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Journal of the Souls of Legend (completed)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nthal" data-source="post: 7962111" data-attributes="member: 6971069"><p style="text-align: center"><strong>The One - 4/11/2020</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><em>There aren’t many goblins in Sigil. In fact, I believe there are more kobolds in the city than all of the goblinkin combined. Probably has to do with the difficulty of attacking the Cage with gate keys to start with. Not that the Sinkers or the Hardheads would have minded a good fight just for the change of pace.</em></p> <p style="text-align: center"><em></em></p> <p style="text-align: center"><em>But the stories of the goblins and the orcs never ending warfare in Acheron was well known. Maglubiyet against Gruumush, their petitioners waging enternal war. Even the Drow would take a break from warfare even it was only to scheme about other plots.</em></p> <p style="text-align: center"><em></em></p> <p style="text-align: center"><em>So, I don’t think many Sigilites really understood how much a problem that a living horde of goblins caused primes. Or understand anything about them beyond the battles in Acheron.</em></p> <p style="text-align: center"><em></em></p> <p style="text-align: center"><em>Myself included.</em></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p>Wood and fiery splinters flew everywhere as the wave of heat washed over me as the shack was blown apart by the spell. The smell of burning embers, hair and flesh stung inside my nostrils as I gasped for breath. And as sudden as the blast came, it was over; the cool night air rushed in, and the light faded back to the dim moonlight the covered the courtyard once again.</p><p></p><p>I threw off the timbers that had fallen on my back in anger and I shook my head to clear it. The shack was now obliterated, and I looked around for options. Still seething, I started looking around the keep for who cast that spell.</p><p></p><p>In the middle of the courtyard, Daneath was fighting three hobgoblins alone, bringing down one just as I glanced his way. Drik and Drok had separated and were firing their crossbows at Daneath’s assailants, creating havoc around the warrior. One tried to run to attack one of the goblins, only to be cut down from behind by Daneath.</p><p></p><p>I then saw that Beepu was still alive and had already ran towards the manor house, swearing openly and his hair still smoking. He stopped a short distance from Daneath and decided to keep the odds in our favor. He drew out the wand he acquired in the canyon several days ago and with a snap of his wrist, flung thick ropy webs around the entrance to the manor house, holding it fast. The thick oak doors now shook and creaked as the occupants inside attempted to push them open to no avail.</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, Darastrix made a loud hiss and charged into another trio of hobgoblins, grabbing all of their attention to him and his spear work. He quickly gutted one, with a spray of blood and it quickly collapsed lifeless to the ground. This gave an unnoticed Iesa a perfect opening to cut down a another one from the rear, leaving one left.</p><p></p><p>“How nice of you all to come to us and <em>DIE!” </em>I heard coming from above. Looking up I saw a hobgoblin dressed in leather armor and holding in his hands a violet crystal, hovering in the night air. His grin was full of yellowing sharp teeth, and dark eyes of hatred and malice. As he hovered there in the air grinning, I could feel his will on the weave, as he started to cast another large spell. </p><p></p><p>“If not by fire, then perhaps by FROST!” He screamed at us, and the crystal in his hands flared to life with a piercing light. I then heard the sound of rock or stone, falling fast in the air. Just above the hobgoblin I saw them; large blue boulders made of ice, falling from the air. The ice slammed into both groups of combatants, striking everything on the ground, friend or foe alike. I could feel the waves of cold as each boulder of ice landed. </p><p></p><p>Iesa simply spun away, avoiding the ice entirely. He thrust his rapier into the remaining hobgoblin as somehow the hobgoblin managed to avoid being hit by the ice. Daneath however, simply raised his shield overhead, helping to deflect some of the damage caused by the storm. But he found himself harried as the he swung at the hobgoblins next to him, also unimpacted by the storm. </p><p></p><p>But he wasn’t alone, as Drik and Drok fired at the hobgoblins with their crossbows. They were fortunate, as was Beepu and I, as none of us had to contend with the storm of ice. But I heard the snap of bone and a groan. Turning I saw that Darastrix wasn’t so lucky, and had fell unmoving to the ground, from the icy onslaught, bleeding profusely from a gash in his skull.</p><p></p><p>I moved, ignoring what pain I felt, passing by Iesa as he ran towards Daneath, to assist with the remaining hobgoblins. I ran and knelt down, extending a hand on Darastrix and whispering a quick prayer and pulled on a light strand pouring its energy into his fallen form. I could see the subtle increase in his breathing, and I knew then he was still with us.</p><p></p><p>“This is intolerable!” Beepu yelled from behind me. I heard the whooshing of a bolt of fire streaking through the air and turned to see Beepu had tried to strike down the <em>booyagh. </em></p><p></p><p>The bolt was wide, and the hobgoblin was unimpressed. “Little wizard, you are no match for a trained warrior in the arts of sorcery!” He then countered with a bolt of his own, striking the gnome directly in the chest, and almost knocking him down. But it was enough.</p><p></p><p>The webs blocking the doors to the manor now started to weaken, and fray apart under the pressure from the door. Beepu shook his head and then dejectedly looked at the doors before sighing deeply and saying.</p><p></p><p>“Of all the times to lose focus.”</p><p></p><p>From the doors, burst forth four more hobgoblins. One of them was far larger, wearing steel armor and bearing a shield. “Time to die humans!” He bellowed at the humans in front of him and charged headlong towards Daneath and Iesa.</p><p></p><p>“Oh no you don’t,” I said under my breath. I took off running to the other side of the courtyard, straight at the pack of hobgoblins, leaving Darastrix where he lay. As I ran, I pulled from my pouch two items, a single coin, a greenie and a sealed piece of parchment that Beepu had given me. With a stroke of my thumb, I broke the seal and read the two words of power there.</p><p></p><p>“<em>Anlaga Nix!</em>”</p><p></p><p>I felt the sudden surge from the weave, and I focused on it on the greenie as the scroll turned to ash.</p><p></p><p>I couldn’t see what I did, but as I approached them the expressions on all the hobgoblins’ faces was clear, utter confusion. They all stopped in mid charge, blinking and twisting around with blank looks on their faces. They no longer could see anything even as I ran next to them, not even themselves.</p><p></p><p>“What?!? You can’t hide from me!” the armored hobgoblin growled in frustration.</p><p></p><p>They swung blindly, unable to see through the darkness that now surrounded the hobgoblins. I then moved, and suddenly pulled the darkness away, revealing one of the hobgoblins. I saw his confusion, and then panic, as both Iesa and Daneath charged at him, and swiftly cut him down with thrusts to his exposed midsection with sword and rapier.</p><p></p><p>“I thought you knew how to fight in the dark,” I retorted. Smiling, I moved again, uncovering another hobgoblin and Daneath quickly stepped in and smashed the pommel of his sword into the nose of the surprised hobgoblin, breaking it and spraying blood everywhere. As the hobgoblin staggered in pain, Iesa thrust his dagger from his left hand, into his back. The hobgoblin, gurgled, spat up a little blood and fell.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly, from the doorway of the chapel, another four hobgoblins appeared, ready for battle. But Beepu was ready again with his new toy and flung more spider webs around the entrance.</p><p></p><p>“Stay you mongrels!” Beepu shouted at the pack, and they howled in incoherent fury, as they found themselves trapped unable to move.</p><p></p><p>“You STOLE that from my apprentice!” the <em>booyagh </em>yelled and he threw another firebolt at Beepu, this time only grazing him across the arm.</p><p></p><p>“You lose it you…well…lose it!” Beepu said angrily.</p><p></p><p>“You need to work on your banter,” Iesa said as I moved again, allowing him to cut down another hobgoblin.”</p><p></p><p>“It is not important, that web IS you dolt!” Beepu responded with a glare of annoyance.</p><p></p><p>“Time for you to die you, pathetic excuse for a molerat!” the <em>booyagh </em>yelled once again, preparing another large spell.</p><p></p><p>“Time to put you in the dead book!” I shouted and I threw two bolts of purple energy at the hobgoblin drifting above. He turned just in time to see them strike, one in the stomach, and the other in the throat.</p><p></p><p>The hobgoblin screamed as he dropped like a rock, onto the roofline of the chapel, breaking tiles on the shale roof, and rolling down the far side, presumably to the landing that surrounded it. I then dropped the greenie on the ground, leaving the darkness centered where it lay, and I ran to a set of stairs that would take me to the top of the curtain wall.</p><p></p><p><em>Goss, any idea about the other ones in the moat house?</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>--Not a clue; I’ll flit over there and take a peek.</em></p><p></p><p>As I ran up the stairs, I could hear more crossbows, followed by the sounds of quarrels slamming into a body with yelps of pain. I moved along the wall, looking for where the hobgoblin had fallen. Not seeing him, I ran around the roofline of the chapel quickly, not wanting him to escape from me. I then turned a corner and caught the flash of fire in my eyes just in time to raise my shield to block a bolt from hitting me.</p><p></p><p>“You foolish female; you think that you can defeat me!” he snarled, defiantly.</p><p></p><p>“Oh, you have a lot of gelbas to say that to me after I knocked you from the air,” I said looking at him evenly.</p><p></p><p>“I will enjoy killing you. Any last words?”</p><p></p><p>“Just one. Lizard.” I said calmly.</p><p></p><p>He looked at me puzzled, and then screamed as a spear was thrust through his back and out his chest with a gush of blood. The hobgoblin was lifted off his feet by Darastrix by his spear and then with both hands, the lizardfolk slammed the spear shaft down, smashing the hobgoblin on the stone. The hobgoblin twitched momentarily and then made a choking sound as blood poured from his mouth.</p><p></p><p>“Am not a lizzzzard,” Darastrix corrected calmly.</p><p></p><p>“I know…I just wasn’t sure if ‘Lizardfolk’ was one word or two. I panicked, sorry,” I said shrugging, and turning around to see how the others were doing.</p><p></p><p>“Not sssssure. Cannot Ssspell,” Darastrix said as he ran with me back around the wall.</p><p></p><p><em>--Myr, the ogres are mad, but it seems that they have a lack of rope and tools to get across.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Keep an eye on them thanks.</em></p><p></p><p>The two of us followed the roofline again and rounded the corner, where we could see the open courtyard. I stopped just above the entrance to the chapel, while Darastrix ran past me to get to the stairs by the wall. There I saw that the large armored hobgoblin had fought his way out of the darkness I had left behind and was swinging at Daneath with his sword. Crossbow bolts bounced off his heavy armor, while Iesa kept trying to flank him without success. Beepu was running around the courtyhard, trying to keep a single hobgoblin off him, while the other three were still mired in webbing below me.</p><p></p><p>“So…you’re the ‘Prophesized One,’” Iesa said with a wolfish grin. “We’ve been so looking forward to meeting you.”</p><p></p><p>The hobgoblin laughed as he turned to face Iesa. “FOOLS! You understand NOTHING!” Barring his teeth, he suddenly twisted and slammed his shield into Daneath, knocking him down to the ground. The hobgoblin then spun around with a wide sweep and sank his blade deep into Iesa’s side. Iesa grunted and stumbled as the blood poured forth, gushing down his leg. The hobgoblin then withdrew his sword and lifted it overhead, bringing it down on the shocked Iesa, who crumpled to the ground in a pool of blood.</p><p></p><p>Daneath scrambled to his feet in a panic and swung again at the warlord, who deftly deflected his blow. Meantime, the other hobgoblin swung at Beepu, slashing him on the arm. Beepu ran and reached into his pouch and pulled out a vial, pouring the contents on his hand, and flung ice towards the hobgoblins still trapped in the webbing. The ice exploded, spraying the threads with fresh blood. The three hobgoblins hung in the strands motionless. But Beepu kept running trying to shake his pursuer.</p><p></p><p>Darastrix had reached the warrior, and thrust with his spear, but was easily sidestepped by the agile warlord. Daneath again swung, and his blade went wide as the warrior started to tire, much to the hobgoblins’ delight. The warlord swung and dropped Daneath to his knees, panting for air.</p><p></p><p>“Now. You will die!” he snarled.</p><p></p><p>“I think not!” And I cast a pair of shimmering bolts straight at the hobgoblin. One was deflected by a pauldron, but the other hit him square in the chest. He looked at me with anger saying, “It will be your turn to face death soon enough,”</p><p></p><p>“I’ve been dead before. My lord sent me back for deaders walking like you!” I yelled back, keeping his eyes on me. I was fairly certain he wasn’t watching what I was doing before I hit him with the bolts. So, when Iesa leapt from the ground and thrust his sword deep into his back, it came as a shock. Blood spurted from the wounds and from the warlord’s mouth, but he wasn’t finished. He turned and slammed Iesa’s face with his shield, knocking the Knight of the Post back to the ground, gasping for air. Darastrix tried again to impale the hobgoblin, but his spear was knocked away by the warlords’ sword.</p><p></p><p>Two quarrels sank deep into Beepu’s pursuer, as Drik and Drok determined if they couldn’t hit the warlord, they could hit something else. As the hobgoblin fell, there was a cheer from behind the barrels and crates of “CLUMSY!” Beepu, took advantage of the sudden freedom, and threw a bolt of fire straight at the warlord hitting him square in the ribs.</p><p></p><p>I used the last of my strands to send energy to Daneath, closing the wounds I could see on him, as I changed tactics and summoned a miasma around the warlord. The sound of funeral bell rung as I tried to strip the last of his life away. He roared in anger and started to step towards me.</p><p></p><p>But in doing so, he had dropped his guard, and Daneath swung high at the warlord’s neck. The blood splattered the warrior from the new gash left behind, his head almost liberated from his body. The hobgoblin stumbled for a couple of steps, before falling to the ground flat on this stomach. He lay there breathing raggedly, as I strode towards him.</p><p></p><p> “As I said, a deader walking. May the Lord of the Damned find someplace nice for your soul, <em>Kanlachdt,” </em>and I spat on the ground in front of his face.</p><p></p><p>We stood there around the body, catching our breath watching as the pool of blood slowly stopped spreading on the stone. Beepu limped over, as did Drik and Drok as we looked at the fallen figure, not quite believing the fight was done.</p><p></p><p>“Myr…what was that word you used? I didn’t recognize it.” Iesa asked me in between pants.</p><p></p><p>“It’s a swear word from Baator…from hell. It literally means ‘worm grown.’”</p><p></p><p>“Do you actually speak the language or just the colorful parts?” Beepu asked.</p><p></p><p>“I actually speak it…hard on the throat though,” I replied.</p><p></p><p>Drik and Drok, came over to the body and rolled it over and looked at the face. They then started talking excitedly in goblin to each other.</p><p></p><p>“Hey, what’s going on you two?” Iesa asked rubbing his side.</p><p></p><p>“This not Prophezied One,” Drik said.</p><p></p><p>“This lasher named ‘Kenoc the Scarred,’” and Drok pointed at the face, which was indeed covered in a large number of scars.</p><p></p><p>“You have to be joking,” Daneath said exasperated. “What? Is he hiding somewhere?”</p><p></p><p>“We’d better start looking,” Iesa said standing up straight. “We can’t let him escape.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, the moat house seems to have lost its troops,” Beepu said, his eyes far away. “It looks like they gave up and ran.”</p><p></p><p><em>Goss? Are they really all gone in the moathouse?</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>--As far as I can tell yes.</em></p><p></p><p>“Beepu, tell Foggle to fly down to Darastrix and warn him if they return,” Daneath started. “Darastrix, can you watch from the walls if they start coming up by the water?”</p><p></p><p>“Will do sssoo after I bar door,” and Darastrix ran off to the entrance we had used to enter the keep, to confirm it being closed and locked.</p><p></p><p>“Let’s get inside and see what we can find,” Daneath continued. “We better stick together. You too Drik, Drok,”</p><p></p><p>The goblins nodded, recovering some quarrels on the ground and reloading.</p><p></p><p><em>Goss, pulling you back. Need you with me.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>--What ok I…URK!</em></p><p></p><p>The black tressym appeared in a puff of black fur, looking almost surprised, before dropping to the ground, following us into the manor house.</p><p></p><p>The door was already open as we entered what probably was a hall for feasting. Now, on the dais where some lords throne once stood was a grisly display. A large block of granite was placed in the center, with dried blood staining the front where blood once ran free. Beside it was a rack of weapons from top to bottom, a headman’s axe, then a crossed sword and hand axe, a flail and on the ground a barbed whip. All stained in blood. But it was the spears set around the block that gave me the chills. Three spears, each with three heads, most humans, but some elves as well. Each ones’ mouth open, as if to utter a silent scream. But it was the eyes I wanted to forget; each of them had their eyelids sliced off as they watched the makeshift temple forever.</p><p></p><p> I swallowed, feeling the lump in my throat. My anger had not abated, and this desecration of the dead was beyond offensive. My heart pounded as I seethed.</p><p></p><p>“There seems to be a floor up, and set of stairs going down?” Iesa after looking around said. “Which way first?”</p><p></p><p>“Up,” Daneath said. “Clear the place top to bottom.”</p><p></p><p><em>Goss, can you hide in here and watch the stairs and the entrance. Make sure no one leaves?</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>--Sure thing…you alr—</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>No…I need to kill this foul prophet.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>--Myr…you should--</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>DROP IT.</em></p><p></p><p>“Goss is watching down here, let’s go up then.”</p><p></p><p>Daneath and Iesa started up the stairs, with the goblins next and the Beepu and I close behind. We had just all entered the landing and were looking around; a hallway and a large room to a side, when we heard a gravelly shriek. Whirling, we saw two dirty hobgoblin women ready to fight: one with a cleaver the other with a cast iron pan. But once they saw Daneath and Iesa with their weapons drawn, they looked at each other nervously.</p><p></p><p>“Drik, Drok? Can you tell them to surrender and answer questions?” Iesa asked.</p><p></p><p>“Yes. <em>Gefan uppt ogta talri san!</em>” Drik shouted. The hobgoblin women were surprised, and glared at the two goblins with crossbows, who they had not noticed before. They bared their teeth and tightened their grip on their makeshift weapons.</p><p></p><p><em>“Gefan uppt ogta talri san!”</em> I shouted, pulling on a strand to increase the volume of my voice. They turned and looked at me with wide eyes before dropping the kitchen implements on the ground, cowering in fear.</p><p></p><p>Iesa started looking around in the room, as I knelt in front of them, looking at them in the eye. “Drik, ask them where is—”</p><p></p><p>“<em>Hvan er Spak Unic?”</em> Dirk barked without even letting me finish. I looked at the pair and while they looked at Drik and Drok with contempt, they were afraid to meet my eyes. Finally, one spoke:</p><p></p><p><em>“Unic er han nedin!”</em> she said, her gaze constantly shifting from glancing at me, and the floor.</p><p></p><p>“Somewhere below,” Drok said. “Strange not up here.”</p><p></p><p>“Why is that?” Daneath asked. </p><p></p><p>“Lasher rule from above. Like towers a lot.” Drik said.</p><p></p><p>“Use stools to stand on to yell at goblins,” Drok continued.</p><p></p><p>“Well, there is a pantry here we can lock them in until we figure out what to do with them,” Iesa pointed out.</p><p></p><p>Daneath pointed with his sword, to the small pantry, and the women slinked in like beaten dogs. He closed the door, while Iesa fiddled with the lock with his picks. “Remind me to look for the keys later.”</p><p></p><p>“Noted,” Daneath said. “Drik, Drok. Watch them here; shoot to kill if they leave.”</p><p></p><p>“Must we?” Drik whined which was followed by Drok elbowing him hard and nodding.</p><p></p><p>We quickly looked over the floor first and found only bedrooms turned into barracks. One room was clearly the warlords, based on the collection of weapons and the trunks inside. Another seemed to be the <em>booyagh’s.</em> But we found no one else. </p><p></p><p>We quickly returned to the first floor and looked around; a simple kitchen and smaller rooms used as a barracks, but again, no one left to oppose us now.</p><p></p><p>“This is almost strange. Did we really kill everyone?” Iesa said in a hushed tone.</p><p></p><p>“Just not the one who needs to die,” I said grimly. I was getting impatient. I wanted this to end. I wanted this hobgoblin to pay, and here he was hiding somewhere f;rom us. What kind of coward was this ‘Prophesized One?’</p><p></p><p>“Something feels off, but I guess down we go,” Daneath said, and the four of us descended the stairs, with I noticed Gossamer following along. The stairs curved, and eventually we found ourselves in a large storage room. The room, however had been converted, in a similar manner as the main hall. More spears with heads hanging from their hair were staked in the room. Lit braziers and torches made the room uncomfortably warm and a bit smokey. The only sound in the room was the fluttering of the fires in the lit braziers. On the far end of the room was a table with various books and strips of cloth laying upon it. </p><p></p><p>What was strange was beyond that was a set thick velvet of three curtain, hung from makeshift ropes on the ceiling, in a triangular shape. Inside it seemed to be concealing something on a square pillar, perhaps made of stone or wood.</p><p></p><p>“Where is he?” Beepu said breaking the silence.</p><p></p><p><em>--Can you smell it?</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Huh? Smell what?</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>--Something…spoiled. Something…familiar.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Can you find it?</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>--Of course! Let me poke around.</em></p><p></p><p>I raised my hand up catching everyone’s attention. “Goss, smells something.”</p><p></p><p>“What is it?” Daneath asked impatiently.</p><p></p><p>I gestured with my hand towards the tressym, who now casually was moving to the center of the room where the table was, sniffing the air. Occasionally he would open his mouth slightly and almost pant looking around, taking in the air and tasting it. Finally, he jumped on the table and sniffed around. He avoided the books and instead took an interest in the cloth strips.</p><p></p><p><em>--This is peculiar. I wonder…</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>What? Wonder what?</em></p><p></p><p>Gossamer ignored me and flew down to the velvet curtains and pushed with his face inside. We all looked at each other and started towards the center, when Gossamer emerged and sat down on the floor, and looked at me.</p><p></p><p><em>--Myr…you have a problem.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>What are you talking about?</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>--Just look inside the curtains.</em></p><p></p><p>I looked at Gossamer confused, and slowly moved towards the velvet. As I approached, I finally caught whiff of a scent. Something familiar that I couldn’t put my finger on. I stood next to the curtain and reached my hand out to grab it, and I gave Gossamer a final questioning look. </p><p></p><p>The tressym just blinked at me and motioned his head as if to tell me to get on with it. I then pulled open the curtain to look within.</p><p></p><p>There was indeed a stone pillar of sorts, and on top of it was a large basket. Within I could see within it a bed of wool and linens. But I gasped at what I saw inside.</p><p></p><p>There in the basket breathing softly was a child. It couldn’t have been more of than a year old based on size alone. I quietly stepped forward, with my jaw wide open and looked at it. The child had the greenish skin, the bluish nose, and the heavy sloped forehead of a hobgoblin infant. Around him I could smell the aroma of unchanged linens, and spoiled milk.</p><p></p><p>Here lay the Prophesized One, fast asleep. Its face was peaceful and unconcerned with the world. Having no idea that an army marched in its name. No idea that its name invoked fear in the elves of the High Forest, and the men of the High Moor and Secomber alike. Ignorant that the hobgoblins were butchering others in its name.</p><p></p><p>The one I had sworn to kill just moments ago.</p><p></p><p>I stood there in a torrent of confused emotion, mouth agape. I didn’t know what to feel. The others crowded beside me and we all looked at each other in bafflement. But fortunately, someone was able to put it to words.</p><p></p><p>“You have got to be shitting me,” Iesa said as we all crowded and stared at our new problem.</p><p></p><p><strong>Session notes</strong></p><p></p><p>Well…that happened.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nthal, post: 7962111, member: 6971069"] [CENTER][B]The One - 4/11/2020[/B] [I]There aren’t many goblins in Sigil. In fact, I believe there are more kobolds in the city than all of the goblinkin combined. Probably has to do with the difficulty of attacking the Cage with gate keys to start with. Not that the Sinkers or the Hardheads would have minded a good fight just for the change of pace. But the stories of the goblins and the orcs never ending warfare in Acheron was well known. Maglubiyet against Gruumush, their petitioners waging enternal war. Even the Drow would take a break from warfare even it was only to scheme about other plots. So, I don’t think many Sigilites really understood how much a problem that a living horde of goblins caused primes. Or understand anything about them beyond the battles in Acheron. Myself included.[/I][/CENTER] [I] [/I] Wood and fiery splinters flew everywhere as the wave of heat washed over me as the shack was blown apart by the spell. The smell of burning embers, hair and flesh stung inside my nostrils as I gasped for breath. And as sudden as the blast came, it was over; the cool night air rushed in, and the light faded back to the dim moonlight the covered the courtyard once again. I threw off the timbers that had fallen on my back in anger and I shook my head to clear it. The shack was now obliterated, and I looked around for options. Still seething, I started looking around the keep for who cast that spell. In the middle of the courtyard, Daneath was fighting three hobgoblins alone, bringing down one just as I glanced his way. Drik and Drok had separated and were firing their crossbows at Daneath’s assailants, creating havoc around the warrior. One tried to run to attack one of the goblins, only to be cut down from behind by Daneath. I then saw that Beepu was still alive and had already ran towards the manor house, swearing openly and his hair still smoking. He stopped a short distance from Daneath and decided to keep the odds in our favor. He drew out the wand he acquired in the canyon several days ago and with a snap of his wrist, flung thick ropy webs around the entrance to the manor house, holding it fast. The thick oak doors now shook and creaked as the occupants inside attempted to push them open to no avail. Meanwhile, Darastrix made a loud hiss and charged into another trio of hobgoblins, grabbing all of their attention to him and his spear work. He quickly gutted one, with a spray of blood and it quickly collapsed lifeless to the ground. This gave an unnoticed Iesa a perfect opening to cut down a another one from the rear, leaving one left. “How nice of you all to come to us and [I]DIE!” [/I]I heard coming from above. Looking up I saw a hobgoblin dressed in leather armor and holding in his hands a violet crystal, hovering in the night air. His grin was full of yellowing sharp teeth, and dark eyes of hatred and malice. As he hovered there in the air grinning, I could feel his will on the weave, as he started to cast another large spell. “If not by fire, then perhaps by FROST!” He screamed at us, and the crystal in his hands flared to life with a piercing light. I then heard the sound of rock or stone, falling fast in the air. Just above the hobgoblin I saw them; large blue boulders made of ice, falling from the air. The ice slammed into both groups of combatants, striking everything on the ground, friend or foe alike. I could feel the waves of cold as each boulder of ice landed. Iesa simply spun away, avoiding the ice entirely. He thrust his rapier into the remaining hobgoblin as somehow the hobgoblin managed to avoid being hit by the ice. Daneath however, simply raised his shield overhead, helping to deflect some of the damage caused by the storm. But he found himself harried as the he swung at the hobgoblins next to him, also unimpacted by the storm. But he wasn’t alone, as Drik and Drok fired at the hobgoblins with their crossbows. They were fortunate, as was Beepu and I, as none of us had to contend with the storm of ice. But I heard the snap of bone and a groan. Turning I saw that Darastrix wasn’t so lucky, and had fell unmoving to the ground, from the icy onslaught, bleeding profusely from a gash in his skull. I moved, ignoring what pain I felt, passing by Iesa as he ran towards Daneath, to assist with the remaining hobgoblins. I ran and knelt down, extending a hand on Darastrix and whispering a quick prayer and pulled on a light strand pouring its energy into his fallen form. I could see the subtle increase in his breathing, and I knew then he was still with us. “This is intolerable!” Beepu yelled from behind me. I heard the whooshing of a bolt of fire streaking through the air and turned to see Beepu had tried to strike down the [I]booyagh. [/I] The bolt was wide, and the hobgoblin was unimpressed. “Little wizard, you are no match for a trained warrior in the arts of sorcery!” He then countered with a bolt of his own, striking the gnome directly in the chest, and almost knocking him down. But it was enough. The webs blocking the doors to the manor now started to weaken, and fray apart under the pressure from the door. Beepu shook his head and then dejectedly looked at the doors before sighing deeply and saying. “Of all the times to lose focus.” From the doors, burst forth four more hobgoblins. One of them was far larger, wearing steel armor and bearing a shield. “Time to die humans!” He bellowed at the humans in front of him and charged headlong towards Daneath and Iesa. “Oh no you don’t,” I said under my breath. I took off running to the other side of the courtyard, straight at the pack of hobgoblins, leaving Darastrix where he lay. As I ran, I pulled from my pouch two items, a single coin, a greenie and a sealed piece of parchment that Beepu had given me. With a stroke of my thumb, I broke the seal and read the two words of power there. “[I]Anlaga Nix![/I]” I felt the sudden surge from the weave, and I focused on it on the greenie as the scroll turned to ash. I couldn’t see what I did, but as I approached them the expressions on all the hobgoblins’ faces was clear, utter confusion. They all stopped in mid charge, blinking and twisting around with blank looks on their faces. They no longer could see anything even as I ran next to them, not even themselves. “What?!? You can’t hide from me!” the armored hobgoblin growled in frustration. They swung blindly, unable to see through the darkness that now surrounded the hobgoblins. I then moved, and suddenly pulled the darkness away, revealing one of the hobgoblins. I saw his confusion, and then panic, as both Iesa and Daneath charged at him, and swiftly cut him down with thrusts to his exposed midsection with sword and rapier. “I thought you knew how to fight in the dark,” I retorted. Smiling, I moved again, uncovering another hobgoblin and Daneath quickly stepped in and smashed the pommel of his sword into the nose of the surprised hobgoblin, breaking it and spraying blood everywhere. As the hobgoblin staggered in pain, Iesa thrust his dagger from his left hand, into his back. The hobgoblin, gurgled, spat up a little blood and fell. Suddenly, from the doorway of the chapel, another four hobgoblins appeared, ready for battle. But Beepu was ready again with his new toy and flung more spider webs around the entrance. “Stay you mongrels!” Beepu shouted at the pack, and they howled in incoherent fury, as they found themselves trapped unable to move. “You STOLE that from my apprentice!” the [I]booyagh [/I]yelled and he threw another firebolt at Beepu, this time only grazing him across the arm. “You lose it you…well…lose it!” Beepu said angrily. “You need to work on your banter,” Iesa said as I moved again, allowing him to cut down another hobgoblin.” “It is not important, that web IS you dolt!” Beepu responded with a glare of annoyance. “Time for you to die you, pathetic excuse for a molerat!” the [I]booyagh [/I]yelled once again, preparing another large spell. “Time to put you in the dead book!” I shouted and I threw two bolts of purple energy at the hobgoblin drifting above. He turned just in time to see them strike, one in the stomach, and the other in the throat. The hobgoblin screamed as he dropped like a rock, onto the roofline of the chapel, breaking tiles on the shale roof, and rolling down the far side, presumably to the landing that surrounded it. I then dropped the greenie on the ground, leaving the darkness centered where it lay, and I ran to a set of stairs that would take me to the top of the curtain wall. [I]Goss, any idea about the other ones in the moat house? --Not a clue; I’ll flit over there and take a peek.[/I] As I ran up the stairs, I could hear more crossbows, followed by the sounds of quarrels slamming into a body with yelps of pain. I moved along the wall, looking for where the hobgoblin had fallen. Not seeing him, I ran around the roofline of the chapel quickly, not wanting him to escape from me. I then turned a corner and caught the flash of fire in my eyes just in time to raise my shield to block a bolt from hitting me. “You foolish female; you think that you can defeat me!” he snarled, defiantly. “Oh, you have a lot of gelbas to say that to me after I knocked you from the air,” I said looking at him evenly. “I will enjoy killing you. Any last words?” “Just one. Lizard.” I said calmly. He looked at me puzzled, and then screamed as a spear was thrust through his back and out his chest with a gush of blood. The hobgoblin was lifted off his feet by Darastrix by his spear and then with both hands, the lizardfolk slammed the spear shaft down, smashing the hobgoblin on the stone. The hobgoblin twitched momentarily and then made a choking sound as blood poured from his mouth. “Am not a lizzzzard,” Darastrix corrected calmly. “I know…I just wasn’t sure if ‘Lizardfolk’ was one word or two. I panicked, sorry,” I said shrugging, and turning around to see how the others were doing. “Not sssssure. Cannot Ssspell,” Darastrix said as he ran with me back around the wall. [I]--Myr, the ogres are mad, but it seems that they have a lack of rope and tools to get across. Keep an eye on them thanks.[/I] The two of us followed the roofline again and rounded the corner, where we could see the open courtyard. I stopped just above the entrance to the chapel, while Darastrix ran past me to get to the stairs by the wall. There I saw that the large armored hobgoblin had fought his way out of the darkness I had left behind and was swinging at Daneath with his sword. Crossbow bolts bounced off his heavy armor, while Iesa kept trying to flank him without success. Beepu was running around the courtyhard, trying to keep a single hobgoblin off him, while the other three were still mired in webbing below me. “So…you’re the ‘Prophesized One,’” Iesa said with a wolfish grin. “We’ve been so looking forward to meeting you.” The hobgoblin laughed as he turned to face Iesa. “FOOLS! You understand NOTHING!” Barring his teeth, he suddenly twisted and slammed his shield into Daneath, knocking him down to the ground. The hobgoblin then spun around with a wide sweep and sank his blade deep into Iesa’s side. Iesa grunted and stumbled as the blood poured forth, gushing down his leg. The hobgoblin then withdrew his sword and lifted it overhead, bringing it down on the shocked Iesa, who crumpled to the ground in a pool of blood. Daneath scrambled to his feet in a panic and swung again at the warlord, who deftly deflected his blow. Meantime, the other hobgoblin swung at Beepu, slashing him on the arm. Beepu ran and reached into his pouch and pulled out a vial, pouring the contents on his hand, and flung ice towards the hobgoblins still trapped in the webbing. The ice exploded, spraying the threads with fresh blood. The three hobgoblins hung in the strands motionless. But Beepu kept running trying to shake his pursuer. Darastrix had reached the warrior, and thrust with his spear, but was easily sidestepped by the agile warlord. Daneath again swung, and his blade went wide as the warrior started to tire, much to the hobgoblins’ delight. The warlord swung and dropped Daneath to his knees, panting for air. “Now. You will die!” he snarled. “I think not!” And I cast a pair of shimmering bolts straight at the hobgoblin. One was deflected by a pauldron, but the other hit him square in the chest. He looked at me with anger saying, “It will be your turn to face death soon enough,” “I’ve been dead before. My lord sent me back for deaders walking like you!” I yelled back, keeping his eyes on me. I was fairly certain he wasn’t watching what I was doing before I hit him with the bolts. So, when Iesa leapt from the ground and thrust his sword deep into his back, it came as a shock. Blood spurted from the wounds and from the warlord’s mouth, but he wasn’t finished. He turned and slammed Iesa’s face with his shield, knocking the Knight of the Post back to the ground, gasping for air. Darastrix tried again to impale the hobgoblin, but his spear was knocked away by the warlords’ sword. Two quarrels sank deep into Beepu’s pursuer, as Drik and Drok determined if they couldn’t hit the warlord, they could hit something else. As the hobgoblin fell, there was a cheer from behind the barrels and crates of “CLUMSY!” Beepu, took advantage of the sudden freedom, and threw a bolt of fire straight at the warlord hitting him square in the ribs. I used the last of my strands to send energy to Daneath, closing the wounds I could see on him, as I changed tactics and summoned a miasma around the warlord. The sound of funeral bell rung as I tried to strip the last of his life away. He roared in anger and started to step towards me. But in doing so, he had dropped his guard, and Daneath swung high at the warlord’s neck. The blood splattered the warrior from the new gash left behind, his head almost liberated from his body. The hobgoblin stumbled for a couple of steps, before falling to the ground flat on this stomach. He lay there breathing raggedly, as I strode towards him. “As I said, a deader walking. May the Lord of the Damned find someplace nice for your soul, [I]Kanlachdt,” [/I]and I spat on the ground in front of his face. We stood there around the body, catching our breath watching as the pool of blood slowly stopped spreading on the stone. Beepu limped over, as did Drik and Drok as we looked at the fallen figure, not quite believing the fight was done. “Myr…what was that word you used? I didn’t recognize it.” Iesa asked me in between pants. “It’s a swear word from Baator…from hell. It literally means ‘worm grown.’” “Do you actually speak the language or just the colorful parts?” Beepu asked. “I actually speak it…hard on the throat though,” I replied. Drik and Drok, came over to the body and rolled it over and looked at the face. They then started talking excitedly in goblin to each other. “Hey, what’s going on you two?” Iesa asked rubbing his side. “This not Prophezied One,” Drik said. “This lasher named ‘Kenoc the Scarred,’” and Drok pointed at the face, which was indeed covered in a large number of scars. “You have to be joking,” Daneath said exasperated. “What? Is he hiding somewhere?” “We’d better start looking,” Iesa said standing up straight. “We can’t let him escape.” “Well, the moat house seems to have lost its troops,” Beepu said, his eyes far away. “It looks like they gave up and ran.” [I]Goss? Are they really all gone in the moathouse? --As far as I can tell yes.[/I] “Beepu, tell Foggle to fly down to Darastrix and warn him if they return,” Daneath started. “Darastrix, can you watch from the walls if they start coming up by the water?” “Will do sssoo after I bar door,” and Darastrix ran off to the entrance we had used to enter the keep, to confirm it being closed and locked. “Let’s get inside and see what we can find,” Daneath continued. “We better stick together. You too Drik, Drok,” The goblins nodded, recovering some quarrels on the ground and reloading. [I]Goss, pulling you back. Need you with me. --What ok I…URK![/I] The black tressym appeared in a puff of black fur, looking almost surprised, before dropping to the ground, following us into the manor house. The door was already open as we entered what probably was a hall for feasting. Now, on the dais where some lords throne once stood was a grisly display. A large block of granite was placed in the center, with dried blood staining the front where blood once ran free. Beside it was a rack of weapons from top to bottom, a headman’s axe, then a crossed sword and hand axe, a flail and on the ground a barbed whip. All stained in blood. But it was the spears set around the block that gave me the chills. Three spears, each with three heads, most humans, but some elves as well. Each ones’ mouth open, as if to utter a silent scream. But it was the eyes I wanted to forget; each of them had their eyelids sliced off as they watched the makeshift temple forever. I swallowed, feeling the lump in my throat. My anger had not abated, and this desecration of the dead was beyond offensive. My heart pounded as I seethed. “There seems to be a floor up, and set of stairs going down?” Iesa after looking around said. “Which way first?” “Up,” Daneath said. “Clear the place top to bottom.” [I]Goss, can you hide in here and watch the stairs and the entrance. Make sure no one leaves? --Sure thing…you alr— No…I need to kill this foul prophet. --Myr…you should-- DROP IT.[/I] “Goss is watching down here, let’s go up then.” Daneath and Iesa started up the stairs, with the goblins next and the Beepu and I close behind. We had just all entered the landing and were looking around; a hallway and a large room to a side, when we heard a gravelly shriek. Whirling, we saw two dirty hobgoblin women ready to fight: one with a cleaver the other with a cast iron pan. But once they saw Daneath and Iesa with their weapons drawn, they looked at each other nervously. “Drik, Drok? Can you tell them to surrender and answer questions?” Iesa asked. “Yes. [I]Gefan uppt ogta talri san![/I]” Drik shouted. The hobgoblin women were surprised, and glared at the two goblins with crossbows, who they had not noticed before. They bared their teeth and tightened their grip on their makeshift weapons. [I]“Gefan uppt ogta talri san!”[/I] I shouted, pulling on a strand to increase the volume of my voice. They turned and looked at me with wide eyes before dropping the kitchen implements on the ground, cowering in fear. Iesa started looking around in the room, as I knelt in front of them, looking at them in the eye. “Drik, ask them where is—” “[I]Hvan er Spak Unic?”[/I] Dirk barked without even letting me finish. I looked at the pair and while they looked at Drik and Drok with contempt, they were afraid to meet my eyes. Finally, one spoke: [I]“Unic er han nedin!”[/I] she said, her gaze constantly shifting from glancing at me, and the floor. “Somewhere below,” Drok said. “Strange not up here.” “Why is that?” Daneath asked. “Lasher rule from above. Like towers a lot.” Drik said. “Use stools to stand on to yell at goblins,” Drok continued. “Well, there is a pantry here we can lock them in until we figure out what to do with them,” Iesa pointed out. Daneath pointed with his sword, to the small pantry, and the women slinked in like beaten dogs. He closed the door, while Iesa fiddled with the lock with his picks. “Remind me to look for the keys later.” “Noted,” Daneath said. “Drik, Drok. Watch them here; shoot to kill if they leave.” “Must we?” Drik whined which was followed by Drok elbowing him hard and nodding. We quickly looked over the floor first and found only bedrooms turned into barracks. One room was clearly the warlords, based on the collection of weapons and the trunks inside. Another seemed to be the [I]booyagh’s.[/I] But we found no one else. We quickly returned to the first floor and looked around; a simple kitchen and smaller rooms used as a barracks, but again, no one left to oppose us now. “This is almost strange. Did we really kill everyone?” Iesa said in a hushed tone. “Just not the one who needs to die,” I said grimly. I was getting impatient. I wanted this to end. I wanted this hobgoblin to pay, and here he was hiding somewhere f;rom us. What kind of coward was this ‘Prophesized One?’ “Something feels off, but I guess down we go,” Daneath said, and the four of us descended the stairs, with I noticed Gossamer following along. The stairs curved, and eventually we found ourselves in a large storage room. The room, however had been converted, in a similar manner as the main hall. More spears with heads hanging from their hair were staked in the room. Lit braziers and torches made the room uncomfortably warm and a bit smokey. The only sound in the room was the fluttering of the fires in the lit braziers. On the far end of the room was a table with various books and strips of cloth laying upon it. What was strange was beyond that was a set thick velvet of three curtain, hung from makeshift ropes on the ceiling, in a triangular shape. Inside it seemed to be concealing something on a square pillar, perhaps made of stone or wood. “Where is he?” Beepu said breaking the silence. [I]--Can you smell it? Huh? Smell what? --Something…spoiled. Something…familiar. Can you find it? --Of course! Let me poke around.[/I] I raised my hand up catching everyone’s attention. “Goss, smells something.” “What is it?” Daneath asked impatiently. I gestured with my hand towards the tressym, who now casually was moving to the center of the room where the table was, sniffing the air. Occasionally he would open his mouth slightly and almost pant looking around, taking in the air and tasting it. Finally, he jumped on the table and sniffed around. He avoided the books and instead took an interest in the cloth strips. [I]--This is peculiar. I wonder… What? Wonder what?[/I] Gossamer ignored me and flew down to the velvet curtains and pushed with his face inside. We all looked at each other and started towards the center, when Gossamer emerged and sat down on the floor, and looked at me. [I]--Myr…you have a problem. What are you talking about? --Just look inside the curtains.[/I] I looked at Gossamer confused, and slowly moved towards the velvet. As I approached, I finally caught whiff of a scent. Something familiar that I couldn’t put my finger on. I stood next to the curtain and reached my hand out to grab it, and I gave Gossamer a final questioning look. The tressym just blinked at me and motioned his head as if to tell me to get on with it. I then pulled open the curtain to look within. There was indeed a stone pillar of sorts, and on top of it was a large basket. Within I could see within it a bed of wool and linens. But I gasped at what I saw inside. There in the basket breathing softly was a child. It couldn’t have been more of than a year old based on size alone. I quietly stepped forward, with my jaw wide open and looked at it. The child had the greenish skin, the bluish nose, and the heavy sloped forehead of a hobgoblin infant. Around him I could smell the aroma of unchanged linens, and spoiled milk. Here lay the Prophesized One, fast asleep. Its face was peaceful and unconcerned with the world. Having no idea that an army marched in its name. No idea that its name invoked fear in the elves of the High Forest, and the men of the High Moor and Secomber alike. Ignorant that the hobgoblins were butchering others in its name. The one I had sworn to kill just moments ago. I stood there in a torrent of confused emotion, mouth agape. I didn’t know what to feel. The others crowded beside me and we all looked at each other in bafflement. But fortunately, someone was able to put it to words. “You have got to be shitting me,” Iesa said as we all crowded and stared at our new problem. [B]Session notes[/B] Well…that happened. [/QUOTE]
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