Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Hard Core Adventurers- KOTS 20.06 The Cathedral of Shadows
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 6077464" data-attributes="member: 16069"><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 18px">KOTS Part 9a: Jimmy’s return.</span></p><p></p><p>Soon after, Jimmy’s breathing hard, stumbling, and…</p><p></p><p>“Damn!”</p><p></p><p>The halfling yelps and tumbles down a slight incline, his foot thumping hard in to a half buried stone.</p><p></p><p>Jimmy sprawls on the packed earth, gasping- gulping down hot lungfuls of air, blinking furiously as the tears sting his eyes.</p><p></p><p>“Gurppp!”</p><p></p><p>He vomits as he tries to stand, sinks back onto his haunches, and vomits again- one side of his leather armour has been torn away at the shoulder, split at the seams. The other side is lathered with blood- mostly his own.</p><p></p><p>His hands and forearms are covered by a network of scratches and tiny cuts- pricked by thorns and burning from nettle stings.</p><p></p><p>The halfling rocks back and forth, every now and then he spews or dry retches.</p><p></p><p>“I didn’t want to go back… I didn’t even want to… go back. To go back...”</p><p></p><p>Jimmy levers himself to his feet, steadies himself for a moment, he’s woozy, not right, not… the sun is getting low- dusk is approaching.</p><p></p><p>I know the way. I know the way. He repeats the phrase in his head.</p><p></p><p>Jimmy heads off again, a stumbling jog.</p><p></p><p>“I didn’t want to…” Every now and then he whispers it; at least twice he stops for a moment to shout out the phrase as loud as he can and then, realising what he’s done, anxiously scan the horizon.</p><p></p><p>He cries a lot.</p><p></p><p>He falls over once or twice more, repeats his previous performance, including the spewing and staggering, but he goes on.</p><p></p><p>He goes on.</p><p></p><p>Because it’s all he can do.</p><p></p><p>Because it’s all there is to do.</p><p></p><p>“I didn’t want to go back… I didn’t even want to…”</p><p>“Hold him down.” Rond’s voice is stern.</p><p></p><p>The guardsman isn’t so sure, or else…</p><p></p><p>“I said ‘hold him down’ guardsman.” Rond shouts, but remains in control.</p><p>“He’s raving…” It’s Lord Padraig’s voice.</p><p>“Yes sir, as you say.” Rond comes again.</p><p>“What happened to hi…”</p><p>“Death, sir.” Rond simply states with as much ire as his position, and Lord Padraig’s authority, allow him to muster.</p><p></p><p>“I didn’t…” Jimmy blinks open his eyes- the Inn, Wrafton’s Inn. A strange point of view- the ceiling, looking up- he’s looking up. Someone, some things, are holding him down- got to get up. Got to get up, get free, get back to… Jimmy fights.</p><p></p><p>“Here we go again, hold him guardsman- for Erathis’ sake he’s just a halfling, hold him!”</p><p></p><p>“No! NO! They’ve got them- the rat men. The rats! RATS! My brother… my brother- little brother. I’ve got to- LET GO OF ME!” Jimmy rambles, screams and shouts.</p><p></p><p>He scrabbles to be free, scrambles to reach for his dagger- the guardsman struggles, they can’t hold him- Lord Padraig suddenly recoils- Rond jumps in to the gap, but Jimmy is alive- with pain, with anger, with hatred- his dagger’s out.</p><p></p><p>Jimmy hisses and spits, like a madman, he’s free of their grasp…</p><p></p><p>“KEEP BACK!” Rond screams, as guardsmen and gawkers scramble for cover.</p><p></p><p>Jimmy leaps to his feet, the enemy all around him; somehow they’re in Winterhaven- the goblins, the kobolds, the rat men, the monsters- all arrayed before him in the Inn...</p><p></p><p>“You’ll not take me… Never! I didn’t want to go back!” The last phrase half shout, half scream, all terror.</p><p></p><p>Jimmy makes for a forlorn sight, dagger in hand- madness in his eyes, standing on a table in the middle of Wrafton’s Inn, surrounded by the citizens of the town.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly a minotaur appears before Jimmy, steps out of the monstrous crowd.</p><p></p><p>It’s… It’s… It’s… Jimmy thinks.</p><p></p><p>The minotaur grins, and approaches.</p><p></p><p>“Hedda!” Jimmy grins back, holds out his empty hand in greeting.</p><p></p><p>And then takes the full force of the flat of the great minotaur’s axe in his chest- the halfling sails fifteen feet, slams in to a wall and thumps down on to the floor.</p><p></p><p>Jimmy’s last thought- “You’re not Hedda.” Then oblivion.</p><p></p><p>“Where am I?” Jimmy awakes with a start, sits bolt upright- Sister Lenora perches on the edge of the bed.</p><p>“Shhh… Rest little one.”</p><p>“Little one?” Jimmy screws up his face- a bad memory.</p><p></p><p>The door to the bedchamber opens- Douvern, it’s Douvern, and… “Mum!” Jimmy leaps into Gerda’s embrace.</p><p></p><p>Two hours later and Jimmy, Douvern, Gerda, Rond and Lord Padraig are all seated around a well-appointed table, in the Lord’s manor house. The food has hardly been touched, no one feels like eating…</p><p></p><p>“But how did…” Jimmy starts, staring at his father, it’s Rond that answers.</p><p>“When you arrived back at the Inn, well- we thought you were dying, we…” Rond looks about him for a moment, “we managed to get you settled, then I sent two men on fast horses to Fallcrest- dangerous in the night, but I had Sgt. Ramm lead the way; I figure he owed you that. I thought that your father should know of your return, and the circumstances...” Rond nods at Douvern, who takes over.</p><p>“I…”</p><p>“We.” Gerda states.</p><p>“We travelled through the night- got here early this morning, about an hour before you awoke.” Douvern grins.</p><p>Gerda grins.</p><p>Jimmy blushes.</p><p>“I’m sorry…” Jimmy starts, and then puts his head down quickly- the tears come again.</p><p></p><p>“Jimmy.” Gerda speaks.</p><p>Jimmy sniffs and then looks up.</p><p>“Tell us- tell us everything you remember…”</p><p>Jimmy gulps, nods his head, and then starts to speak.</p><p></p><p>It takes a while, breaks for tears, anger and moments of comfort, but eventually Jimmy gets it said- his story is told.</p><p></p><p>“Five thousand!” Rond whistles.</p><p>Lord Padraig shakes his head.</p><p>Douvern is however already counting- his chair scrapes back. The ex-adventurer is quickly to his feet, smiling, almost.</p><p></p><p>“Five thousand- you did well Jimmy, you did great. You saved them! I’m proud of you…” Douvern is at Jimmy, his hand on the halfling’s shoulder, squeezing tight- Jimmy sobs and is comforted by Gerda, who strokes his hair and coos.</p><p></p><p>“I need to make use of your men- I need swift riders, we need to go to Fallcrest and back, today preferably…” Douvern addresses first Lord Padraig and then Rond, the ex-adventurer perversely seems to be enjoying himself.</p><p>Lord Padraig nods at Douvern and then Rond.</p><p>“I’ll organise things.” Rond states and bustles for the door. “They’ll be ready to depart within the hour…” The guard captain heads out.</p><p></p><p>Douvern nods back at his wife, and then grins at Jimmy. </p><p>“You did right. We can get them back. I’ll be back today with the money.”</p><p>The ex-adventurer nods again, and the heads off after Rond.</p><p></p><p>“Mom?” Jimmy asks.</p><p>“Let your dad take care of it- rest Jimmy, rest. You need to get better.” Gerda states and hugs the halfling to her.</p><p></p><p>“Where am I?” Jimmy awakes with a start, sits bolt upright- Sister Lenora has been replaced on the edge of his bed, instead it’s Douvern that perches there.</p><p>“Shhh… Rest.” His dad leans in and strokes the young halfling’s warm brow.</p><p>“Hal’s…” Jimmy screws up his face- a bad memory.</p><p>“I know… I know- there’s nothing you could have done. We’ll get Gokan back, don’t you worry.”</p><p>“But Hal…” Jimmy starts again.</p><p>“Hal was a strange one- even I could see that, all that time in the ground- centuries… He was…” Douvern wipes his eyes.</p><p>“There was something about Hal, Jimmy. All the time he spent at home, with me, with us… I’d wake up every day and see him and think that it was going to be today, that today was the day he’d finally tell me…” Douvern looks away.</p><p>Jimmy sits up, through the window he can see the moon, almost full in the black sky.</p><p></p><p>“What do you mean that he was going to tell you?” Jimmy asks.</p><p>“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. It was just something I felt, every day- every time I saw him. He had this air, a sort of expectancy. It was like he had a secret.” Douvern shakes his head, and then goes on.</p><p>“I know it sounds silly but… Gerda, your mother felt it too, only she was afraid of it- we spoke about it at first, the feeling we had, when Hal first came home with me. We’d argue about it- she said that there was something wrong with Hal, something not right, something… dangerous. I don’t know!” Douvern gives up, exasperated.</p><p>It’s Jimmy’s turn, he rests his hand on his father’s arm.</p><p></p><p>Finally Douvern looks up.</p><p>“Hal had a secret, it’s a strange thing to say- I know. The thing I hate most is the feeling that he never told anyone, or at least- he never told me.”</p><p>Douvern sags, stays silent for a while longer.</p><p></p><p>“I miss him Jimmy- I miss him already. I’m sure you miss him too- we all will, but he died doing the thing he was created for, for fighting- for defending, for keeping others safe. He gave his life to keep you safe Jimmy.” Douvern stares in to his son’s glistening eyes.</p><p></p><p>“I need to pay him back…” Jimmy states and stares back out the window.</p><p>“You’ve already paid him back, don’t you see- you survived, that’s what Hal would have wanted,” Douvern states and intercepts Jimmy’s gaze.</p><p>“Understand Jimmy? It’s not your job to get ‘revenge’, don’t do anything silly- bring Gokan back, if you can. But you need to come back- in one piece, that’s what Hal would have wanted- he was your big brother…”</p><p></p><p>The two clutch each other; Jimmy sobs a little, but does his best to hide his tears.</p><p></p><p>An hour or so later, Douvern tucks the sleeping halfling back in to the bed, and then as quietly as he can creeps to the door of the chamber, silently opens it, easier done because it’s slightly ajar.</p><p></p><p>“Oh!” Standing in the now open doorway is Gerda, she looks at him, she looks serious.</p><p>“And when Jimmy comes back?” Gerda enquires.</p><p>Douvern sags again, looks old- older than his years even. He shrugs, and then begins to move off- back to the room he shares with Gerda.</p><p>“And that’s it? You’d send him back?” Gerda voice betrays her emotion.</p><p>Douvern turns to face his wife, he shrugs again.</p><p>“It’s his choice?” He offers.</p><p>“Adventuring!” Gerda sarcastically replies, with as much dismay, and anger, as she can muster.</p><p>“It’s in his blood.” Douvern states, and changes direction, heading for the stairs.</p><p>“Where are you going now?” Gerda snaps.</p><p></p><p>Douvern waits till he’s almost out of sight before replying.</p><p>“I’m going to make sure he comes back alive. I’m going to make sure that he gets a chance to make his own decision.”</p><p>Gerda goes to speak, but Douvern cuts her off.</p><p>“Get some sleep. I won’t be long, and I promise you- here and now, that Jimmy will return, with Gokan. I’ll take care of it.” And with that, Douvern heads down the stairs and out of sight.</p><p></p><p>Leaving Gerda alone in the corridor, fretting and wiping her eyes, stood outside of her son’s room.</p><p>“Old fool” Gerda hisses, and then shuffles off back to their room.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40504969@N08/8045385962/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8173/8045385962_d315e58fb4_o.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goonalan, post: 6077464, member: 16069"] [CENTER][SIZE="5"]KOTS Part 9a: Jimmy’s return.[/SIZE][/CENTER] Soon after, Jimmy’s breathing hard, stumbling, and… “Damn!” The halfling yelps and tumbles down a slight incline, his foot thumping hard in to a half buried stone. Jimmy sprawls on the packed earth, gasping- gulping down hot lungfuls of air, blinking furiously as the tears sting his eyes. “Gurppp!” He vomits as he tries to stand, sinks back onto his haunches, and vomits again- one side of his leather armour has been torn away at the shoulder, split at the seams. The other side is lathered with blood- mostly his own. His hands and forearms are covered by a network of scratches and tiny cuts- pricked by thorns and burning from nettle stings. The halfling rocks back and forth, every now and then he spews or dry retches. “I didn’t want to go back… I didn’t even want to… go back. To go back...” Jimmy levers himself to his feet, steadies himself for a moment, he’s woozy, not right, not… the sun is getting low- dusk is approaching. I know the way. I know the way. He repeats the phrase in his head. Jimmy heads off again, a stumbling jog. “I didn’t want to…” Every now and then he whispers it; at least twice he stops for a moment to shout out the phrase as loud as he can and then, realising what he’s done, anxiously scan the horizon. He cries a lot. He falls over once or twice more, repeats his previous performance, including the spewing and staggering, but he goes on. He goes on. Because it’s all he can do. Because it’s all there is to do. “I didn’t want to go back… I didn’t even want to…” “Hold him down.” Rond’s voice is stern. The guardsman isn’t so sure, or else… “I said ‘hold him down’ guardsman.” Rond shouts, but remains in control. “He’s raving…” It’s Lord Padraig’s voice. “Yes sir, as you say.” Rond comes again. “What happened to hi…” “Death, sir.” Rond simply states with as much ire as his position, and Lord Padraig’s authority, allow him to muster. “I didn’t…” Jimmy blinks open his eyes- the Inn, Wrafton’s Inn. A strange point of view- the ceiling, looking up- he’s looking up. Someone, some things, are holding him down- got to get up. Got to get up, get free, get back to… Jimmy fights. “Here we go again, hold him guardsman- for Erathis’ sake he’s just a halfling, hold him!” “No! NO! They’ve got them- the rat men. The rats! RATS! My brother… my brother- little brother. I’ve got to- LET GO OF ME!” Jimmy rambles, screams and shouts. He scrabbles to be free, scrambles to reach for his dagger- the guardsman struggles, they can’t hold him- Lord Padraig suddenly recoils- Rond jumps in to the gap, but Jimmy is alive- with pain, with anger, with hatred- his dagger’s out. Jimmy hisses and spits, like a madman, he’s free of their grasp… “KEEP BACK!” Rond screams, as guardsmen and gawkers scramble for cover. Jimmy leaps to his feet, the enemy all around him; somehow they’re in Winterhaven- the goblins, the kobolds, the rat men, the monsters- all arrayed before him in the Inn... “You’ll not take me… Never! I didn’t want to go back!” The last phrase half shout, half scream, all terror. Jimmy makes for a forlorn sight, dagger in hand- madness in his eyes, standing on a table in the middle of Wrafton’s Inn, surrounded by the citizens of the town. Suddenly a minotaur appears before Jimmy, steps out of the monstrous crowd. It’s… It’s… It’s… Jimmy thinks. The minotaur grins, and approaches. “Hedda!” Jimmy grins back, holds out his empty hand in greeting. And then takes the full force of the flat of the great minotaur’s axe in his chest- the halfling sails fifteen feet, slams in to a wall and thumps down on to the floor. Jimmy’s last thought- “You’re not Hedda.” Then oblivion. “Where am I?” Jimmy awakes with a start, sits bolt upright- Sister Lenora perches on the edge of the bed. “Shhh… Rest little one.” “Little one?” Jimmy screws up his face- a bad memory. The door to the bedchamber opens- Douvern, it’s Douvern, and… “Mum!” Jimmy leaps into Gerda’s embrace. Two hours later and Jimmy, Douvern, Gerda, Rond and Lord Padraig are all seated around a well-appointed table, in the Lord’s manor house. The food has hardly been touched, no one feels like eating… “But how did…” Jimmy starts, staring at his father, it’s Rond that answers. “When you arrived back at the Inn, well- we thought you were dying, we…” Rond looks about him for a moment, “we managed to get you settled, then I sent two men on fast horses to Fallcrest- dangerous in the night, but I had Sgt. Ramm lead the way; I figure he owed you that. I thought that your father should know of your return, and the circumstances...” Rond nods at Douvern, who takes over. “I…” “We.” Gerda states. “We travelled through the night- got here early this morning, about an hour before you awoke.” Douvern grins. Gerda grins. Jimmy blushes. “I’m sorry…” Jimmy starts, and then puts his head down quickly- the tears come again. “Jimmy.” Gerda speaks. Jimmy sniffs and then looks up. “Tell us- tell us everything you remember…” Jimmy gulps, nods his head, and then starts to speak. It takes a while, breaks for tears, anger and moments of comfort, but eventually Jimmy gets it said- his story is told. “Five thousand!” Rond whistles. Lord Padraig shakes his head. Douvern is however already counting- his chair scrapes back. The ex-adventurer is quickly to his feet, smiling, almost. “Five thousand- you did well Jimmy, you did great. You saved them! I’m proud of you…” Douvern is at Jimmy, his hand on the halfling’s shoulder, squeezing tight- Jimmy sobs and is comforted by Gerda, who strokes his hair and coos. “I need to make use of your men- I need swift riders, we need to go to Fallcrest and back, today preferably…” Douvern addresses first Lord Padraig and then Rond, the ex-adventurer perversely seems to be enjoying himself. Lord Padraig nods at Douvern and then Rond. “I’ll organise things.” Rond states and bustles for the door. “They’ll be ready to depart within the hour…” The guard captain heads out. Douvern nods back at his wife, and then grins at Jimmy. “You did right. We can get them back. I’ll be back today with the money.” The ex-adventurer nods again, and the heads off after Rond. “Mom?” Jimmy asks. “Let your dad take care of it- rest Jimmy, rest. You need to get better.” Gerda states and hugs the halfling to her. “Where am I?” Jimmy awakes with a start, sits bolt upright- Sister Lenora has been replaced on the edge of his bed, instead it’s Douvern that perches there. “Shhh… Rest.” His dad leans in and strokes the young halfling’s warm brow. “Hal’s…” Jimmy screws up his face- a bad memory. “I know… I know- there’s nothing you could have done. We’ll get Gokan back, don’t you worry.” “But Hal…” Jimmy starts again. “Hal was a strange one- even I could see that, all that time in the ground- centuries… He was…” Douvern wipes his eyes. “There was something about Hal, Jimmy. All the time he spent at home, with me, with us… I’d wake up every day and see him and think that it was going to be today, that today was the day he’d finally tell me…” Douvern looks away. Jimmy sits up, through the window he can see the moon, almost full in the black sky. “What do you mean that he was going to tell you?” Jimmy asks. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. It was just something I felt, every day- every time I saw him. He had this air, a sort of expectancy. It was like he had a secret.” Douvern shakes his head, and then goes on. “I know it sounds silly but… Gerda, your mother felt it too, only she was afraid of it- we spoke about it at first, the feeling we had, when Hal first came home with me. We’d argue about it- she said that there was something wrong with Hal, something not right, something… dangerous. I don’t know!” Douvern gives up, exasperated. It’s Jimmy’s turn, he rests his hand on his father’s arm. Finally Douvern looks up. “Hal had a secret, it’s a strange thing to say- I know. The thing I hate most is the feeling that he never told anyone, or at least- he never told me.” Douvern sags, stays silent for a while longer. “I miss him Jimmy- I miss him already. I’m sure you miss him too- we all will, but he died doing the thing he was created for, for fighting- for defending, for keeping others safe. He gave his life to keep you safe Jimmy.” Douvern stares in to his son’s glistening eyes. “I need to pay him back…” Jimmy states and stares back out the window. “You’ve already paid him back, don’t you see- you survived, that’s what Hal would have wanted,” Douvern states and intercepts Jimmy’s gaze. “Understand Jimmy? It’s not your job to get ‘revenge’, don’t do anything silly- bring Gokan back, if you can. But you need to come back- in one piece, that’s what Hal would have wanted- he was your big brother…” The two clutch each other; Jimmy sobs a little, but does his best to hide his tears. An hour or so later, Douvern tucks the sleeping halfling back in to the bed, and then as quietly as he can creeps to the door of the chamber, silently opens it, easier done because it’s slightly ajar. “Oh!” Standing in the now open doorway is Gerda, she looks at him, she looks serious. “And when Jimmy comes back?” Gerda enquires. Douvern sags again, looks old- older than his years even. He shrugs, and then begins to move off- back to the room he shares with Gerda. “And that’s it? You’d send him back?” Gerda voice betrays her emotion. Douvern turns to face his wife, he shrugs again. “It’s his choice?” He offers. “Adventuring!” Gerda sarcastically replies, with as much dismay, and anger, as she can muster. “It’s in his blood.” Douvern states, and changes direction, heading for the stairs. “Where are you going now?” Gerda snaps. Douvern waits till he’s almost out of sight before replying. “I’m going to make sure he comes back alive. I’m going to make sure that he gets a chance to make his own decision.” Gerda goes to speak, but Douvern cuts her off. “Get some sleep. I won’t be long, and I promise you- here and now, that Jimmy will return, with Gokan. I’ll take care of it.” And with that, Douvern heads down the stairs and out of sight. Leaving Gerda alone in the corridor, fretting and wiping her eyes, stood outside of her son’s room. “Old fool” Gerda hisses, and then shuffles off back to their room. [CENTER][url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/40504969@N08/8045385962/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8173/8045385962_d315e58fb4_o.png[/img][/url][/CENTER] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Hard Core Adventurers- KOTS 20.06 The Cathedral of Shadows
Top