Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1478781" data-attributes="member: 15043">EmeraldThe party’s journey into the woods continued uneventfully the rest of the day.  Anias found himself annoyed by Shaun’s constant quips, while Luke found himself annoyed by Anias’ overzealous protections.  It was only after great strain (and careful explanation that as a sorcerer he needed sleep, and that sleeping in his armor would not help that) that Luke managed to get the sergeant to let him sleep without the armor.The next morning dawned bright and cool.  Shaun was surprisingly among the first up, and he watched as Siabrey arose rather grouchily from her bedroll, separate from Luke’s at Anias’ insistence.  Shaun wasn’t sure... but the sergeant had been awake when the rogue had taken second watch... stayed awake through the watch, and was awake now. When the heck did he sleep? Shaun’s morning mind wondered, before shaking his head and assuming the sergeant woke early for second watch and went to sleep after Shaun had laid down.  Nonetheless... the man had strange features.  Shaun suspected fey, and decided to bluntly ask.“Anias?  If I may be so bold... I’ve taken note of your body... your...um... what was the word... aha!  Physiology!” Shaun beamed at producing the long word, and sputtered more.  “Are you of fey descent?”  I assure, its actually something to be quite proud...”“Do you really want to know what my ancestry is?  Would that make you and the others trust me more?” Anias asked quietly.  It’s clearly apparent that Lucius trusts them more than me.  Perhaps in this instance, I need to let go of my cover... if only to protect him better.“Yes,” Siabrey, busy setting eggs into a skillet above the fire, spoke loudly.  “Fine then.  I am an asura.”“A what?” Siabrey looked up, confused.“An angel... for lack of a simpler explanation.  I was sent by Hieroneous to deliver to Lucius said armor... and provide him with protection.”  Siabrey, Tess, Shaun and Orion were agape.“You do not believe me,” Anias smiled simply.  “Fine... then don’t believe who I say I am, but believe when I say that I will guard Lucius more closely than any one of you can.  And that he will be safe under my watch.”Confused, Shaun decided to turn his attention back to what he did understand...  food.  “Mmm... Siabrey... what are you cooking... or should I say... what will I have to remove extra sprices from?” Shaun sauntered over towards the fire, licking his lips at the smell of eggs, and pieces of ham.“No ham for you then,” Siabrey said matter of factly, but when she looked up at him, Shaun read the mirth in her eyes.  She read his eyes as well, and added, with a grin, “No!  No Ham and eggs for you!  You mocked my cooking!”“Well, dearie, your cooking des need a little work at times,” a tired Elenya added before yawning.  “Though I think you’re competent enough to not mess up ham and eggs,” she added with a smile, causing Siabrey to threaten her with food stoppage as well.After a few minutes, the smell of food had awakened everyone else that was asleep.  As Grumki and Quin both piled massive portions on to their wooden plates, Siabrey set about making Luke a plate.  He was still nustled in blankets, clearly struggling between choosing food, or more sleep.“Here you go, love,” Siabrey set the plate down, only to see a large, long head stick itself between him and his food.  “Oh... let me guess... you need to check the food his wife fixed for him,” Siabrey groaned.“No harm,” Anias said quietly, looking at the food for a few seconds, before nodding his head.  “Its ok.”“Please don’t tell me you’ll be doing this all the time,” Siabrey groaned.  “That’s annoying...even if you are an angel.”A few hours later, Anias looked at his charge and the man’s wife.  She’d been quite upset earlier in the morning when Anias had checked her food.  He trusted the woman enough to not assume she’d intentionally poison him... but his instincts made him want to test in case the food had been contaminated, or spoiled.  A sick charge would be a slow moving target for a true assassin.He continued his glances about the woods, riding barely away from Lucius’ side, when he felt something... something stir... deep and powerful, in the forest ahead.  He held up his hand, and reined everyone up, as he looked around quickly, as the feeling of dread rose... higher and higher.There was an evil... coming closer, becoming more and more powerful in his sight.“Get off the road,” he hissed quietly.  The party looked at him in confusion, until they saw his eyes... deep, black, and full of worry.  “Go, now!” he pushed at Luke, until the man spurred his horse off to the side of the woods.  Once everyone was inside, Anias motioned for dead silence, as his feeling a dread rose.He could now literally feel the evil shuddering, down into his angelic bones.  An evil presence, extremely powerful even when measured against those he’d experienced in his long life, was drawing closer.  Is it the Countess?  One of her demons?  A devil?  What? his mind wondered, as he carefully and silently slid “Nightblade” from its scabbard.Siabrey could tell from the sergeant’s eyes that something was dreadfully wrong... and for the first time, she started really thinking about what he claimed to be.  An angel... which would explain how he could tell that fellow yesterday was up to no good by just looking at him... Which means right now...Kelir silently came from his scabbard as well, as Siabrey whispered quietly to the others, “prepare for battle... our sergeant friend smells something’s up.”  Quietly, a bastard sword, longbow, harp, longsword, spellbook and warhammer were produced and readied.At that moment, the party jumped, as the trees across the road, perhaps some two hundred yards away, parted.  A long, elegant neck, light green and scaly even from this distance, rose swiftly and gracefully through the gap until it towered some 70 feet above the surrounding trees.  At the top set a unique crown, a massive head, boned, ridged, horny, with titanic yellow eyes and numerous off color teeth.  At the bottom, the neck spread out into massive musclar shoulders and haunches, which broadened until the bulk of the creature was obscured by the forest itself. The stench of chlorine assaulted the party’s noses, as a voice boomed inside of their heads.”Who are you?  Why do you travel through my forest... without a toll?” DRAGON! everyone’s mind screamed, and all began to shake in their boots... all save Anias.Should I launch an attack... or wait to see what this vile vermin has to say? Anias thought, trying to decide.  Finally, he decided to only attack if the creature became overtly hostile... it rank of evil, but he hadn’t been sent here to hunt green dragons... he’d been sent to protect Lucius.“Sir... Dragon,” Tess managed to sputter eventually.  “We meant you or your lands no harm.  We are mere travelers, heading towards Irulas.”  Whatever you do Tess... don’t let him know about the rod or idol!”Travelers you say?” the voice continued.  Now that their surprise was waning, the party had time to realize that the voice was high, scratchy... a bare whisper almost.  ”If that were true, surely you have heard of the problems plaguing my forest...”“Orcs, Gnolls, and the like?” Shaun quickly offered, and a deep draconic growl of thought echoed in their heads.”Mmm... yes.  Those are annoying... they harass the loggers who pay me rights to stay here,” the dragon rumbled.  The rumble was massive... as it was clearly apparent he was easily as large or larger than Xanadu even.  ”That... and the undead ones...”“Undead ones?” Anias asked.  The idea of violators of the laws of life and death crawling in this forest, on top of this mammoth evil, made his angelic skin crawl.”Yes...  angel one...” the raspy voice of the dragon came into their heads.  ”They terrorize my loggers... they come, kill some, and take them back to be more... soon there will be a small army of them I imagine... as I am too busy chasing out these orcs...”Lucius should not be traveling in this forest! Anias’ mind snapped.  We should turn around, and go around the forest... bypassing these problems entirely!”Anyways... to the point at hand.  I control this forest, yet I have seen no toll from you.  Whatever shall I do with you all?”“Where are these undead?” Siabrey asked, an idea forming in her mind.  Perhaps we can get through this forest fine... maybe...  “Tess!” she then hissed, “What do you know about dragons like this?”“Um... greens are said to be power hungry... but instead of wanton destruction or sheer terror, they enjoy domination and control.  They enjoy power for itself, not for its abilities to terrorize, damage or destroy.””The undead are to the north... perhaps two days.  Sometimes they raid along this road even...”“So... maybe we can reason with him,” Shaun offered.  “Offer to take care of the undead in return to him giving us safe passage?  I believe the phrase is, ‘If he scratches our back, we don’t stab him in the back.’”“No, its ‘if we scratch his back, he’ll scratch ours,’” Tess rolled her eyes.  “If its to the north, then its right along our path anyways.  We can do this as we go by.”“You are going to negotiate with an evil like that?!” Anias finally spoke, livid.  “And put Lucius in danger for safe passage through the forest!?  Are you mad!?  Do you care for Lucius at all!?”  The sergeant’s eyes were fairly blazing almost red.“Yes, we are,” Siabrey turned to face him direction, her eyes at about his chest level.  “Why?  Because if we go around, one... it will take to long... and two... outside of hte forest are, you heard it... orcs!  And whose army has lots and lots of orcs!  His mothers!  No... we cut through the forest!” she crossed her arms, and dared the angel to say anything.“Fine!” Anias grumbled after a few seconds indecision.  “We work with that dragon,” he shuddered, skin crawling at the concept, “on the condition that Lord Lucius be kept from combat if at all possible, and we don’t cause that thing to gain more power than it has.”“I’m a child now?  I can’t go to the...” Luke started to complain, and it was Siabrey’s turn to hold up and hand for him to stop.  She nodded her head in agreement with Anias, just as the dragon’s voice came into their heads again.”I hear you chittering.  I can’t understand you, but I can warn you that battle plans against me are going to be useless...”“We do not discuss battleplans, sir... dragon.  If I may ask, what is your name?” Tess said coolly and diplomatically.”None know my name... none shall.  They simply call me Emerald.”“Very well Emerald.  We propose a simple solution.  In return for passage through your forest for the next few weeks, we will take care of the undead for you.  Fair?”  Tess offered.A draconic snicker echoed through the air.  ”Very brave offer... and very foolish I might add.  I shall take you up on it... if you can kill the undead and the creature that is creating them... then truly you have earned the priviledge of such travel through my forest!”“We thank you, great Emerald,” Tess bowed.  “If you could tell us where the loggers you refer to are... or where exactly the most recent attack happened, it could expedite our search immensely.””About two days north, in human terms, there was an attack yesterday.  The loggers that survived might still be in the area.  I would advise searching there.”“Thank you Emerald,” Siabrey said, finding it hard to resist grinning at the contorted face of Anias.  ”And now that this deal has been made, I shall head off to watch for more orcs.  Beware, however... should you fail to keep the end of your bargain, my anger runs long and deep, and my reach extends far beyond even this Valley...”  Either to add effect or to prepare for flying, Emerald opened up his massive wings... easily 200 feet across, blotting out the sun around the party.  As they watched in shock, the dragon began bounding through the trees, seemingly towards them.  As his massive form reached the edge of the road, he leapt upward, and seemed to hover just over the party’s heads.Until a storm of dust and leaves rose skyward, swirling around as his first massive downbeat took him gracefully into the air."We've fought demons, giant evil frog things, and ghouls... what's another undead to us?" Shaun mused as the party got back on the road and headed to the north.</blockquote>

Verification