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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 Blade of Phoee (Updated 12/08/08)
- Thread starter Funeris
- Start date
Funeris
First Post
Chapter 7: Interludes (Cont'd.)
I'm kinda surprised no one bumped me for the update today. Did you doubt?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
“You planned that,” she accused the mirror. The reflection trapped within the milky, silver hue of the mirror was not her own. It was not entirely her own but bound to her just as a true reflection would be. Instead of her own golden tresses, locks of silver were reflected back. An aging, but serene, face replaced the Lady Llewyllyn’s tense, youthful visage.
“Perhaps, I did, Gold,” the other responded furtively.
“You did, Silver, you did. I know you left the mechanism for the rooms concealed in the library slightly askew. Those mortals would not have found the opening, otherwise.”
“You, who revered the ‘mortals’ so when first you learned of their arrival, seem quite content to bash their intentions.” The old woman in the mirror smirked, not unhappily or with disdain, but with the wisdom of age. “Let us not forget who moved an entire village within our outer walls, calling the dreaded eye of the King. You have made us a bastion of safety to the oppressed.
“And I,” the elder continued unhindered, “have merely given them a slight chance in the storm that even now crests upon the horizon. They could have noticed the room without my help.”
“Yes, they may have. But they may not have, Silver. You have meddled, it is not very becoming for your neutrality.”
“Our neutrality,” the elder corrected.
“Yes, our neutrality. I fear my impetuousness has rubbed off on you over the long years. One of us must be in control.”
“There is only one of us in control at a time ‘daughter’.”
“Still, you may have jeopardized the Mother’s plans. Was it not She that asked this task of us? Was it not She that demanded the collection of the relics? Perhaps with your meddling you have jeopardized Her plans.”
“Have you become so cocky, ‘daughter’? To think that you, a frail living thing, could possibly know Her plan? Besides, you broke our Neutrality when you decided to play the role of hero to those townsfolk.”
“They deserved to live.”
“Everyone deserves to live. It is not our place to pick and choose which shall live and which shall not. That is Her choice.”
The younger tossed her golden tresses over her shoulder with haughty twist of her head. “There is a priest in that library which may disagree with you.”
“Cael enacts Her will,” the elder interrupted, ending that tangent. “Tell me, of all the treasures, what did they choose?” The younger, Gold, sighed and shook her head.
“They have chosen deityhood.”
“They wished for that?”
“Yes. You would not expect it of that cleric. I think he may have only duplicated the rogue’s wish to assure they were all on equal footing. Still, our heart tells me that it will only lead to ruin.”
“There is always hope. Maybe they are the weapons that will undo the wrong.”
“You said that of Morrick as well, dear ‘mother’.”
“His path was in another direction; you are right. Still, it is his blood that pumps through Cassock’s veins.”
“That does not alleviate my concerns.”
“It should not. Who was blessed and cursed with deityhood?”
“Cassock and Anastrianna, Zayda and Aramil. Spinum was unaffected, as far as I can tell. So, too, were Mialee and Ana’s adopted sister.”
“The cards had limited effect.”
“And their power has been all but drained. They will not perform any other miracles for the next century at the soonest, at least, no miracles that we could not perform on our own.”
“Useless,” the elder, Silver, sighed. “A small price to pay if it furthers the Mother’s agenda.”
“So tell me, how should I punish the mortals for their indiscretion?”
“Do not be too harsh on them, Gold. I suggest we allow those that had no hand in it to go. Allow Mialee and Spinum to escort Ana’s half-sister to the elven city.”
“Spinum had his hand in the indiscretion.”
“If he was not affected, he did not.”
“I disagree. He was there and he did nothing to stop them.”
“A compromise then?”
“I’m listening.”
“We allow him to escort the ladies back to the elven city. Then he returns to us, to be indentured as a servant for as long as we see fit.”
“Sounds like meddling.”
“I knew you would approve,” Silver grinned. “I have foreseen our death, ‘daughter’. We will have to leave our task in capable hands if it is incomplete. Spinum could be one of those trusted, I think.”
“You presume much.”
“I take it you approve then?”
Gold nodded.
Silver paused, reflective as a reflection. Her wrinkled arm lifted to massage her temples. “The others need a larger task. I will leave it to you to decide.”
“Silver,” Gold growled.
“You are half of us, Gold. Half of our burden is yours. I decide that part of your half is in dealing out an appropriate amount of justice in this small matter.” Gold nodded. “Now, where did you leave our guests?”
“They are still in the library.”
“After their ‘betrayal’ you left them there?”
“Do not act so surprised. I figured you had a minor role in this event. They’re safe there and the doors are locked.”
“You left them locked in a room—a party with two thieves?! Pray they don’t find anything else that piques their collective curiosity.”
Gold nodded in affirmation as Silver vanished. The mirror emptied, leaving a perfect view of the large, four-poster bed in the rear of the room. Gold stared into the depths for awhile longer, trying to make out the faintest outline of her own image. But there was none. It was as if she did not exist. She was a ghost that could not be trapped by the looking glass.
Was she soul-less or soul-full? Gold did not know anymore. Neither had their brother known or understood. He fell to madness because of it. A fall was coming, of that she was sure. Perhaps it was their death on the horizon.
Gold shook her head, tossing the tresses about in frenzy. Thoughts like that were what drove sane people to madness. “Good thing we were never sane,” she murmured as she stalked from the room.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Note: So now, the readers have nicknames for each of the Ladies: Silver for the elder and Gold for the younger. It can be rather…complicated...writing a dialog between the two of them. I hope it is easier to read than to write.
I'm kinda surprised no one bumped me for the update today. Did you doubt?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
“You planned that,” she accused the mirror. The reflection trapped within the milky, silver hue of the mirror was not her own. It was not entirely her own but bound to her just as a true reflection would be. Instead of her own golden tresses, locks of silver were reflected back. An aging, but serene, face replaced the Lady Llewyllyn’s tense, youthful visage.
“Perhaps, I did, Gold,” the other responded furtively.
“You did, Silver, you did. I know you left the mechanism for the rooms concealed in the library slightly askew. Those mortals would not have found the opening, otherwise.”
“You, who revered the ‘mortals’ so when first you learned of their arrival, seem quite content to bash their intentions.” The old woman in the mirror smirked, not unhappily or with disdain, but with the wisdom of age. “Let us not forget who moved an entire village within our outer walls, calling the dreaded eye of the King. You have made us a bastion of safety to the oppressed.
“And I,” the elder continued unhindered, “have merely given them a slight chance in the storm that even now crests upon the horizon. They could have noticed the room without my help.”
“Yes, they may have. But they may not have, Silver. You have meddled, it is not very becoming for your neutrality.”
“Our neutrality,” the elder corrected.
“Yes, our neutrality. I fear my impetuousness has rubbed off on you over the long years. One of us must be in control.”
“There is only one of us in control at a time ‘daughter’.”
“Still, you may have jeopardized the Mother’s plans. Was it not She that asked this task of us? Was it not She that demanded the collection of the relics? Perhaps with your meddling you have jeopardized Her plans.”
“Have you become so cocky, ‘daughter’? To think that you, a frail living thing, could possibly know Her plan? Besides, you broke our Neutrality when you decided to play the role of hero to those townsfolk.”
“They deserved to live.”
“Everyone deserves to live. It is not our place to pick and choose which shall live and which shall not. That is Her choice.”
The younger tossed her golden tresses over her shoulder with haughty twist of her head. “There is a priest in that library which may disagree with you.”
“Cael enacts Her will,” the elder interrupted, ending that tangent. “Tell me, of all the treasures, what did they choose?” The younger, Gold, sighed and shook her head.
“They have chosen deityhood.”
“They wished for that?”
“Yes. You would not expect it of that cleric. I think he may have only duplicated the rogue’s wish to assure they were all on equal footing. Still, our heart tells me that it will only lead to ruin.”
“There is always hope. Maybe they are the weapons that will undo the wrong.”
“You said that of Morrick as well, dear ‘mother’.”
“His path was in another direction; you are right. Still, it is his blood that pumps through Cassock’s veins.”
“That does not alleviate my concerns.”
“It should not. Who was blessed and cursed with deityhood?”
“Cassock and Anastrianna, Zayda and Aramil. Spinum was unaffected, as far as I can tell. So, too, were Mialee and Ana’s adopted sister.”
“The cards had limited effect.”
“And their power has been all but drained. They will not perform any other miracles for the next century at the soonest, at least, no miracles that we could not perform on our own.”
“Useless,” the elder, Silver, sighed. “A small price to pay if it furthers the Mother’s agenda.”
“So tell me, how should I punish the mortals for their indiscretion?”
“Do not be too harsh on them, Gold. I suggest we allow those that had no hand in it to go. Allow Mialee and Spinum to escort Ana’s half-sister to the elven city.”
“Spinum had his hand in the indiscretion.”
“If he was not affected, he did not.”
“I disagree. He was there and he did nothing to stop them.”
“A compromise then?”
“I’m listening.”
“We allow him to escort the ladies back to the elven city. Then he returns to us, to be indentured as a servant for as long as we see fit.”
“Sounds like meddling.”
“I knew you would approve,” Silver grinned. “I have foreseen our death, ‘daughter’. We will have to leave our task in capable hands if it is incomplete. Spinum could be one of those trusted, I think.”
“You presume much.”
“I take it you approve then?”
Gold nodded.
Silver paused, reflective as a reflection. Her wrinkled arm lifted to massage her temples. “The others need a larger task. I will leave it to you to decide.”
“Silver,” Gold growled.
“You are half of us, Gold. Half of our burden is yours. I decide that part of your half is in dealing out an appropriate amount of justice in this small matter.” Gold nodded. “Now, where did you leave our guests?”
“They are still in the library.”
“After their ‘betrayal’ you left them there?”
“Do not act so surprised. I figured you had a minor role in this event. They’re safe there and the doors are locked.”
“You left them locked in a room—a party with two thieves?! Pray they don’t find anything else that piques their collective curiosity.”
Gold nodded in affirmation as Silver vanished. The mirror emptied, leaving a perfect view of the large, four-poster bed in the rear of the room. Gold stared into the depths for awhile longer, trying to make out the faintest outline of her own image. But there was none. It was as if she did not exist. She was a ghost that could not be trapped by the looking glass.
Was she soul-less or soul-full? Gold did not know anymore. Neither had their brother known or understood. He fell to madness because of it. A fall was coming, of that she was sure. Perhaps it was their death on the horizon.
Gold shook her head, tossing the tresses about in frenzy. Thoughts like that were what drove sane people to madness. “Good thing we were never sane,” she murmured as she stalked from the room.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Note: So now, the readers have nicknames for each of the Ladies: Silver for the elder and Gold for the younger. It can be rather…complicated...writing a dialog between the two of them. I hope it is easier to read than to write.
HalfOrc HalfBiscuit
Adventurer
Funeris said:
Well, I think I followed it OK ...
Intriguing stuff, Funeris. I'm looking forward to more.
TheYeti1775
Adventurer
Bumped for the proding of a Wednesday update.
Yeti
Yeti
Funeris
First Post
Chapter 7: Interludes (Concluded)
Rhynos stepped over the cooling corpse of the infantryman. The human had been easy prey. He had allowed the man to wear himself out; not that he would have been difficult prey had he not been exhausted. The chase was the fun bit he knew. Everything after the chase was disappointing, anticlimactic even. Even feeling—not as a mortal would acknowledge a cooling breeze through their crude tactile senses but something beyond just feeling, beyond sense, something beyond reason, something more akin to becoming—Death grasp its sickly claws upon the man’s body and invade his spirit was not enjoyable anymore.
There was a time, decades prior but a time nonetheless, when he had enjoyed gifting others with eternity.
Perhaps it changed when he had been given a more real version of eternity.
Perhaps not.
Perhaps Rhynos had just lost the thrill of the kill. Whatever the case, the vampire had easily dispatched his victim without much thought. He had enjoyed watching the man urinate all over himself and then had quickly ended the game. He had drawn out the last of the man’s life through his neck, listening to the heart tick, tick, tick into oblivion.
And now he moved past the corpse which had nearly cleared the edge of the forest. He was a mere dozen or so paces away from a path, an old road it looked, long overgrown with weeds and grasses.
He froze in place, his head cocked to the side. His preternatural senses kicked on, calculating at a deific rate.
There.
His head whirled to a soft glimmer of crimson across the road. Two eyes stared unblinkingly toward his position. The creature, whatever it was for it was outside of the range of even his vision, did not move nor flinch.
A moment passed where they observed each other. Rhynos knew what it was. He had seen similar sets of eyes watching his every move for the past week.
They never drew close, the other members of his race. For their own good, he thought. The eyes were unnerving in a way; he had never seen quite so many of his own kin. The vampire was certain the set of eyes he saw now was not the same pair that he had seen two hours prior, nor two days prior.
This was a different beast altogether. None of the other bloodlines moved with the speed or acuity Rhynos’ blood imbued him with. These were slower brutes. What they lacked in speed they apparently made up for in sheer numbers, he noted.
The crimson eyes continued to stare unblinkingly.
Another pair flickered into existence. Rhynos just caught it within his peripheral vision. It was in his half of the wood, a hundred paces to the east. That pair blinked out shortly thereafter.
He smirked, fangs bared in an inaudible hiss.
A third pair erupted in the west. This set held a cerulean hue. For a moment, Rhynos doubted it was another vampire but his intelligent mind rapidly destroyed that foolish notion. It was one of his kin. He did not know their proper blood-name, but kin it was. One of the dabblers, no doubt. It was a species of vampire whose sheer arcane powers were doubled or tripled by their unholy existence. He had only heard of their brood and specifically the tale-tell blue eyes once.
Outnumbered.
Rhynos shuddered and stepped out of the canopy onto the fading road.
“Well come then. Let’s get this over with,” he barked, his hands outstretched. The skin of his fingers split, allowing an opening for the bony talons hidden within his humanoid hands. The pain was sweet.
Not one of the sets of eyes moved. Not one of the other creatures came near.
Rhynos glowered. Cowards. He waited. One-by-one the other sets of eyes vanished back into the wood, leaving the warlock alone. “Cowards,” he reaffirmed. His talons retracted.
He glanced down at the surrounding weeds. Crouching, the vampire easily found marks where heavy boots had smashed the flora and imprinted the muck below. A rough count set the number of travelers at somewhere between five and ten, heavily armored or heavily burdened humanoids.
Soldiers, no doubt.
The warlock turned to the east and began the new hunt.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The three individuals huddled in front of the Lady Llewyllyn. They had never before been in the grand bedroom. That, coupled with her mood, made each of the three huddle inwards as if they were afraid to touch anything.
“Do you understand?” She queried while twirling a golden curl around her long finger.
“Yes, milady,” Spinum replied. “I am to escort these two back to Mialee’s home. Once safely delivered, I am to return posthaste.”
“Precisely.”
“And what have we done to invoke your wrath?” spit Mialee. “I have only heard good rumor of your estate. Never have I heard it said that the Ladies Llewyllyn have a mood as changeable as the weather!”
Gold’s finger shot out, pointing its perfectly manicured nail at Mialee’s chest. “Like it or not, child, before yesterday our gracious natures have never been betrayed by welcomed guests.”
“I had nothing to do with that,” she murmured.
“No, you did not. But, if you would like to stay and incur the same punishment as the others, be my guest.” The elf pulled her lips together, silencing her dissent. “Good.
“Now, the child is to accompany you because there are no human lands where she will be safe. Spinum will travel with you, to assure your safety.”
“Humans are not allowed in our village,” Mialee blurted.
Gold’s eyebrow arched. “You will welcome him as my Emissary. And that is even if he wishes to sleep in those so-called homes of yours, those silly little huts hidden amongst the boughs of the trees!” Mialee cowered, her face contorted into a look of shock that the Lady had been to her home. A human!
“Spinum may prefer to sleep amongst the dwarves,” Lady Llewyllyn added. “Stubborn though they may be, they probably have a firmer grasp on reality than you elves!”
Silence spread across the gathering as moods both simmered and cooled.
“Preferably,” Gold added as she turned back to the mage, “You will not stay in the village. I need you back here immediately.”
“Yes, milady.”
“To begin your apprenticeship.”
Spinum’s eyes opened wide. He felt his cheeks flush. Respectfully, he bowed his head.
“Now go.” The three stood and left the Lady’s room. As her door shut, Gold removed the cloth that covered the mirror. “And how did I do, mother?”
“Magnificently.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rhynos leaned the man against a nearby tree without as much as a sound. The soldiers had stationed only one guard on duty at a time. And as always, Rhynos had been the better of his prey. The difficulty, in this instance, was to kill and position the soldier without his heavy armor waking the others.
When they did awake, they would see only a companion that fell asleep and did not survive the trip to the world of the wakeful. Rhynos had taken extra precaution, leaving no mark upon the fellow.
In the morning, they would continue on, all the slower if they decided to salvage any gear. The following night, Rhynos would catch up.
One by one, they would all die.
The last few would know true terror.
And Rhynos would finally meet the man he had tried to hunt down more than two decades before.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
General Note: Okay, this finishes the brief Interlude chapter. I’m taking the rest of the week off from writing SHs (I’ve got homework to catch up on). Next Monday, you’ll see me in the Valus: Heroes of Marchford SH again.
~Fune
Rhynos stepped over the cooling corpse of the infantryman. The human had been easy prey. He had allowed the man to wear himself out; not that he would have been difficult prey had he not been exhausted. The chase was the fun bit he knew. Everything after the chase was disappointing, anticlimactic even. Even feeling—not as a mortal would acknowledge a cooling breeze through their crude tactile senses but something beyond just feeling, beyond sense, something beyond reason, something more akin to becoming—Death grasp its sickly claws upon the man’s body and invade his spirit was not enjoyable anymore.
There was a time, decades prior but a time nonetheless, when he had enjoyed gifting others with eternity.
Perhaps it changed when he had been given a more real version of eternity.
Perhaps not.
Perhaps Rhynos had just lost the thrill of the kill. Whatever the case, the vampire had easily dispatched his victim without much thought. He had enjoyed watching the man urinate all over himself and then had quickly ended the game. He had drawn out the last of the man’s life through his neck, listening to the heart tick, tick, tick into oblivion.
And now he moved past the corpse which had nearly cleared the edge of the forest. He was a mere dozen or so paces away from a path, an old road it looked, long overgrown with weeds and grasses.
He froze in place, his head cocked to the side. His preternatural senses kicked on, calculating at a deific rate.
There.
His head whirled to a soft glimmer of crimson across the road. Two eyes stared unblinkingly toward his position. The creature, whatever it was for it was outside of the range of even his vision, did not move nor flinch.
A moment passed where they observed each other. Rhynos knew what it was. He had seen similar sets of eyes watching his every move for the past week.
They never drew close, the other members of his race. For their own good, he thought. The eyes were unnerving in a way; he had never seen quite so many of his own kin. The vampire was certain the set of eyes he saw now was not the same pair that he had seen two hours prior, nor two days prior.
This was a different beast altogether. None of the other bloodlines moved with the speed or acuity Rhynos’ blood imbued him with. These were slower brutes. What they lacked in speed they apparently made up for in sheer numbers, he noted.
The crimson eyes continued to stare unblinkingly.
Another pair flickered into existence. Rhynos just caught it within his peripheral vision. It was in his half of the wood, a hundred paces to the east. That pair blinked out shortly thereafter.
He smirked, fangs bared in an inaudible hiss.
A third pair erupted in the west. This set held a cerulean hue. For a moment, Rhynos doubted it was another vampire but his intelligent mind rapidly destroyed that foolish notion. It was one of his kin. He did not know their proper blood-name, but kin it was. One of the dabblers, no doubt. It was a species of vampire whose sheer arcane powers were doubled or tripled by their unholy existence. He had only heard of their brood and specifically the tale-tell blue eyes once.
Outnumbered.
Rhynos shuddered and stepped out of the canopy onto the fading road.
“Well come then. Let’s get this over with,” he barked, his hands outstretched. The skin of his fingers split, allowing an opening for the bony talons hidden within his humanoid hands. The pain was sweet.
Not one of the sets of eyes moved. Not one of the other creatures came near.
Rhynos glowered. Cowards. He waited. One-by-one the other sets of eyes vanished back into the wood, leaving the warlock alone. “Cowards,” he reaffirmed. His talons retracted.
He glanced down at the surrounding weeds. Crouching, the vampire easily found marks where heavy boots had smashed the flora and imprinted the muck below. A rough count set the number of travelers at somewhere between five and ten, heavily armored or heavily burdened humanoids.
Soldiers, no doubt.
The warlock turned to the east and began the new hunt.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The three individuals huddled in front of the Lady Llewyllyn. They had never before been in the grand bedroom. That, coupled with her mood, made each of the three huddle inwards as if they were afraid to touch anything.
“Do you understand?” She queried while twirling a golden curl around her long finger.
“Yes, milady,” Spinum replied. “I am to escort these two back to Mialee’s home. Once safely delivered, I am to return posthaste.”
“Precisely.”
“And what have we done to invoke your wrath?” spit Mialee. “I have only heard good rumor of your estate. Never have I heard it said that the Ladies Llewyllyn have a mood as changeable as the weather!”
Gold’s finger shot out, pointing its perfectly manicured nail at Mialee’s chest. “Like it or not, child, before yesterday our gracious natures have never been betrayed by welcomed guests.”
“I had nothing to do with that,” she murmured.
“No, you did not. But, if you would like to stay and incur the same punishment as the others, be my guest.” The elf pulled her lips together, silencing her dissent. “Good.
“Now, the child is to accompany you because there are no human lands where she will be safe. Spinum will travel with you, to assure your safety.”
“Humans are not allowed in our village,” Mialee blurted.
Gold’s eyebrow arched. “You will welcome him as my Emissary. And that is even if he wishes to sleep in those so-called homes of yours, those silly little huts hidden amongst the boughs of the trees!” Mialee cowered, her face contorted into a look of shock that the Lady had been to her home. A human!
“Spinum may prefer to sleep amongst the dwarves,” Lady Llewyllyn added. “Stubborn though they may be, they probably have a firmer grasp on reality than you elves!”
Silence spread across the gathering as moods both simmered and cooled.
“Preferably,” Gold added as she turned back to the mage, “You will not stay in the village. I need you back here immediately.”
“Yes, milady.”
“To begin your apprenticeship.”
Spinum’s eyes opened wide. He felt his cheeks flush. Respectfully, he bowed his head.
“Now go.” The three stood and left the Lady’s room. As her door shut, Gold removed the cloth that covered the mirror. “And how did I do, mother?”
“Magnificently.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rhynos leaned the man against a nearby tree without as much as a sound. The soldiers had stationed only one guard on duty at a time. And as always, Rhynos had been the better of his prey. The difficulty, in this instance, was to kill and position the soldier without his heavy armor waking the others.
When they did awake, they would see only a companion that fell asleep and did not survive the trip to the world of the wakeful. Rhynos had taken extra precaution, leaving no mark upon the fellow.
In the morning, they would continue on, all the slower if they decided to salvage any gear. The following night, Rhynos would catch up.
One by one, they would all die.
The last few would know true terror.
And Rhynos would finally meet the man he had tried to hunt down more than two decades before.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
General Note: Okay, this finishes the brief Interlude chapter. I’m taking the rest of the week off from writing SHs (I’ve got homework to catch up on). Next Monday, you’ll see me in the Valus: Heroes of Marchford SH again.
~Fune
HalfOrc HalfBiscuit
Adventurer
Funeris said:
Shocking! Can't you come up with a better excuse than that!
I'll be waiting ...
TheYeti1775
Adventurer
HalfOrc HalfBiscuit said:Shocking! Can't you come up with a better excuse than that!
I'll be waiting ...
I'll let him get away with it this time, mainly because the next few chapters of Marchford are jammed pack full of ...... and ..... and then the ....... with the .......
Well you wouldn't want me to spoil it would you.
Yeti
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