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<blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 3843404" data-attributes="member: 9546"><p>With Tower Cleaver and Sepoto in the lead, the Legionnaires began their trek across Scuttlecove, headed for the dock district on the far side of the city. With every block they traveled, they saw more and more evidence of the cut-throat, back-stabbing, live from hand-to-mouth nature of the den of iniquity. There were establishments such as Parts Is Parts, a shop constructed completely out of bones, many of them humanoid, which obviously dealt in the trading of body parts. Then there was an orphanage, whose open-air patio featured several stone plinths which looked suspiciously like auction blocks. Other businesses they passed where equally unsavory or worse, and all about them the evidence of one sentient species’ inhumanity to another were on open display. Nowhere was this more obvious than the town plaza. Here they encountered a terrifying structure which consisted of metal and wood beams arranged in a series of concentric squares. The beams were suspended twenty feet off of the ground by tall stone pillars, and each was festooned with coils of spiked chains. Numerous spiked manacles dangled from these, along with thousands of tiny chains that ended in hooks, clamps and long, thin barbed rods. Bodies hung from most of the shackles, in various stages of decay. Ravens picked at the remains amid loud caws and rustling feathers. As the company walked by the gruesome tableau, Sepoto abruptly stopped, staring upward with his mouth open.</p><p>“What?” Mandi asked, following his gaze with her own. Then she saw what had caught the goliath’s attention. Hanging amid several desiccated husks was the somewhat fresh body of a dwarf. He was naked save for a silver amulet around his neck. Even from a distance, it was obvious that the symbol engraved on the amulet was that of Moradin.</p><p>“Bombur,” Mandi whispered. </p><p>The others looked up as well, their shock at the sight of the dead Jade Raven apparent. After a moment, Mandi brusquely urged them all on again, feeling the first pangs of despair clutch at her heart.</p><p></p><p>Several blocks later, the company found themselves in a short alley between two avenues. As they picked their way through the clutter and refuse, two men stepped out of the shadows at the far end. Behind them, two more figures appeared.</p><p>“We hear you been askin’ questions,” one of the men in front said, fingering the blade of a scimitar he held. “Folks round here don’t take kindly t’those what stick their noses in business that don’t concern’em. Busy bodies’re liable to end up strung up in the plaza.”</p><p>At that, Mandi’s eyes flared, and her entire body tensed. </p><p>“And those that interfere in the affairs of the Legion don’t live long enough to regret it,” she hissed. At a jerk of her head, Tower Cleaver lumbered forward. The thugs braced themselves, but they might as well have been bracing to hold back a hurricane. The minotaur’s axe swung wide, opening bright red gashes across the chests of both men. Sepoto took off in the opposite direction, and his own swing drove one of the brigands behind them back past the mouth of the alley. Suddenly, a barrage of fiery rays streaked past the goliath, cooking the second man inside his armor, leaving nothing but a charred corpse in their wake. Sepoto took the opportunity to follow his fleeing victim, impaling the man to the cobbles as he fell.</p><p></p><p>Cleaver’s opponents quickly backpedaled away from the enraged minotaur, quaffing flasks as they went. When Cleaver closed the distance with them again, each of them spewed fiery liquid at him, scorching and singeing his flesh. As the barbarian roared and batted at the flames, Octurus darted past him, diving and tumbling to come up behind the two ruffians. A quick thrust of one of his deadly blades severed the spine of one man, and a follow-up riposte with his second neatly slit the other thug’s throat.</p><p></p><p>Several minutes later, the Legionnaires stood around one of the dead rogues as Daelric finished binding his hands behind him, and then murmured a quick prayer over the corpse. Abruptly, the man began to cough and sputter as he struggled to a sitting position, his eyes staring wildly around at his captors.</p><p>“I…I was dead!” he stammered.</p><p>“Yes, you were,” Mandi replied, calmly, “and unless you want to return to that state immediately, you’ll answer a few questions for us.”</p><p>The thief glanced around at the glowering faces above him, then nervously licked his lips.</p><p>“If I tell you, you’ll let me go?” he asked</p><p>“You have my word,” Mandi said, her eyes as cold as ice. “Now, you can start by telling us who you work for.”</p><p>The man stared at her for a moment before averting his eyes from her disturbing gaze. “We’re independents,” he said at length, “but we was hired by an agent of the Kraken’s.”</p><p>“I see,” Mandi nodded. “And do you know a man named Vanthus Vanderboren?”</p><p>The ruffian shook his head. “Never heard of him. We never know the names of our employers.”</p><p>“Then where can we find the Kraken Society?” the sorceress pressed.</p><p>The prisoner shook his head violently. “I dunno! Never been there! We was always just contacted by a messenger!”</p><p>Mandi continued to stare at him, like a bug under a magnifying glass. Finally, she nodded again. </p><p>“Very well then. As soon as we are gone, you are free to untie yourself and go about your business.”</p><p></p><p>The rogue continued to stare after the departing company until they’d vanished into the mist. Then he set about working on his bonds, flicking a dagger from inside one of his sleeves. In minutes, he was free. Not believing his good fortune, he quickly rifled through the pockets of his former companions, then stood and began walking towards the far end of the alley. He’d gone no more than a half-dozen paces when his eyes went wide with surprise. He felt pain like a fist grip his heart as it shuddered to a stop. One more pace and he fell face-first into a pile of garbage, dead once more, and this time, permanently.</p><p></p><p>Some time later, a new corpse hung from the chains in the town plaza, placed there under the watchful eyes of passersby by a large, heavily muscled minotaur bearing an axe nearly as tall as he was. As the body swung from its chains, an equally burly goliath stood beneath it and called out to the onlookers.</p><p>“Heed well this warning! This is what becomes of those who cross the Legion!”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="JollyDoc, post: 3843404, member: 9546"] With Tower Cleaver and Sepoto in the lead, the Legionnaires began their trek across Scuttlecove, headed for the dock district on the far side of the city. With every block they traveled, they saw more and more evidence of the cut-throat, back-stabbing, live from hand-to-mouth nature of the den of iniquity. There were establishments such as Parts Is Parts, a shop constructed completely out of bones, many of them humanoid, which obviously dealt in the trading of body parts. Then there was an orphanage, whose open-air patio featured several stone plinths which looked suspiciously like auction blocks. Other businesses they passed where equally unsavory or worse, and all about them the evidence of one sentient species’ inhumanity to another were on open display. Nowhere was this more obvious than the town plaza. Here they encountered a terrifying structure which consisted of metal and wood beams arranged in a series of concentric squares. The beams were suspended twenty feet off of the ground by tall stone pillars, and each was festooned with coils of spiked chains. Numerous spiked manacles dangled from these, along with thousands of tiny chains that ended in hooks, clamps and long, thin barbed rods. Bodies hung from most of the shackles, in various stages of decay. Ravens picked at the remains amid loud caws and rustling feathers. As the company walked by the gruesome tableau, Sepoto abruptly stopped, staring upward with his mouth open. “What?” Mandi asked, following his gaze with her own. Then she saw what had caught the goliath’s attention. Hanging amid several desiccated husks was the somewhat fresh body of a dwarf. He was naked save for a silver amulet around his neck. Even from a distance, it was obvious that the symbol engraved on the amulet was that of Moradin. “Bombur,” Mandi whispered. The others looked up as well, their shock at the sight of the dead Jade Raven apparent. After a moment, Mandi brusquely urged them all on again, feeling the first pangs of despair clutch at her heart. Several blocks later, the company found themselves in a short alley between two avenues. As they picked their way through the clutter and refuse, two men stepped out of the shadows at the far end. Behind them, two more figures appeared. “We hear you been askin’ questions,” one of the men in front said, fingering the blade of a scimitar he held. “Folks round here don’t take kindly t’those what stick their noses in business that don’t concern’em. Busy bodies’re liable to end up strung up in the plaza.” At that, Mandi’s eyes flared, and her entire body tensed. “And those that interfere in the affairs of the Legion don’t live long enough to regret it,” she hissed. At a jerk of her head, Tower Cleaver lumbered forward. The thugs braced themselves, but they might as well have been bracing to hold back a hurricane. The minotaur’s axe swung wide, opening bright red gashes across the chests of both men. Sepoto took off in the opposite direction, and his own swing drove one of the brigands behind them back past the mouth of the alley. Suddenly, a barrage of fiery rays streaked past the goliath, cooking the second man inside his armor, leaving nothing but a charred corpse in their wake. Sepoto took the opportunity to follow his fleeing victim, impaling the man to the cobbles as he fell. Cleaver’s opponents quickly backpedaled away from the enraged minotaur, quaffing flasks as they went. When Cleaver closed the distance with them again, each of them spewed fiery liquid at him, scorching and singeing his flesh. As the barbarian roared and batted at the flames, Octurus darted past him, diving and tumbling to come up behind the two ruffians. A quick thrust of one of his deadly blades severed the spine of one man, and a follow-up riposte with his second neatly slit the other thug’s throat. Several minutes later, the Legionnaires stood around one of the dead rogues as Daelric finished binding his hands behind him, and then murmured a quick prayer over the corpse. Abruptly, the man began to cough and sputter as he struggled to a sitting position, his eyes staring wildly around at his captors. “I…I was dead!” he stammered. “Yes, you were,” Mandi replied, calmly, “and unless you want to return to that state immediately, you’ll answer a few questions for us.” The thief glanced around at the glowering faces above him, then nervously licked his lips. “If I tell you, you’ll let me go?” he asked “You have my word,” Mandi said, her eyes as cold as ice. “Now, you can start by telling us who you work for.” The man stared at her for a moment before averting his eyes from her disturbing gaze. “We’re independents,” he said at length, “but we was hired by an agent of the Kraken’s.” “I see,” Mandi nodded. “And do you know a man named Vanthus Vanderboren?” The ruffian shook his head. “Never heard of him. We never know the names of our employers.” “Then where can we find the Kraken Society?” the sorceress pressed. The prisoner shook his head violently. “I dunno! Never been there! We was always just contacted by a messenger!” Mandi continued to stare at him, like a bug under a magnifying glass. Finally, she nodded again. “Very well then. As soon as we are gone, you are free to untie yourself and go about your business.” The rogue continued to stare after the departing company until they’d vanished into the mist. Then he set about working on his bonds, flicking a dagger from inside one of his sleeves. In minutes, he was free. Not believing his good fortune, he quickly rifled through the pockets of his former companions, then stood and began walking towards the far end of the alley. He’d gone no more than a half-dozen paces when his eyes went wide with surprise. He felt pain like a fist grip his heart as it shuddered to a stop. One more pace and he fell face-first into a pile of garbage, dead once more, and this time, permanently. Some time later, a new corpse hung from the chains in the town plaza, placed there under the watchful eyes of passersby by a large, heavily muscled minotaur bearing an axe nearly as tall as he was. As the body swung from its chains, an equally burly goliath stood beneath it and called out to the onlookers. “Heed well this warning! This is what becomes of those who cross the Legion!” [/QUOTE]
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