Alcareru
First Post
Heres my first attempt at a Story Hour, from a sporadic Conan flavored campaign set in that world.
I. Prisoners in Karpasha
Miss Emily Brightwell awoke with a start. Exhaling violently she found herself on her back, staring into the gloom. She was immediately aware of two things as she laid upon the cold stonehewn floor. She was in a cell of some sort. And her possessions, including her .38 caliber Webley Bulldog, were gone. Raising herself slowly upon her elbows she could make out a faint lightsource- perhaps a torch or torches set upon a wall around a corner. It barely illuminated the room, but she could see rows of iron bars.
With her leather boots scuffing on the floor, Emily groped toward the bars. They held firm against her attempts to move them despite her best efforts. With a dejected sigh, the young blonde haired woman sat back. For a moment, out of habit she attempted to straighten her khaki blouse and shorts. 'Good Lord, it smells in here', Emily mentally noted with some disgust.
It was then the young woman was aware she was not alone.
Jerking her head violently to her left, she saw 3 figures in the cell adjacent to hers. Jumping with surprise, she made out the figures in the faint light. One was white like her and massive. The other was dusky skinned, and short, squat. The third was lean and wiry with skin like ebon night. For a moment Emily's mind flashed back to the Christmas tableau of the Three Kings from her youth at Greenmere. The image swam in front of her as the young girl swooned and fainted.
The ebon skinned man pressed his face against the bars, studying the unconcious woman. "What nature of girl is this Verrus?" the man asked in heavily accented Kothic,"she is dressed strangely; is she Hyborean?"
The dark haired man stroked his curled beard. "Ive not seen a women in weeks Yalla,so my memories may be a bit faint on the matter, but I think I can safely say Ive not seen such dress before. Odd she was put here and not placed in the Prince's seralgio." Verrus turned to the third figure now sitting in the corner of their cell. "What do you think Vanir?
The red haired giant of a man shook his head curtly, his beard waggling. "Care little I think. Unless she has a key for Grimir, I care little."
After a space of half an hour, Emily stirred. Aware of the three men now, she moved cautiously away from neighboring cell. Casting a look around the dark room she could see the other cells in the area were unoccupied. Hesitantly, she took in the sight of the three men. All were clad in short crimson colored chiton, or tunics. All were studying her, even the red haired giant.
"Where...am.. am I?" she stammered. The three men looked at each other and back at her. "Where am I? Did the Italians raid the excavation?" she said this time in Italian. She was answered by blank stares.
"By Bel!" Verrus cursed " A woman drops in out of the sky and we can't speak to her. Maybe she is from the east."
"No" Yalla responded frowning. The folk of the east do not have flaxen hair..do they?"
Emily listened intently. She involuntarily leaned forward, catching a word here and there. "What? You speak the Aegean dialect I think, like on the tablets! I am Miss Emily Brightwell of the Cornwall Brightwells.Where am I? Where is the rest of Dr. Heydn's group? Where are the guards? I wish to see the British Consul immediatley."
"Ahh! you speak Kothic!" Yalla exclaimed brightly."British?" he repeated, trying to fit his tonque around the strange word. He shook his head and added helpfully, "You are in the fortress of Karpash, guest of Prince Septus.
"May he rot in Hell" the dusky skin man interjected.
From behind, Grimir grunted in agreement.
The dusky skinned man pushed ebon youth aside and put his face to the bars, smiling his best smile. "Please allow me to introduce myself and my companions dear woman. "I am Verrus of Nemedia, noble thief. This fellow is Yalla, displaced son of Kush and as great an archer as you will ever meet. We were part of a doomed company of mercenaries recently captured across the border. The quiet red haired colossus is Grimr, a Northman. We, including you, are all prisoners of the city of Karpasha in the kingdom of Corinthia."
Emily blinked, uncomprehendingly. "Karpasha? This isnt the isle of Lyttos?" O dear, how did I arrive here..I..I can't remember."
Yalla moved back to the bars. "The guards brought you in this morning. You did not move for many hours. We had feared you were dead, perhaps killed by Septus or his lecherous knights. Some of these Corinthians are quite brutal, as civilized folk go."
Emily blanched. Before she could respond, an iron door clanged open off in the dark. Heavy footfalls could been heard coming down an unseen corridor. All four figures turned to face the noise.
I. Prisoners in Karpasha
Miss Emily Brightwell awoke with a start. Exhaling violently she found herself on her back, staring into the gloom. She was immediately aware of two things as she laid upon the cold stonehewn floor. She was in a cell of some sort. And her possessions, including her .38 caliber Webley Bulldog, were gone. Raising herself slowly upon her elbows she could make out a faint lightsource- perhaps a torch or torches set upon a wall around a corner. It barely illuminated the room, but she could see rows of iron bars.
With her leather boots scuffing on the floor, Emily groped toward the bars. They held firm against her attempts to move them despite her best efforts. With a dejected sigh, the young blonde haired woman sat back. For a moment, out of habit she attempted to straighten her khaki blouse and shorts. 'Good Lord, it smells in here', Emily mentally noted with some disgust.
It was then the young woman was aware she was not alone.
Jerking her head violently to her left, she saw 3 figures in the cell adjacent to hers. Jumping with surprise, she made out the figures in the faint light. One was white like her and massive. The other was dusky skinned, and short, squat. The third was lean and wiry with skin like ebon night. For a moment Emily's mind flashed back to the Christmas tableau of the Three Kings from her youth at Greenmere. The image swam in front of her as the young girl swooned and fainted.
The ebon skinned man pressed his face against the bars, studying the unconcious woman. "What nature of girl is this Verrus?" the man asked in heavily accented Kothic,"she is dressed strangely; is she Hyborean?"
The dark haired man stroked his curled beard. "Ive not seen a women in weeks Yalla,so my memories may be a bit faint on the matter, but I think I can safely say Ive not seen such dress before. Odd she was put here and not placed in the Prince's seralgio." Verrus turned to the third figure now sitting in the corner of their cell. "What do you think Vanir?
The red haired giant of a man shook his head curtly, his beard waggling. "Care little I think. Unless she has a key for Grimir, I care little."
After a space of half an hour, Emily stirred. Aware of the three men now, she moved cautiously away from neighboring cell. Casting a look around the dark room she could see the other cells in the area were unoccupied. Hesitantly, she took in the sight of the three men. All were clad in short crimson colored chiton, or tunics. All were studying her, even the red haired giant.
"Where...am.. am I?" she stammered. The three men looked at each other and back at her. "Where am I? Did the Italians raid the excavation?" she said this time in Italian. She was answered by blank stares.
"By Bel!" Verrus cursed " A woman drops in out of the sky and we can't speak to her. Maybe she is from the east."
"No" Yalla responded frowning. The folk of the east do not have flaxen hair..do they?"
Emily listened intently. She involuntarily leaned forward, catching a word here and there. "What? You speak the Aegean dialect I think, like on the tablets! I am Miss Emily Brightwell of the Cornwall Brightwells.Where am I? Where is the rest of Dr. Heydn's group? Where are the guards? I wish to see the British Consul immediatley."
"Ahh! you speak Kothic!" Yalla exclaimed brightly."British?" he repeated, trying to fit his tonque around the strange word. He shook his head and added helpfully, "You are in the fortress of Karpash, guest of Prince Septus.
"May he rot in Hell" the dusky skin man interjected.
From behind, Grimir grunted in agreement.
The dusky skinned man pushed ebon youth aside and put his face to the bars, smiling his best smile. "Please allow me to introduce myself and my companions dear woman. "I am Verrus of Nemedia, noble thief. This fellow is Yalla, displaced son of Kush and as great an archer as you will ever meet. We were part of a doomed company of mercenaries recently captured across the border. The quiet red haired colossus is Grimr, a Northman. We, including you, are all prisoners of the city of Karpasha in the kingdom of Corinthia."
Emily blinked, uncomprehendingly. "Karpasha? This isnt the isle of Lyttos?" O dear, how did I arrive here..I..I can't remember."
Yalla moved back to the bars. "The guards brought you in this morning. You did not move for many hours. We had feared you were dead, perhaps killed by Septus or his lecherous knights. Some of these Corinthians are quite brutal, as civilized folk go."
Emily blanched. Before she could respond, an iron door clanged open off in the dark. Heavy footfalls could been heard coming down an unseen corridor. All four figures turned to face the noise.
Last edited:
overty, Outsider
