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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1418907" data-attributes="member: 15043">In this next section, a friend from the old game I played in joined our game with his new character... so allow me to introduce:Orion – Mnk  11Orion is a devotee of the Order of the Mantis, a congregation that seeks peace and tranquility in the heart of the desert.  Recently, the order has heard rumors that a force of orcs is threatening their home, and other rumors of a noble crossing the desert for unknown reasons.  Orion has been dispatched as one of many agents to discern what is happening, and determine which side good falls upon and report to the order so they can commit their resources...A Lizard, A Village, and a New FaceOrion looked across the horizon, and growled to himself.It’s still moving.... faster now I think.  His legs pumped faster, and quickly he was moving at a pace so fast that most humans could have scarely gone half as fast.  Suddenly, his quarry, far far ahead, stopped, and Orion skidded to a halt as well.Has he smelled me? Orion’s mind raced as he stared at the beast across the desert sands.  He watched as the creature’s snout suddenly shifted, turning to and fro... finally settling on something ahead and to the left.No... he’s settled on something else... not good, Orion thought, stalking ever closer to the creature as it reoriented itself.  Then it too began to slink forwards, trying to hide its bulk low across the desert.Hunting mode, Orioin observed, swiftly and silently drawing closer.  Before I strike, I should wait till its attention is fully focused on that quarry...“I can’t believe Dingalas came back... or how big this mess has become,” Siabrey said, shaking her head.  Yet another event to add to her list of unbelievables. She looked over at Lucius, commenting, “after this is done, you and I are definitely taking a vacation, Luke!”“And I’ll look forward to that with every moment,” he crooned back, causing her to blush... and Tess to roll her eyes.  It didn’t irritate her as much as it used to... she was growing to accept it as the norm.  Still, sometimes those two were sickly.Part of her lack of anger was also attributed to the fact that she had been watching a red spot on the horizon, rise and fall slowly over the last hour, as if something large was moving over the ground.  Every time she looked, she would think it was nothing more than some red sandstone... then it would look like it moved again.“Pell,” she asked the paladin riding next to her, “what do you see over there?” she pointed towards the spot, reining up her horse.“Hm?” he asked, before shielding his eyes and looking off into the distance as well.  His brow furrowed, and he was silent for a few minutes before finally prouncing, “hmm... I don’t know.  Its a creature all right, but not a boneworm at least...”“Anything else out here that could be dangerous?” Tess asked him, and Pellaron shrugged.  By this point Siabrey and Lucius were riding back, engrossed in each other, and Tess blurted the question out to them.“Did Xanny or Kelir say anything about dangerous creatures out here?”“Um... he mentioned braxats like those that attacked us before we reached Obash... and bandits... not much more,” Siabrey said as Pellaron pointed out the red spot, growing larger by the minute.  It was Shaun’s eyes that narrowed when he approached, and made out a distinctive snout, along with large horns above the crimson, lizard-like face of the beast.“DRAGON!” he shouted, pointing furiously.  “Red Dragon!” His panicked shouting was starting to scare his horse, as Tess craned closer, and her eyes went wide.  It wasn’t a red dragon, to be sure, but something that could be equally as dangerous...“Fire Drake!” she screamed, as her mind recited what she knew of the from her limited knowledge of desert songs...  Very territorial... breathes fire... crap... thats all I have!AS the party watched, the beast evidently heard their shouts, and deducing its prey now knew its location, it lunged forward at full speed...Travellers?  This far out into the desert? Orion’s mind asked briefly, before he realized why the fire drake had sped up.  Its going to attack them!Putting all of his power into his legs, Orion dashed forward at full speed, and began channeling his body’s inner strength, leaping in the air...”What the?” Shaun was the first to ask, his bow already notched, as a man seemed to leap half again the length of the beast, and slam a foot into the creature’s jaw. That is definately a madman Shaun decided as he loosed his first arrow of the day.  It ran true, only to glance off the thick scales of the creature...Tess watched in wonderment as well as the unknown man leapt skyward and pummelled the face of the false dragon.  After this momentary lapse, her voice rose in the air in song, and three sonic darts slammed into the creature’s skull, moments after their erstwhile ally had landed on the ground.  The drake shook, and became enraged, charging at hte party even faster.Siabrey loosed two arrows in rapid succession at it, with more success.  As it was closer now, she was able to barely see the dark lines that marked the edges of scales, and she purposefully aimed for the gaps.  Unfortunately, her attacks seemed to only drive it into more of a frenzy.  As she reloaded, bolts of light shot from Lucius’ hands, as magic missiles slammed home on the beast.  To her surprise, two more bolts flew from high up in the air, slamming into the creature’s back.  As she looked up, she heard Shaun’s voice drift over the desert...“That’s my girl!  Dayum, thats my girl!” he shouted, pointing at the enormous raven aloft over the creature.Orion looked on in desperation.  The travellers had been more heavily armed than he expected, and he had to dodge several near hits from arrows.  He didn’t fault them; he knew they weren’t aiming for him, it was just he was in the fire zone.  He decided to remedy that.Leaping skyward, the monk landed another furious kick to the side of hte beast, away from its head, where all the other firepower seemed to be landing.  As his foot crashed home, he was rewarded with a sickening crack, as two ribs in the side of the massive beast snapped.Run at them now! his mind called towards the beast mockingly.  Turn and face me!Tess saw the man leap up and slam another vicious assault into the side of the creature... and watched amazingly as the 40 foot monster slowed down.  He must be a monk... they are the only ones with that kind of power in their own body...She quickly prepared another blast of sonic energy, which she unleashed at the creature’s head.  AS her voice rang out, its tone high and screeching about the desert plain, the beasts head began to shake, and the noise of its teeth clicking into each other reached the party’s ears moments before the monster fell on its side.   It laid there, forever still, as blood trickled from its ears and eyes.“Good job Tess,” Siabrey said as he lowered her bow from the dead beast, “You didn’t get that man out there all covered in blood!  Try and do that for us some too!”  The fighter’s face had an ornery half grin.“Next time you use this harp to manifest some sonic darts!” Tess grinned back.  Siabrey’s only joking... and I suppose that ther eare times for humor to relieve tension...The party walked down towards where the prone beast lay, more curious about the man surveying its corpse than the beast itself.  He stood tall, and was clad in the rather simple robes of a desert monk.“You fought well, sir!” Siabrey called as they approached.  He turned from the kill, and looked thoughtfully at the party.The young man in armor, his heart stopped.  He is the nobleman I seek...  Graciously, Orion gave a large bow.“Greetings, my lords,” he said, his voice a deep tenor that rustled over the desert like the endless sands.  “I am pleased you have helped me in my search to destroy this foul beast.  My most gracious thanks.”We should be thanking you, with that powerful unarmed strike of yours. “And thank you, um...”  Tess began before realizing she did not know his name.“Orion,” the monk said, “of the Order of the Mantis.  I believe you are Lord Lucius Caladron,” he said, gesturing to the young noble.How does he know Lucius’ name? Siabrey’s protective side immediately asked.  How does he...”I was asked by my order to find you, and ask you why you were moving across the desert so quickly... and why our enemies the orcs are massing on the deserts edge,” the monk calmly asked, sitting down on a prone arm of the dead drake.“Um...” Lucius began uncertainly, before Siabrey cut him off.“You said you were hunting this beast?” she asked, and Orion nodded.  “Do you hunt all dragons?”  I’ll be damned if I allow a dragon hunter to come with us... on the other hand, his fists were quite strong...“No,” Orion laughed, “there are many dragons whom we are proud to consider allies and friends!  Why do you ask such a question?”Orion’s eyes grew wide over the next hour as the party explained the nature of their quest, the demons they’d fought, and the forces marshalling in the south against humanity...</blockquote>

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