Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4492199" data-attributes="member: 21864">Chapter 2 - Answers and Questions (Part 1)“Shar is the Mistress of Night,” said Sister Linora casting a wary glance towards the shadows of her small work chamber. “One of the greater gods, she is and she has only evil in her heart. Out of the primordial chaos, she and her sister, Selûne, created the world. However, unlike her good sister, Shar longs to see the world fall into darkness and evil.” Sister Linora was middle-aged woman with shoulder length mousy brown hair. She seemed quiet, humble and soft-spoken for the most part but had come to life when Deloak had asked her about Shar. “And what of this cult?” asked Lavren. “Do you know where they might lair?”“I have only guesses thanks to Lord Padraig and his unwillingness to give me men to seek answers,” she said then. “I am only grateful that Gevarn has been able to bring you here for you at least may be able to do something.”“And what of your guesses?” pressed Lavren. “Where would you have us look first?”“I have thought long on this,” answered Linora, “and think it likely that they lair outside of Winterhaven. The most likely place is the dragon burial site to the south of here.”“Then that is where we will go,” said Erlmoor in his typical baritone. “Tell us the way and we will begin looking.”They set out from Winterhaven perhaps an hour later turning east along the road to a point where fallen standing stones lay and there they would turn off to the south west along a narrow trail. The day was colder than the last and the skies were leaden as though more snow threatened before darkness came once more. All were eying the sky warily when sudden war cries broke from the underbrush as several small figures darted from hiding places. All knew them to be kobolds as soon as they appeared, each wielding a sword and shield or a spear.The kobolds charged forth with swords and shields held before them while another who wore a bone mask carved to resemble the head of a dragon moved along the grass to the left of the road until he deemed himself close enough to strike. All heard his voice raised in prayer then but none bar Erlmoor understood the words. Lashing out with a clawed hand the kobold hurled a blue orb at Lavren that struck the elf in the shoulder and sent him reeling. The elf’s shoulder burned and he cried out before he could stifle his voice. One kobold darted in from the left then, thrusting a spear at Erlmoor but the dragonborn brought his blade down and knocked the thrust aside. Another came at him from in front then and he could not bring his blade back in time. He leapt back but the sword thrust drove painfully into his thigh.“Strike back, quickly!” called out Deloak and Erlmoor did as he was bade but the attack was clumsy and the kobold ducked back and away from it.Lavren retreated from the kobolds and lashed out with his wand loosing black, crackling energy at the spear wielding kobold. It struck the kobold in the shoulder and threw him back. A heartbeat later, Enlishia surged forward and barreled into the kobold, smashing her sword hilt into the creature’s face. Dulvarna followed, driving her blade into the kobold’s side. It staggered away from the two warrior women trying desperately to bring its spear up to defend itself. The dragon masked kobold called out something then and the other kobolds, three armed with swords and dragon scale shields, surged forward. One stabbed out at Deloak and drove its blade into his hip but then Erlmoor roared and the kobolds paused. He roared again and this time he surged forward, breathing a shower of burning acid from his mouth. He slashed out with his sword but the kobolds before him stepped back and he clove only air. Meanwhile, the dragon masked kobold rushed from the rocks he hid behind to a clump of bushes and then he emerged, chanting a prayer as he came. He extended his hand and another glowing orb of blue energy flew out towards Lavren. The elf ducked but the orb burst over his back and singed his leather jerkin and burned the skin beneath. The kobolds surged forward again then and as they did so, one drove his blade into Erlmoor’s shoulder. Mandratan moved out to the left and hurled a silvery bolt at the kobold at the right of the line but the creature ducked back behind his shield and the bolt flew over his head. Mandratan cursed and the kobolds surged forward again.Erlmoor parried desperately now, bringing his blade left to parry a spear thrust and then back to parry a sword thrust. The sword was turned aside but still it drove into his unwounded leg and he staggered.“With me, lad, with me,” called out Deloak as he smashed forward with the haft of his hammer driving the kobold before him back a step. Erlmoor followed while behind them, Lavren turned aside to face the dragon masked kobold.“I come for you dragonskull,” Lavren called out. “And know that I curse you with all the power of my fey ancestors.”Lavren reached out with his hand and loosed more crackling dark energy towards his foe and once again his aim was true. It struck the kobold in the chest and the creature staggered but did not cry out. Enlishia moved behind Lavren, sheathing her sword and unshouldering her bow. She took an arrow from her quiver and loosed it quickly, the shaft driving into the shoulder of the dragon masked kobold. Lavren snarled at the woman’s interference.“He’s mine!” he sneered at her over his shoulder.Enlishia was taken aback at that and turned to seek other foes. As she did, Dulvarna smashed her sword hilt into the face of the spear bearing kobold and then swept its head from its shoulders. She moved forward beside Erlmoor then and the dragonborn snarled his wrath at the kobold before him now that he faced even odds. He slashed out with his sword but the kobold blocked with his shield and then stabbed out with his sword. Erlmoor parried and the pair dodged back and forth once more. Behind the dragonborn, Lavren ducked as he strode towards the masked kobold. The creature had hurled another orb of blue energy but this one, the elf avoided. He strode on in anger while the battle ranged behind him. Lavren hurled another blast of dark energy at the kobold and then drew his sword before covering the last few yards to his foe. Just as he reached the kobold and raised his blade the creature froze, his eyes wide. Reaching down, the creature grasped the arrow shaft that protruded from its breastbone and fell backwards onto the cold grass.“I said he was mine!”, Lavren called out, turning back towards Enlishia who had slain his foe.“Don’t be so selfish,” the young woman replied with a wink and a smile.Lavren turned from her, fuming and looked down at the kobold. There, hanging about its neck was a black disk with a thin, outer ring of purple. Shar’s symbol. The symbol of a cult and a sign that the kobolds were no mere brigands and raiders after all.Dulvarna pushed forward and slashed at the kobold before her but it met her blow with its shield. Erlmoor was praying beside her as he drove forward but the kobold before him stepped back and he struck only the dust and stones of the road. The kobold leapt back again and drove its blade into the dragonborn’s shoulder. He was tired and wounded sorely now, Erlmoor knew and he needed to catch his breath. Another of Mandratan’s silvery bolt’s struck the road behind the kobolds and, sensing victory, the kobolds came forward once more.“Hold! Hold!” called out Deloak as the kobolds came but Dulvarna had to step back before a sword thrust. As she did, she knocked the blade downwards only for it to cut the side of her calf. She cursed but then she heard Lavren calling to the kobold in elven and cursing it as a foe. A dark blast of energy struck the creature from its right then and sent it reeling. Enlishia loosed an arrow from the left a heartbeat later that drove into the kobold’s side. It staggered and Dulvarna saw her chance, slashing and thrusting at the kobold and forcing it back and back. Erlmoor came forward with her but each blow struck the kobold’s shield and he knew the deadly reposted was coming. It came quick and low but the dragonborn was ready and he sidestepped and parried with a deftness that he was surprised his tired limbs could muster. He felt heat on his face then as a fierce burst of flame erupted from Mandratan’s hands and seared the kobolds. Only the kobold before Dulvarna, already sorely wounded and fearful, survived the flame unscathed, raising its shield over its head and cowering before Dulvarna. The kobold roared its anger then and surged forward toward Dulvarna to strike at her once more before it breathed its last. She stepped back and parried when the blade was mere inches from her body.“Slay him!” called Deloak and Dulvarna brought her blade down on the kobold’s head sundering helm and skull and felling it at her feet. She heard Lavren curse in elven and as he did so, the elf loosed more dark, crackling energy at another kobold. This blast hurled the next kobold from its feet and sent it barreling into its companion before it fell to the blood stained road. Enlishia loosed an arrow that missed the last kobold and flew close past Mandratan and Dulvarna surged forward to surround the last enemy. She slashed and thrust at the creature and it retreated, parrying as best it could with sword and shield. Desperately, the kobold stabbed at Deloak, driving its blade into the dwarf’s belly. He gasped and staggered but then Erlmoor moved to aid the dwarf. The dragonborn drove his blade into the creature’s belly, forcing it to stagger back. Mandratan extended his hand and felled the creature with a silvery blue bolt.</blockquote>

Verification