the necromancer vowed, "when we get to Lashess, I'm buying one of those extradimensional sleeping quarter spells."
"Quit yapping," Dukar snickered, "this sort of thing builds muscle, makes you stronger."
"I'll try to remember that when I'm lounging on a satin divan between courses delivered by unseen servants while you fight to sleep with the mosquetos and the rain and the rats..."
"Shhh!" Shae silenced them, looking out into the jungle. "You hear that?"
Dukar picked up his enormous flail and scanned the treeline.
The necromancer shrugged. "I don't hear anything."
"Quiet, fool!" Dukar hissed.
The Jungle rustled once before Jacith burst through the treeline, an unconscious man slung over his shoulder. "Dukar, I've got a job for you." With a great heave, their leader dropped the Sannish addict next to the fire. He had several cuts and bruises that had been hastily bandaged.
Dukar raised one eyebrow. "You want me to waste healing on this berk?"
"Yes," Jacith explained patiently, "so we can torture some information out of him."
The dark priest's eyes lit up. "My pleasure."
"No, not you. It's Shae's stock in trade."
Dukar glared but did as he was bade, falling to his knees and laying hands over the addict's wounds. "Dark Lord Hextor, heal this man so that he may know the pain of living once more."
The addict groaned as his wounds scabbed over, knitting together painfully and imperfectly.
Shae returned with some rope. "Dukar, hold him while I tie him up... hurt him a little but don't break anything."
Dukar flashed her a grateful grin as he flipped the addict over and shoved both arms far enough up his back to cause pain without breaking. Smiling with gratitude, Shae bound his arms and legs with practiced ease. With the priest's help, she flipped their victim over and straddled his stomach, his arms pinned under his own body.
"Hmmm, he's cute," Shae observed.
Dukar rolled his eyes, mumbling something about wenches. Zeladi, however, watched with eagerness from the other side of the campfire. Jacith was all business, hovering behind Shae with his arms folded. "I want to know why he's following us. Get on with it."
Shae looked down the addict and smiled. Gently, she reached out to stroke his cheek. "Wakey, wakey, time to get up."
"Alyssa?" The addict groaned, still half conscious. The name caused Shae to blink, pushing back memories. To cover her shock, she slapped him hard across the face.
"OW! What the..." He stopped when he saw Shae's face. "Am I dead? Are you an angel?"
Shae smiled, running her hands down his muscular chest. "What's your name?"
"Aaron," he said, blinking in the firelight, "Aaron Islaran."
"Islaran?" Jacith mused. "Of the noble house Islaran?"
"That's right... who... who are you? What's going on?"
Shae shushed him tenderly, massaging his upper right arm and shoulder. "Calm yourself, Aaron. We just want to ask you some questions. You will answer them truthfully and all will be well. Otherwise, it will go something like this."
With a quick twist, she dislocated his shoulder. They patiently waited out the screaming. "Now that we have established that I'm not an angel and that there are all sorts of nasty things I can do yo your body without killing you, let's see how we do on the first question. Who do you work for?"
"K-Kedward Bone! Kedward Bone sent me to..."
She interrupted him by popping the shoulder back in. Yet again, she had to wait out the screaming before continuing. "Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We've got all night. Now, why don't you tell me why Kedward Bone sent you?"
"H-he h-eard," Aaron gulped, "he heard the Baron had hired you to investigate what's going on at Haven. H-he wanted someone he trusted to watch you and report back on your movements, that's all, I swear! All I had to do was watch."
"Do we believe him?" Zeladi asked.
"i do," Shae smiled, looking down into Aaron's face, "the eyes don't lie. It's hard to lie with the eyes, it takes training or talent. Of course, if you discover that your subject can lie to you with their eyes, then the eyes become useless to you and it's far better to pluck them out."
Jacith stepped into Aaron's field of vision. "What do you know about Haven?"
"Kedward has interests there. A contact who knows how to obtain the extracts from certain plants he needs for his alchemists to formulate some of his products. But there's been trouble there recently and shipments have become intermittant. Still, he was reluctant to raise his hand, so when the Baron hired you he figured you might draw the perpetrators into the open."
"And what do you get out of it?"
"M-my sister," the addict admitted, "he promised to help me find my sister."
"Alyssa," Shae nodded sadly.
"You know her?" Dukar asked.
"Oh, yes. She was a Skindancer. She used to roll her johns up until she picked the wrong one. Turned out the lad was part of the Crimson Fleet, they don't take kindly to that sort of thing. They hung her from the Plaza of Hanging Ruin."
Aaron half sat up in sheer excitement. "You know who killed her? Please, please, tell me, I have to avenge her death lest her spirit rot in her grave!"
"By Hextor," Dukar growled, "kill him before we have to hear the rest of this tripe."
"Kedward Bone might not take too kindly to that," Zeladi interjected.
"Agreed," Jacith said, "he lives. And he's coming with us."
"Like hell!" Dukar swore. "What do we need with that dead weight?"
"We play straight with Kedward Bone as long as he plays straight with us," Jacith reasoned. "The last thing we need right now is a pissed off wizard drug lord on our asses. And Shae, you can get off him now."
She did so reluctantly with only the mildest of protests before retrieving her rope.
"May I have my weapons back?" Aaron requested.
"No," Jacith rebuked. "And you'll not be taking a turn on guard. You can use my tent but the bedroll is mine."
"He could bunk in with me," Shae stroked his back. He winced away from her. "Thank-you for the offer but I'll sleep on the ground."
Dukar grinned as the addict fled into the tent. "Once bitten, twice shy."
"Oh, come on," Shae slumped onto one of the boulders they'd rolled next to the fire, "i've done worse to paying customers. He'll come around."
Besides, Shae thought, he needs to know who killed his sister.
Bryon_Soulweaver
First Post
Update?
The next morning found the unlikely group meandering along the winding trail through the jungle hills. The mud slowed them down to the point where riding was only slightly better than walking. Jacith picked out their path in front, often leaving the trail for better footing, followed closely by Dukar. Zeladi came next, the relatively vulnerable Necromancer insisting on being in the middle of the pack. Finally, Shae rode in the rearguard with Aaron's arms reluctantly wrapped around her waist.
His hesitancy made Shae smile. It hadn't even been her suggestion; Jacith had insisted that Shae's mount, Shae being the lightest of the four, could stand the extra weight. As much as she enjoyed his fear, she knew it was time to extend the olive branch and make peace.
"I'm sorry about last night," she apologized, "it wasn't anything personal. How's your shoulder?"
"Fine," he grunted. At least they were talking, it was an improvement.
"I was under orders," she slipped some false regret into her voice, "I'm a Skindancer, it's what they hired me for."
She felt his body tense against her back. Ever predictible, she thought, not letting her smile reach her face. The next question came on with the inevitability of a landslide.
"You knew my sister?"
"Alyssa Islarian, yes," Shae answered.
"And you know who killed her," he prompted.
"Yes, and I know why. Are you sure you want to know?"
"I have to know. I know she did things, horrible things, but... she's my sister."
Distressingly noble, Shae sighed inwardly. "I met her at the academy. She was a wide-eyed innocent teenager who resented her rich parents... it wasn't a tune I was unfamiliar with. Still, I liked her," Shae lied smoothly, "she learnt quickly and she had an aptitude for the work. Still, she retained some of that sense of fair play, she never stiffed a friend. Scuttlecove isn't the sort of place that takes kindly to charity but she did the best she could. Then one day, she picked a rich-looking boy as a mark from the Rusty Shunt and coearced him into a dark alleyway at the behest of some muggers she was forcably associated with. She distracted the boy while they snuck up behind but they were a little too enthusiastic with their beating. He died. It turned out that the boy was the son of one of the Captains of the Crimson Fleet. He ordered his first mate to track down his son's killers. They visited the Rusty Shunt, fount out the boy'd left with Alyssa in toe, put two and two together and strung her up from the Plaza of Hanging Ruin along with the rest of the gang."
His hesitancy made Shae smile. It hadn't even been her suggestion; Jacith had insisted that Shae's mount, Shae being the lightest of the four, could stand the extra weight. As much as she enjoyed his fear, she knew it was time to extend the olive branch and make peace.
"I'm sorry about last night," she apologized, "it wasn't anything personal. How's your shoulder?"
"Fine," he grunted. At least they were talking, it was an improvement.
"I was under orders," she slipped some false regret into her voice, "I'm a Skindancer, it's what they hired me for."
She felt his body tense against her back. Ever predictible, she thought, not letting her smile reach her face. The next question came on with the inevitability of a landslide.
"You knew my sister?"
"Alyssa Islarian, yes," Shae answered.
"And you know who killed her," he prompted.
"Yes, and I know why. Are you sure you want to know?"
"I have to know. I know she did things, horrible things, but... she's my sister."
Distressingly noble, Shae sighed inwardly. "I met her at the academy. She was a wide-eyed innocent teenager who resented her rich parents... it wasn't a tune I was unfamiliar with. Still, I liked her," Shae lied smoothly, "she learnt quickly and she had an aptitude for the work. Still, she retained some of that sense of fair play, she never stiffed a friend. Scuttlecove isn't the sort of place that takes kindly to charity but she did the best she could. Then one day, she picked a rich-looking boy as a mark from the Rusty Shunt and coearced him into a dark alleyway at the behest of some muggers she was forcably associated with. She distracted the boy while they snuck up behind but they were a little too enthusiastic with their beating. He died. It turned out that the boy was the son of one of the Captains of the Crimson Fleet. He ordered his first mate to track down his son's killers. They visited the Rusty Shunt, fount out the boy'd left with Alyssa in toe, put two and two together and strung her up from the Plaza of Hanging Ruin along with the rest of the gang."
Bryon_Soulweaver
First Post
*glares* That is not an update, man. That's a cliffhanger.
Aaron's hands clenched into fists. "Didn't you do anything to help her?"
"Nieve little man," Shae shook her head, "you don't interfere with the Crimson Fleet in Scuttlecove. Half of the pirates in port belong to their club, a quarter have ties to the Crimson Fleet and the last quarter wished they did. The Holy Triad doesn't care about justice, the Fleet paid them good gold for the use of the Plaza. And that's all that really matter in Scuttlecove: gold. The Skindancers lodged a formal protest at the death of one of our members then let the matter drop. It wasn't like she was entirely innocent in the whole affair anyway."
"How can you live like this?" He muttered. "Without justice or equality? Without law?"
Shae scowled. "Like any of us have a choice? I grew up in Scuttlecove as an orphan. No parents, reliant for everything on a pack of slave traders. When I reached the age of majority, I was traded to the Skindancer Academy for a favor. I was lucky, they gave me a chance to work off my contract and now I'm free. It's more than alot of them can say."
He sniffed. "What sort of work?"
"What sort of work is a pretty 8 year old girl good for?" Shae sneered.
It took a while for realization to dawn on Aaron's face. "That's monstrous!"
"Yes. But that's the way the world works. Everyone holds a monster in their hearts, it's just a matter of putting it to good use. Could you take the reins for a moment, Aaron? My arms are a little sore."
He took the reins impassively, too deep in throught about other things to protest. She leaned back against his body lightly and subtley, looking up at the canopy of leaves overhead. "You know, i don't think I've ever told anyone that before. Strange."
He shifted in the saddle, suddenly uncomfortable.
"Halt!" Jacith called from the head of the column. Shae cursed silently as they pulled up behind Zeladi. "What's wrong?"
"Haven," Jacith pointed out over the valley, "is on fire."
The five of them gathered atop the scarp where Jacith had stopped. Flickering flames licked over the jungle down below as black smoke obscured the town. Jacith took his eyeglass from his saddlebags and surveyed the scene. "They're still under attack, I can see archers along the treeline."
He handed the eyeglass to Dukar who quickly scanned the area. "Goblins. What are they doing this far down from the mountains?"
"We should go help," Aaron urged, "at least we could evacuate some of the civillians."
"Be quiet," Jacith dismissed him, "and be thankful for what freedoms I choose to give you. This whole area is riddled with smuggler's tunnels. The villagers are probably safer than we are. Still, we need to question any survivors. Thoughts, Dukar?"
"No way the five of us can drive off an army," he assessed, "and it's still a good hour or two's journey by horse in this sludge. But, if you insist on going in, I say we dismount and make our way to the south east corner we can bypass the archers. There's still fighting in the streets, if we keep to cover and use the confusion maybe we can force a retreat and buy the villagers some time."
"Ok, you heard Dukar," Jacith ordered, "Shae, you're with me, we'll scout ahead. Dukar and Zeladi, find a nice hollow and tether our horses, then follow. Dukar, give Aaron his weapons back but keep an eye on him. Right, move out."
#
Jacith and Shae moved swiftly through the jungle. Away from the road, the ground was more solid, packed with roots and boulders though the occasional pool had to be avoided. Still, they made better time. Finally, they crept toward one of the larger buildings on the eastern edge of the town. The township didn't have walls, which considering their current position might not have been wise, but allowed them immediate and unfettered access.
Two goblins muttered to each other in the back yard of the building ahead as they piled anything that could possibly be construed as loot near the back door.
"You know Goblin?" Shae whispered into her companion's ear.
He nodded, stringing his longbow. "Nothing important, just complaining. I can take one from here. Wait until the first one goes back inside then make a run for it."
Shae nodded. It wasn't long before the first Goblin growled an order and smacked the other, smaller, Goblin over the head before going back for more. She was running moments before it sprouted an arrow between the shoulder blades, falling with a clatter into the pile. It was too late to stop, so she drew a dagger from her belt as she ran, praying that the other Goblin hadn't heard.
Her prayers weren't answered. The first Goblin threw open the door with Shae still ten feet away, eyes wide with surprise as it drew in breath to shout. Thinking fast, Shae threw the dagger, scoring her mark directly between his eyebrows. The creature fell forward onto the stone steps with a low sigh, and twitched once before going still forever.
"Nieve little man," Shae shook her head, "you don't interfere with the Crimson Fleet in Scuttlecove. Half of the pirates in port belong to their club, a quarter have ties to the Crimson Fleet and the last quarter wished they did. The Holy Triad doesn't care about justice, the Fleet paid them good gold for the use of the Plaza. And that's all that really matter in Scuttlecove: gold. The Skindancers lodged a formal protest at the death of one of our members then let the matter drop. It wasn't like she was entirely innocent in the whole affair anyway."
"How can you live like this?" He muttered. "Without justice or equality? Without law?"
Shae scowled. "Like any of us have a choice? I grew up in Scuttlecove as an orphan. No parents, reliant for everything on a pack of slave traders. When I reached the age of majority, I was traded to the Skindancer Academy for a favor. I was lucky, they gave me a chance to work off my contract and now I'm free. It's more than alot of them can say."
He sniffed. "What sort of work?"
"What sort of work is a pretty 8 year old girl good for?" Shae sneered.
It took a while for realization to dawn on Aaron's face. "That's monstrous!"
"Yes. But that's the way the world works. Everyone holds a monster in their hearts, it's just a matter of putting it to good use. Could you take the reins for a moment, Aaron? My arms are a little sore."
He took the reins impassively, too deep in throught about other things to protest. She leaned back against his body lightly and subtley, looking up at the canopy of leaves overhead. "You know, i don't think I've ever told anyone that before. Strange."
He shifted in the saddle, suddenly uncomfortable.
"Halt!" Jacith called from the head of the column. Shae cursed silently as they pulled up behind Zeladi. "What's wrong?"
"Haven," Jacith pointed out over the valley, "is on fire."
The five of them gathered atop the scarp where Jacith had stopped. Flickering flames licked over the jungle down below as black smoke obscured the town. Jacith took his eyeglass from his saddlebags and surveyed the scene. "They're still under attack, I can see archers along the treeline."
He handed the eyeglass to Dukar who quickly scanned the area. "Goblins. What are they doing this far down from the mountains?"
"We should go help," Aaron urged, "at least we could evacuate some of the civillians."
"Be quiet," Jacith dismissed him, "and be thankful for what freedoms I choose to give you. This whole area is riddled with smuggler's tunnels. The villagers are probably safer than we are. Still, we need to question any survivors. Thoughts, Dukar?"
"No way the five of us can drive off an army," he assessed, "and it's still a good hour or two's journey by horse in this sludge. But, if you insist on going in, I say we dismount and make our way to the south east corner we can bypass the archers. There's still fighting in the streets, if we keep to cover and use the confusion maybe we can force a retreat and buy the villagers some time."
"Ok, you heard Dukar," Jacith ordered, "Shae, you're with me, we'll scout ahead. Dukar and Zeladi, find a nice hollow and tether our horses, then follow. Dukar, give Aaron his weapons back but keep an eye on him. Right, move out."
#
Jacith and Shae moved swiftly through the jungle. Away from the road, the ground was more solid, packed with roots and boulders though the occasional pool had to be avoided. Still, they made better time. Finally, they crept toward one of the larger buildings on the eastern edge of the town. The township didn't have walls, which considering their current position might not have been wise, but allowed them immediate and unfettered access.
Two goblins muttered to each other in the back yard of the building ahead as they piled anything that could possibly be construed as loot near the back door.
"You know Goblin?" Shae whispered into her companion's ear.
He nodded, stringing his longbow. "Nothing important, just complaining. I can take one from here. Wait until the first one goes back inside then make a run for it."
Shae nodded. It wasn't long before the first Goblin growled an order and smacked the other, smaller, Goblin over the head before going back for more. She was running moments before it sprouted an arrow between the shoulder blades, falling with a clatter into the pile. It was too late to stop, so she drew a dagger from her belt as she ran, praying that the other Goblin hadn't heard.
Her prayers weren't answered. The first Goblin threw open the door with Shae still ten feet away, eyes wide with surprise as it drew in breath to shout. Thinking fast, Shae threw the dagger, scoring her mark directly between his eyebrows. The creature fell forward onto the stone steps with a low sigh, and twitched once before going still forever.
Shae took cover beside the doorway while Jacith moved up to her position just as the three other members of the party hit the treeline. Waving them over, Jacith motioned for them to keep low. Dukar clanked with every step but there were no calls of alarm, the noise of fighting from the town square most likely more immediate for the enemy.
"Dukar, ground floor," Jacith ordered, "take Shae and Aaron. Zeladi and I will take upstairs."
The cleric sneered at Shae. "I hope you can take orders."
"Mostly," Shae smiled pleasantly back.
Jacith entered the corridor first, followed by Dukar. Zeladi went next, following Jacith up a thin staircase to the next floor while Dukar watched out for enemies.
"You two," Dukar growled, "check the doors as we pass them. I'll keep watch."
Moving forward slowly, they fell into a pattern. Aaron would throw open the door, sword at the ready, then stepped back as Shae rushed through. The rooms were nothing, however, just a storage room, a broom closet and spartan bedroom. Three doors later and they reached a turn, the noise of more Goblins reaching their ears, the shouts punctuated by the crash of something heavy against wood.
The cleric shushed them both before motioning Shae forward. "Take a peek."
Nodding, they changed places. Shae peeked around quickly, ducking back before she could be seen. "At least five. Corridor goes five feet then opens out into a large room with a fireplace and stairwell, probably near the front door. There's also a door in the corridor to our left and another door opposite the corridor. Someone's tied to the chair, I can't see where the noises are coming from.
"I go first," Dukar stabbed his gauntleted finger into Shae's chest, "you and pretty-boy clean up."
"Would you like some salt with that chip on your shoulder?" Shae asked flippantly as they swapped places again.
He grinned maliciously, stroking his flail. "Wait until you can see what Shigail-moroth and I can do."
"And here I was thinking you were simply overcompensating for something."
Her backhanded insults failed to damage his focus, a murdrous zeal burning in his eyes. Turning the corner, he charged, the awesome weapon held double-handed over his right shoulder. Stepping out behind him a safe distance away, Shae was momentarily stunned at the effect the brute's weapon had on the first Goblin. Descending in a sharp arc, the cruelly hooked head of the flail whipped downward, smearing the Goblin into thick paste, spraying the room with dismembered limbs. The momentum of his charge, however, couldn't be stopped. A backhanded swipe of the flail's handle knocked a second goblin over and the dark priest simply trampled the creature into the floorboards, crushing it's small skull under his boot and spraying brains over the floor.
Moving in, Shae discovered a sixth goblin who had been standing out of sight from the corridor who was still staring in awe at the armoured juggernaught. It was a simple matter to snap it's fragile neck with her delicate hands, though her pause prevented Aaron from moving into the room.
Still, Dukar seemed unstoppable, dispatching two more goblins with a single sweeping blow, slamming their shattered bodies into the stone fireplace. His move, however, put his back to the last enemy. Both Shae and Aaron shouted a warning as the goblin hefted his spear, shrieking a primal battle cry borne of desperate fear. The spear, however, crunched against the thick armour plates of his back, blunting the soft metal head and snapping the haft in two.
Snorting with disgust, Shae stepped forward and ended the humanoid's life with a sharp blow to the head that cracked bone. Kneeling down, she checked the spearhead. "Lead?"
"The goblin tribes on the island are savage," Aaron explained, "they try to copy us to differing success. They know nothing of metalwork, so they have a tendancy to hammer anything metallic into an edge. Same with the patchwork leather or hide armour, practically useless."
"So what do we have here?" Dukar asked retorically as he approached the captive tied to the chair. The hostage was a gaunt middle-aged man with greying hair who wore white and red robes. The symbol of a cugdel hung around his neck. His hands and feet were tied and he was gagged.
A chill ran down Shae's spine when she saw the look in Dukar's eyes. The dark priest was kill-drunk, covered in blood, he paused to lick his gauntlets clean before the aging devotee of St. Cuthbert. "Dukar, Jacith might want to question him."
He looked at her without really seeing her, though he was obviously aware his reality was somehow skewed. "Then it's too bad we didn't get here in time," he chuckled, bending over to retrieve one of the goblin's spears, "before the goblins tortured him to death."
With a single thrust, he stabbed the captive priest through the stomach just below the rib cage. The victim's scream turned into a gurgle as blood soaked through the gag from the inside. Dukar's eyes glazed over with pleasure as he twisted the haft this way and that, probing for different organs as he levered the wound wide open.
Aaron doubled over and retched, hands shaking. Shae watched as he reached into his beltpouch to retrieve a vial of blue liquid. He quickly downed the contents, slumping into the corner of the room as profound waves of bliss took his pain away.
When it was finally over, the devotee's corpse slumped forward in the chair, lifeless. "Oh," Dukar sighed happily, "that felt good."
Scowling at the waste, Shae turned away from him. Pausing, she lifted one hand into the air. "Shhh, both of you. Do you hear that?"
"What?" Dukar asked, still preoccupied with his bloodlust.
"The pounding," she whispered, "it's stopped."
A moment later, the other door that led deeper into the house burst open and the room was flooded with goblins.
"Dukar, ground floor," Jacith ordered, "take Shae and Aaron. Zeladi and I will take upstairs."
The cleric sneered at Shae. "I hope you can take orders."
"Mostly," Shae smiled pleasantly back.
Jacith entered the corridor first, followed by Dukar. Zeladi went next, following Jacith up a thin staircase to the next floor while Dukar watched out for enemies.
"You two," Dukar growled, "check the doors as we pass them. I'll keep watch."
Moving forward slowly, they fell into a pattern. Aaron would throw open the door, sword at the ready, then stepped back as Shae rushed through. The rooms were nothing, however, just a storage room, a broom closet and spartan bedroom. Three doors later and they reached a turn, the noise of more Goblins reaching their ears, the shouts punctuated by the crash of something heavy against wood.
The cleric shushed them both before motioning Shae forward. "Take a peek."
Nodding, they changed places. Shae peeked around quickly, ducking back before she could be seen. "At least five. Corridor goes five feet then opens out into a large room with a fireplace and stairwell, probably near the front door. There's also a door in the corridor to our left and another door opposite the corridor. Someone's tied to the chair, I can't see where the noises are coming from.
"I go first," Dukar stabbed his gauntleted finger into Shae's chest, "you and pretty-boy clean up."
"Would you like some salt with that chip on your shoulder?" Shae asked flippantly as they swapped places again.
He grinned maliciously, stroking his flail. "Wait until you can see what Shigail-moroth and I can do."
"And here I was thinking you were simply overcompensating for something."
Her backhanded insults failed to damage his focus, a murdrous zeal burning in his eyes. Turning the corner, he charged, the awesome weapon held double-handed over his right shoulder. Stepping out behind him a safe distance away, Shae was momentarily stunned at the effect the brute's weapon had on the first Goblin. Descending in a sharp arc, the cruelly hooked head of the flail whipped downward, smearing the Goblin into thick paste, spraying the room with dismembered limbs. The momentum of his charge, however, couldn't be stopped. A backhanded swipe of the flail's handle knocked a second goblin over and the dark priest simply trampled the creature into the floorboards, crushing it's small skull under his boot and spraying brains over the floor.
Moving in, Shae discovered a sixth goblin who had been standing out of sight from the corridor who was still staring in awe at the armoured juggernaught. It was a simple matter to snap it's fragile neck with her delicate hands, though her pause prevented Aaron from moving into the room.
Still, Dukar seemed unstoppable, dispatching two more goblins with a single sweeping blow, slamming their shattered bodies into the stone fireplace. His move, however, put his back to the last enemy. Both Shae and Aaron shouted a warning as the goblin hefted his spear, shrieking a primal battle cry borne of desperate fear. The spear, however, crunched against the thick armour plates of his back, blunting the soft metal head and snapping the haft in two.
Snorting with disgust, Shae stepped forward and ended the humanoid's life with a sharp blow to the head that cracked bone. Kneeling down, she checked the spearhead. "Lead?"
"The goblin tribes on the island are savage," Aaron explained, "they try to copy us to differing success. They know nothing of metalwork, so they have a tendancy to hammer anything metallic into an edge. Same with the patchwork leather or hide armour, practically useless."
"So what do we have here?" Dukar asked retorically as he approached the captive tied to the chair. The hostage was a gaunt middle-aged man with greying hair who wore white and red robes. The symbol of a cugdel hung around his neck. His hands and feet were tied and he was gagged.
A chill ran down Shae's spine when she saw the look in Dukar's eyes. The dark priest was kill-drunk, covered in blood, he paused to lick his gauntlets clean before the aging devotee of St. Cuthbert. "Dukar, Jacith might want to question him."
He looked at her without really seeing her, though he was obviously aware his reality was somehow skewed. "Then it's too bad we didn't get here in time," he chuckled, bending over to retrieve one of the goblin's spears, "before the goblins tortured him to death."
With a single thrust, he stabbed the captive priest through the stomach just below the rib cage. The victim's scream turned into a gurgle as blood soaked through the gag from the inside. Dukar's eyes glazed over with pleasure as he twisted the haft this way and that, probing for different organs as he levered the wound wide open.
Aaron doubled over and retched, hands shaking. Shae watched as he reached into his beltpouch to retrieve a vial of blue liquid. He quickly downed the contents, slumping into the corner of the room as profound waves of bliss took his pain away.
When it was finally over, the devotee's corpse slumped forward in the chair, lifeless. "Oh," Dukar sighed happily, "that felt good."
Scowling at the waste, Shae turned away from him. Pausing, she lifted one hand into the air. "Shhh, both of you. Do you hear that?"
"What?" Dukar asked, still preoccupied with his bloodlust.
"The pounding," she whispered, "it's stopped."
A moment later, the other door that led deeper into the house burst open and the room was flooded with goblins.
Aholibamah
First Post
Well written and very interesting--I've adapted this setting to my homebrew for an upcoming adventure with definitely GOOD characters, this is a cool contrast to see. Shae comes across very well btw, it's interesting to see one of these written from a pc point of view. I'll keep looking for updates.
