Daniel Knight
First Post
cthuluftaghn said:
Australia is made up of states as well. I moved from the city Perth in the state of Western Australia, to the city Melbourne in the state of Victoria.
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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
The Akeema Story Hour - Following the Adventure Path Series (Updated April the 11th)
- Thread starter Daniel Knight
- Start date
Australia is made up of states as well. I moved from the city Perth in the state of Western Australia, to the city Melbourne in the state of Victoria.
cthuluftaghn
First Post
*feels stupid*
Daniel Knight
First Post
...Story Hour Continued
Thunder ripped through the broiling pitch sky as a young girl, no more then thirteen, watched the intense battle with sadness in her eyes. The dragon had just destroyed what was left of the wizards and was now systematically destroying the remains and his men. She stood barefoot atop a rocky hill and looked down onto the tower’s wreckage, her simple white robe and daisy studded blonde hair blowing in the gentle ash kissed wind. She was certainly an odd fixture in the landscape as her metallic ice blue eyes shifted from the remains of the tower to the other fiery battles raging across the countryside. The dragons could not be allowed to win this battle. Too much destruction had all ready passed.
“It is time.” She said simply. The handful of other robed individuals surrounding her looked to her, sorrow creasing deep lines on their wise and weathered faces. From their simple garb to the herbs and pouches hanging from their belts, they stood toe to nose as druids from Tübel.
Thunder grumbled across the land as lightning stabbed jaggedly from cloud to cloud. And demonic shadows were cast around the massive dragon in the centre of it all.
* * * * *
Gulthias looked up at the clouds to the west and snarled. So the druids had arrived he thought to himself, and they had probably bought the girl with them. The wizard moved towards the sergeant currently in charge of the battling dragons over Krailem Castle.
“Sergeant, I see that you have everything in order here. I must see to our master.”
The sergeant nodded. “Please let me know,” Gulthias continued, “If we manage to breach those walls. Once they get across, I am sure it will not to hard to erect some ladders.”
The castle was situated in the middle of a large lake known as Loc Grai, which had been built with large stone bridges radiating inwards towards the various entrances. The bridges had long since been demolished by the people of Krailem, and now the goblinoid armies were having to get to the walls by boat. The inky black water reflected fires coating the arrows shooting down from the castle walls. It was an impossibly hard task to breach the walls and many of the dragons had already died in the flights over, shot down with catapults and magic.
As if to illustrate this, a large green dragon roared in pain as a boulder flew into the beasts wing and snapped it in flight. The creature quickly careened out of control and smashed into one of the walls sending the massive stones, dust, and more then a few defending soldiers into Loc Grai.
“Well done sergeant, it appears we don’t have to use the ladders after all.” All ready the goblin boats were heading towards the breach. “I will be with the master if you need me.” Gulthias turned around and walked into the dark, and if the sergeant had of been watching, slowly faded out of sight.
The wizard reappeared again moments later. He was at the West Tower now and the stench of burning flesh overwhelmed him. In the centre of the massacre stood the clawed remains of the flaming tower. Ashardalon stood in the middle coated in blood and roaring to the sky in challenge as lightning continued to split the sky. The colossal dragon dominated the scene as he continued to thrash about, clawing and biting at the three remaining individuals. Liam avoided another claw, only to have the giant tail thunder into his side sending him hurtling painfully into the destroyed masonry. Fire licked the cracked stone walls from all sides, giving the battleground a more than hellish experience.
Rising his legendry sword Dragonhammer, the king once again charged. A white glow trailed from the blade as it swung towards the beasts neck. Time seemed to slow as Liam’s battle cry rang through night, tears flowing freely as his daughters empty carcass lay less then a few yards away, crushed under tons of rock. The king twisted his wrist, holding the sword with both hands now as he put his entire weight behind the charge. The dragon however, was quicker.
Gulthias smiled to himself as he casually walked into the ruins. He watched as Ashardalon shook the king in his mouth like a rag doll, the accompanying little toy sword Dragonhammer now lost in the rubble of the dragon’s playpen. Fractionally opening his mouth the dragon lowered his head to the height of the last two knights, holding the king speared on the bottom row of teeth through his chest, stomach, and legs. Liam looked at his men with glazed eyes, blood pumping from a cut in his neck as he tried to raise his head to speak. The man was still alive. The two men in chorus raised their swords and charged in at the dragons face, hatred slashed across their faces and anger pumping through their veins.
And then the dragon breathed.
To Be Continued...
Thunder ripped through the broiling pitch sky as a young girl, no more then thirteen, watched the intense battle with sadness in her eyes. The dragon had just destroyed what was left of the wizards and was now systematically destroying the remains and his men. She stood barefoot atop a rocky hill and looked down onto the tower’s wreckage, her simple white robe and daisy studded blonde hair blowing in the gentle ash kissed wind. She was certainly an odd fixture in the landscape as her metallic ice blue eyes shifted from the remains of the tower to the other fiery battles raging across the countryside. The dragons could not be allowed to win this battle. Too much destruction had all ready passed.
“It is time.” She said simply. The handful of other robed individuals surrounding her looked to her, sorrow creasing deep lines on their wise and weathered faces. From their simple garb to the herbs and pouches hanging from their belts, they stood toe to nose as druids from Tübel.
Thunder grumbled across the land as lightning stabbed jaggedly from cloud to cloud. And demonic shadows were cast around the massive dragon in the centre of it all.
* * * * *
Gulthias looked up at the clouds to the west and snarled. So the druids had arrived he thought to himself, and they had probably bought the girl with them. The wizard moved towards the sergeant currently in charge of the battling dragons over Krailem Castle.
“Sergeant, I see that you have everything in order here. I must see to our master.”
The sergeant nodded. “Please let me know,” Gulthias continued, “If we manage to breach those walls. Once they get across, I am sure it will not to hard to erect some ladders.”
The castle was situated in the middle of a large lake known as Loc Grai, which had been built with large stone bridges radiating inwards towards the various entrances. The bridges had long since been demolished by the people of Krailem, and now the goblinoid armies were having to get to the walls by boat. The inky black water reflected fires coating the arrows shooting down from the castle walls. It was an impossibly hard task to breach the walls and many of the dragons had already died in the flights over, shot down with catapults and magic.
As if to illustrate this, a large green dragon roared in pain as a boulder flew into the beasts wing and snapped it in flight. The creature quickly careened out of control and smashed into one of the walls sending the massive stones, dust, and more then a few defending soldiers into Loc Grai.
“Well done sergeant, it appears we don’t have to use the ladders after all.” All ready the goblin boats were heading towards the breach. “I will be with the master if you need me.” Gulthias turned around and walked into the dark, and if the sergeant had of been watching, slowly faded out of sight.
The wizard reappeared again moments later. He was at the West Tower now and the stench of burning flesh overwhelmed him. In the centre of the massacre stood the clawed remains of the flaming tower. Ashardalon stood in the middle coated in blood and roaring to the sky in challenge as lightning continued to split the sky. The colossal dragon dominated the scene as he continued to thrash about, clawing and biting at the three remaining individuals. Liam avoided another claw, only to have the giant tail thunder into his side sending him hurtling painfully into the destroyed masonry. Fire licked the cracked stone walls from all sides, giving the battleground a more than hellish experience.
Rising his legendry sword Dragonhammer, the king once again charged. A white glow trailed from the blade as it swung towards the beasts neck. Time seemed to slow as Liam’s battle cry rang through night, tears flowing freely as his daughters empty carcass lay less then a few yards away, crushed under tons of rock. The king twisted his wrist, holding the sword with both hands now as he put his entire weight behind the charge. The dragon however, was quicker.
Gulthias smiled to himself as he casually walked into the ruins. He watched as Ashardalon shook the king in his mouth like a rag doll, the accompanying little toy sword Dragonhammer now lost in the rubble of the dragon’s playpen. Fractionally opening his mouth the dragon lowered his head to the height of the last two knights, holding the king speared on the bottom row of teeth through his chest, stomach, and legs. Liam looked at his men with glazed eyes, blood pumping from a cut in his neck as he tried to raise his head to speak. The man was still alive. The two men in chorus raised their swords and charged in at the dragons face, hatred slashed across their faces and anger pumping through their veins.
And then the dragon breathed.
To Be Continued...
Last edited:
Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
Music to my ears!
Superb writing by the way, I got a great image of the girl standing on the rocks with ash raining down around her.
Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
I hereby Holy Smite this thread with my Flaming Dire Bump +1.
This is one of the story hours that made me start writing up my own story hour! Your flair for description made me start writing again!
And you honestly cannot trail off with "and then the dragon breathed". That simply is not fair.
Spider.
This is one of the story hours that made me start writing up my own story hour! Your flair for description made me start writing again!
And you honestly cannot trail off with "and then the dragon breathed". That simply is not fair.
Spider.
CoopersPale
First Post
Yeah, I thought I'd chime in with some words of encouragement!
Post more!
You write really well - like reading a novel!
And we haven't met the PC's yet (or have we?).
Go the green and gold
Post more!
You write really well - like reading a novel!
And we haven't met the PC's yet (or have we?).
Go the green and gold
Daniel Knight
First Post
Whoa… thanks for the encouragement guys. I had no idea people were this into it. I promise I’ll start regular updates again as soon as my turn passes in the ENWWC… I think it’s a couple of slots away.
I promise I’ll start regular updates again as soon as my turn passes in the ENWWC… I think it’s a couple of slots away.
Daniel Knight
First Post
...Story Hour Continued
Flame engulfed the king and soldiers until nothing remained of either but a cloud of ash and memories. As the flames died down Gulthias stepped before the dragon. “Master, Krailem’s walls have fallen and the armies are now entering the city.”
Thunder gravely rolled above.
“Will there be gold?” The cavernous voice of the dragon easily competed with the storm above.
“More then you can imagine, master.”
“And jewels?”
“Oh, yes. The Krailem treasury has the third largest supply of jewels in the world.”
The dragon slowly and deliberately turned his massive head towards the human. “Then why, wizard,” Ashardalon spat the word, “are we here?”
Gulthias looked nervously at his master. The human loved the creature before him – loved the power, loved the strength and loved the danger. Gulthias had searched for the beast ever since he had heard tales of him as a child. The dragon of the Steel Barons - the Juggernaut of Doom .
The wizard had set out on his search and eventually found the beast. Ashardalon spared his life, considering Gulthias a curiosity and an amusement. Meanwhile the wizard in all his devotion did everything he could to appease his new master. He scoured the land for ways to win the creatures contentment, increasing the dragon hoard and forming a cult of worshippers. All in dedication to the godlike reptile he loved more than life itself.
“The other countries will come next, my master. We take Krailem first for political reasons. From there it will become easier to pilfer the outlying lands, and your hoard will increase hundredfold. You will be worshipped from pole to pole, and you will take your place amongst the stars where the gods will shudder and tremble in your presence.” Gulthias nervously watched the dragon as it slowly flexed its mighty muscles; scales the size of shields syncristically moving over the dragons flesh. Oh, how Gulthias loved the beast.
“And there will be more destruction?” the dragon asked.
“Oh yes.” Gulthias smiled. “More then you could ever dream. I know how the smaller races think, my master. They will worship you or die.”
The dragon smiled toothily and spread his wings, a cloak of shadow eclipsing the surrounding fires and rubble. “Then let us away to the castle. My thirst for destruction grows ever more.”
Gulthias breathed a sigh of relief and started moving to the dragons side. He then froze staring at a large block of stone near his foot. There, near the middle, was a single drop of water.
Thunder chuckled savagely above.
Another drop joined it.
“Master we must haste - the druids come.” Gulthias squinted into the darkness beyond the reaches of the splintered tower’s shell. In the shadows he saw a small group of figures moving towards them, in the lead was a young girl dressed in white.
“It’s just a handful of humans, wizard. I’ve defeated armies today.”
Gulthias flexed his fingers in panic, “They bring the girl, master.”
Ashardalon looked at the wizard curiously, making no effort to move. “The girl?”
“Yes,” Gulthias’ head swam as rain started to shower down, “the girl! Saphernia I think she is named. You destroyed a large portion of forest near them. They say this child has powers beyond those known of any mortal.”
“Then your sources are wrong, dog!” The dragon roared at the wizard upset at his worshiper’s lack of faith. “Now move before I take you with them!”
Gulthias closed in eyes and held his breath.
His sources, creatures of the afterlife, although dishonest could have no possible reason for being so in this instance. When they said that his master should fear this girl, he trusted them. They had everything to gain from Ashardalon defeating Krailem.
Gulthias slowly let his breath out. He loved his master he reminded himself. More than life itself.
“Master, I urge you to please reconsid-“
Gulthias flew backwards hitting the wall with a sickening thud. He numbly lay there as the girl entered the light, her bare feet stepping over the debris.
The dragon lowered his taloned claw. “Reconsider that, wizard.” Ashardalon turned to face the girl.
The rain softly fell, little pops fizzling as drops hit the fires. The dragon lowered its head, eyes narrowing at the girl, scales glinting with the moisture. The other druids remained standing on the outskirts of the ruins, cloaked in shadow. The girls slowly held out her arms and looked towards the skies. The rain softly pattered the flesh on her arms and face. She could taste the rain on her lips.
Gulthias watched as his master remained motionless watching the girl. Lifted an elbow and tried to move forward, but couldn’t. A long piece of bent metal poked through the right side of his chest. He looked down at it and the blood patch that was clinging his black and red robe to his body. He coughed, blood staining his lips and chin.
The young girl lowered her head and looked to the dragon. Both stood motionless no more than three metres from one another.
The rain was falling more solidly now. The girl slowly stepped forward holding out a hand. The ash, now turned mud, seeped between her toes. The wizard watched intensely as she rose her arm to the height of the dragon’s nose and tenderly ran the tips of her fingers over it. Her dress and hair were now plastered to her moon-pale skin.
She kissed the dragon.
The dragon reared back as if to lunge forward and attack, but quickly stopped itself. The young girl stood still and looked questioningly at the dragon. The dragon gave a half-hearted snarl, but there was no meaning in it.
Through the haze of pain the wizard watched. Something was happening between the girl and his master but he couldn’t figure it out. His vision was starting to blur now and he tried desperately to remain conscious. The ghostly white form of the girl moved up past the dragon’s neck climbing over rock and wreckage, and rested both hands outstretched on the beasts chest. Gulthias watched as the girl caressed the huge scales and rested her ear to the dragon’s chest.
Thump, thump.
Thump, thump.
Thump, thump.
Darkness blanketed Gulthias’ vision, and he passed out.
Saphernia moved her head away from the dragon’s immense chest and looked up into his eyes. She moved a hand up to her own eyes and rubbed them. Even though the rain washed away the tears, her eyes still hurt.
Ashardalon looked at the girl puzzled. Her shoulder’s were trembling. She was crying. Why was she crying? What was she whispering?
A large peal of thunder shook the tower stones, and a quick wind picked up. A mist of blue energy arced sizzling through the rain, radiating outwards from the dragon’s chest. Screaming in pain, Ashardalon tried to rear away from the girl but found he couldn’t. His claws racked the ground tearing up flagstones, roaring as lightning stabbed viciously and randomly about the sea of rubble.
Pulling back the dragon gave a mighty heave and felt an immense pain. He stumbled backwards and watched as a red haze misted his vision. Something was wrong. He couldn’t feel his chest. He trembled and watched in terror as his heart fell to the ground in front of the girl. Blood spilled from the gaping wound through his ribcage and washed around the child’s feet.
Covered in blood, Saphernia smiled.
And then she died.
To Be Continued...
Flame engulfed the king and soldiers until nothing remained of either but a cloud of ash and memories. As the flames died down Gulthias stepped before the dragon. “Master, Krailem’s walls have fallen and the armies are now entering the city.”
Thunder gravely rolled above.
“Will there be gold?” The cavernous voice of the dragon easily competed with the storm above.
“More then you can imagine, master.”
“And jewels?”
“Oh, yes. The Krailem treasury has the third largest supply of jewels in the world.”
The dragon slowly and deliberately turned his massive head towards the human. “Then why, wizard,” Ashardalon spat the word, “are we here?”
Gulthias looked nervously at his master. The human loved the creature before him – loved the power, loved the strength and loved the danger. Gulthias had searched for the beast ever since he had heard tales of him as a child. The dragon of the Steel Barons - the Juggernaut of Doom .
The wizard had set out on his search and eventually found the beast. Ashardalon spared his life, considering Gulthias a curiosity and an amusement. Meanwhile the wizard in all his devotion did everything he could to appease his new master. He scoured the land for ways to win the creatures contentment, increasing the dragon hoard and forming a cult of worshippers. All in dedication to the godlike reptile he loved more than life itself.
“The other countries will come next, my master. We take Krailem first for political reasons. From there it will become easier to pilfer the outlying lands, and your hoard will increase hundredfold. You will be worshipped from pole to pole, and you will take your place amongst the stars where the gods will shudder and tremble in your presence.” Gulthias nervously watched the dragon as it slowly flexed its mighty muscles; scales the size of shields syncristically moving over the dragons flesh. Oh, how Gulthias loved the beast.
“And there will be more destruction?” the dragon asked.
“Oh yes.” Gulthias smiled. “More then you could ever dream. I know how the smaller races think, my master. They will worship you or die.”
The dragon smiled toothily and spread his wings, a cloak of shadow eclipsing the surrounding fires and rubble. “Then let us away to the castle. My thirst for destruction grows ever more.”
Gulthias breathed a sigh of relief and started moving to the dragons side. He then froze staring at a large block of stone near his foot. There, near the middle, was a single drop of water.
Thunder chuckled savagely above.
Another drop joined it.
“Master we must haste - the druids come.” Gulthias squinted into the darkness beyond the reaches of the splintered tower’s shell. In the shadows he saw a small group of figures moving towards them, in the lead was a young girl dressed in white.
“It’s just a handful of humans, wizard. I’ve defeated armies today.”
Gulthias flexed his fingers in panic, “They bring the girl, master.”
Ashardalon looked at the wizard curiously, making no effort to move. “The girl?”
“Yes,” Gulthias’ head swam as rain started to shower down, “the girl! Saphernia I think she is named. You destroyed a large portion of forest near them. They say this child has powers beyond those known of any mortal.”
“Then your sources are wrong, dog!” The dragon roared at the wizard upset at his worshiper’s lack of faith. “Now move before I take you with them!”
Gulthias closed in eyes and held his breath.
His sources, creatures of the afterlife, although dishonest could have no possible reason for being so in this instance. When they said that his master should fear this girl, he trusted them. They had everything to gain from Ashardalon defeating Krailem.
Gulthias slowly let his breath out. He loved his master he reminded himself. More than life itself.
“Master, I urge you to please reconsid-“
Gulthias flew backwards hitting the wall with a sickening thud. He numbly lay there as the girl entered the light, her bare feet stepping over the debris.
The dragon lowered his taloned claw. “Reconsider that, wizard.” Ashardalon turned to face the girl.
The rain softly fell, little pops fizzling as drops hit the fires. The dragon lowered its head, eyes narrowing at the girl, scales glinting with the moisture. The other druids remained standing on the outskirts of the ruins, cloaked in shadow. The girls slowly held out her arms and looked towards the skies. The rain softly pattered the flesh on her arms and face. She could taste the rain on her lips.
Gulthias watched as his master remained motionless watching the girl. Lifted an elbow and tried to move forward, but couldn’t. A long piece of bent metal poked through the right side of his chest. He looked down at it and the blood patch that was clinging his black and red robe to his body. He coughed, blood staining his lips and chin.
The young girl lowered her head and looked to the dragon. Both stood motionless no more than three metres from one another.
The rain was falling more solidly now. The girl slowly stepped forward holding out a hand. The ash, now turned mud, seeped between her toes. The wizard watched intensely as she rose her arm to the height of the dragon’s nose and tenderly ran the tips of her fingers over it. Her dress and hair were now plastered to her moon-pale skin.
She kissed the dragon.
The dragon reared back as if to lunge forward and attack, but quickly stopped itself. The young girl stood still and looked questioningly at the dragon. The dragon gave a half-hearted snarl, but there was no meaning in it.
Through the haze of pain the wizard watched. Something was happening between the girl and his master but he couldn’t figure it out. His vision was starting to blur now and he tried desperately to remain conscious. The ghostly white form of the girl moved up past the dragon’s neck climbing over rock and wreckage, and rested both hands outstretched on the beasts chest. Gulthias watched as the girl caressed the huge scales and rested her ear to the dragon’s chest.
Thump, thump.
Thump, thump.
Thump, thump.
Darkness blanketed Gulthias’ vision, and he passed out.
Saphernia moved her head away from the dragon’s immense chest and looked up into his eyes. She moved a hand up to her own eyes and rubbed them. Even though the rain washed away the tears, her eyes still hurt.
Ashardalon looked at the girl puzzled. Her shoulder’s were trembling. She was crying. Why was she crying? What was she whispering?
A large peal of thunder shook the tower stones, and a quick wind picked up. A mist of blue energy arced sizzling through the rain, radiating outwards from the dragon’s chest. Screaming in pain, Ashardalon tried to rear away from the girl but found he couldn’t. His claws racked the ground tearing up flagstones, roaring as lightning stabbed viciously and randomly about the sea of rubble.
Pulling back the dragon gave a mighty heave and felt an immense pain. He stumbled backwards and watched as a red haze misted his vision. Something was wrong. He couldn’t feel his chest. He trembled and watched in terror as his heart fell to the ground in front of the girl. Blood spilled from the gaping wound through his ribcage and washed around the child’s feet.
Covered in blood, Saphernia smiled.
And then she died.
To Be Continued...
Last edited:
Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
That was a great read. Always a good way to finish an installment: "And then she died".
Good to see you writing again.
Spider.
Good to see you writing again.
Spider.
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