Under A Darksun: PART I SEGMENTS 1-124
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megamania
Hero
UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 030
“Ill Winds Part I”
“What is it merchant’s daughter?” questions with demand Keela. She turns to look in the general direction of Jocasta site. Gith. “They use the ruins also for shelter! We must destroy them to survive!”, the templar demands. She waves the 2 ½ giants, Keg and Zeg, forward and the four surviving fighters follow.
Suddenly several fireballs erupt within the masses of the gith. A battle has broken out. Jocasta holds back trying to see through the rising sand that seems to be attacking them. She can not identify the small but welcomed force but can count roughly a score of swarming fighters armed with swords coming down the opposite face of the sandy valley. “This is getting out of hand,” Jocasta mumbles under her voice.
Jocasta holds back staying on the sand dune. She is injured and poorly prepared spell-wise for this campaign. “What can I do to help….? She ponders to herself.
The fighters and ½ Giants race over smoldering burnt and broken bodies of gith to reach the ones that avoided the first fiery explosions. The ½ giants don’t seem to notice or care that a second party is attacking the gith from the opposite side using deadly area effect spells of mass destruction. Suddenly they find themselves surrounded by rising dead gith zombies. “Uh…?”, is all Zeg can say before swinging again.
Keela tries her best to rush with the others into combat but finds she can not keep up with them. Then to her right she sees a large gith wearing crude tortoise armor wielding a glowing sword. She rushes towards him believing (correctly) that he is a leader or possible chieftain.
They trade swings testing each other before committing to mortal combat.
The winds pick up speed and grit.
SEGMENT 030
“Ill Winds Part I”
“What is it merchant’s daughter?” questions with demand Keela. She turns to look in the general direction of Jocasta site. Gith. “They use the ruins also for shelter! We must destroy them to survive!”, the templar demands. She waves the 2 ½ giants, Keg and Zeg, forward and the four surviving fighters follow.
Suddenly several fireballs erupt within the masses of the gith. A battle has broken out. Jocasta holds back trying to see through the rising sand that seems to be attacking them. She can not identify the small but welcomed force but can count roughly a score of swarming fighters armed with swords coming down the opposite face of the sandy valley. “This is getting out of hand,” Jocasta mumbles under her voice.
Jocasta holds back staying on the sand dune. She is injured and poorly prepared spell-wise for this campaign. “What can I do to help….? She ponders to herself.
The fighters and ½ Giants race over smoldering burnt and broken bodies of gith to reach the ones that avoided the first fiery explosions. The ½ giants don’t seem to notice or care that a second party is attacking the gith from the opposite side using deadly area effect spells of mass destruction. Suddenly they find themselves surrounded by rising dead gith zombies. “Uh…?”, is all Zeg can say before swinging again.
Keela tries her best to rush with the others into combat but finds she can not keep up with them. Then to her right she sees a large gith wearing crude tortoise armor wielding a glowing sword. She rushes towards him believing (correctly) that he is a leader or possible chieftain.
They trade swings testing each other before committing to mortal combat.
The winds pick up speed and grit.
megamania
Hero
UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 031
“Ill Winds Part II”
“HIT ‘EM BEFORE THEY DEGROUP!” screams Fasston and he begins to ride the sandy avalanche he and 17 warriors have accidentally created by rushing down the sand-covered ruin. Strange he thinks to himself as 5 green beads of brightly glowing elderich energy shot out with a sizzle from behind him. “Two entrances or two separate stone buildings that face each other…? “
The energy reaches the gith that were in groups organized by tribes exploding killing dozens instantly. Sand and burnt bits of gith rain down on survivors whom now face Fasston and his forces. The gith leaders surge forward commanding their remaining troops using intimidation. Those that do not follow their immediate leaders follow the large gith that runs from inside the stone house remains (tomb).
The battle becomes a stalemate quickly. Neither side able to advance. The mages are now attacked but the gith defilers. Flaming spheres roll about forcing the mages and the fighters with bows to spread out and take cover. The wind in their faces makes it very hard for the archers to hit anything. Suddenly web-like strands sprout out of nowhere entangling archers then the fleeing mages. A large black robed figure stares with red eyes from the darkness and sanctuary of the stone house.
The two remaining mages can only realize they are doomed. Their link with the earth strong enough to determine this is a powerful force of evil and defilement before them. They use their last fireballs on it hoping to kill it instantly.
Thus the preservers and defilers commit to a mage duel of mortal combat.
The winds pick up speed and grit.
SEGMENT 031
“Ill Winds Part II”
“HIT ‘EM BEFORE THEY DEGROUP!” screams Fasston and he begins to ride the sandy avalanche he and 17 warriors have accidentally created by rushing down the sand-covered ruin. Strange he thinks to himself as 5 green beads of brightly glowing elderich energy shot out with a sizzle from behind him. “Two entrances or two separate stone buildings that face each other…? “
The energy reaches the gith that were in groups organized by tribes exploding killing dozens instantly. Sand and burnt bits of gith rain down on survivors whom now face Fasston and his forces. The gith leaders surge forward commanding their remaining troops using intimidation. Those that do not follow their immediate leaders follow the large gith that runs from inside the stone house remains (tomb).
The battle becomes a stalemate quickly. Neither side able to advance. The mages are now attacked but the gith defilers. Flaming spheres roll about forcing the mages and the fighters with bows to spread out and take cover. The wind in their faces makes it very hard for the archers to hit anything. Suddenly web-like strands sprout out of nowhere entangling archers then the fleeing mages. A large black robed figure stares with red eyes from the darkness and sanctuary of the stone house.
The two remaining mages can only realize they are doomed. Their link with the earth strong enough to determine this is a powerful force of evil and defilement before them. They use their last fireballs on it hoping to kill it instantly.
Thus the preservers and defilers commit to a mage duel of mortal combat.
The winds pick up speed and grit.
megamania
Hero
UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 032
“Ill Winds Part III”
Reghast is deeply disappointed. The magic he has come to believe emits from his githian artifact can not be found. The coming storm will delay his journey to the next tomb to explore. His centipede familiar crawls from his pocket to his cowl and disappears within its darkness. “Yes Seeteedeenee, we will find it. We will free our people and become a nation. I will be its Sorcerer-king and ruler. All we need to do is find the great Githian tomb.
“Eh….the scouts have seen the two ½ Giants again. We should go to the surface my pet.”
He seems to glide through the darkness instead of walking. He is pained by the dim light that flares before him marking the exit to the surface world. The painful, even deadly, light shows a scene of utter chaos. Before him are gith attacking humans. His defilers are attacking robed mages on the opposite bank using rolling fireballs. The two ½ Giants are visible through the blowing winds. Reghast waves his green thumbless hands and recites arcane words and the dead burnt gith begin to pick themselves up from the sand and crude glass chunks. The ½ Giants turn and see them and turn their attention to them instead of the gith.
A volley of arrows rain into the tomb. Even with the shelter and winds, a few reach their mark. “Raaarrrgh!” The cloaked gith-like creature begins to caste a new spell. Webs burst from the thin air and entrap the archers. A second web entraps two mages.
The strengthening winds obscure more sunlight and the gith sorcerer seem to grow stronger…..
SEGMENT 032
“Ill Winds Part III”
Reghast is deeply disappointed. The magic he has come to believe emits from his githian artifact can not be found. The coming storm will delay his journey to the next tomb to explore. His centipede familiar crawls from his pocket to his cowl and disappears within its darkness. “Yes Seeteedeenee, we will find it. We will free our people and become a nation. I will be its Sorcerer-king and ruler. All we need to do is find the great Githian tomb.
“Eh….the scouts have seen the two ½ Giants again. We should go to the surface my pet.”
He seems to glide through the darkness instead of walking. He is pained by the dim light that flares before him marking the exit to the surface world. The painful, even deadly, light shows a scene of utter chaos. Before him are gith attacking humans. His defilers are attacking robed mages on the opposite bank using rolling fireballs. The two ½ Giants are visible through the blowing winds. Reghast waves his green thumbless hands and recites arcane words and the dead burnt gith begin to pick themselves up from the sand and crude glass chunks. The ½ Giants turn and see them and turn their attention to them instead of the gith.
A volley of arrows rain into the tomb. Even with the shelter and winds, a few reach their mark. “Raaarrrgh!” The cloaked gith-like creature begins to caste a new spell. Webs burst from the thin air and entrap the archers. A second web entraps two mages.
The strengthening winds obscure more sunlight and the gith sorcerer seem to grow stronger…..
megamania
Hero
UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 033
“Ill Winds Part IV”
“I’m not going to ask where you found these healing potions and items of magic….”, Dutch says to Dogg before gulping down the fluid.
“I have never seen anything like this before.”, Mania looks at his magical fluid, “I never knew magic could be held within fluid.”
“Older magic was done this way…before mages found it easier to use fruit and food stuffs to contain their magic. My cell lea…my limited recollection of magic theories suggest it has something to do with how food, fruit especially, is grown from the earth where the power comes to give magic.” Dogg sheepishly says before turning away and drinking his potion.
“Do you feel that Dogg?…”, Dutch rises his nose as if to smell deeply the air. “We are near an exit….very near.”
They rummage through the collected bundles and goods a bit more. Various weapons are found that are quickly strapped on. Books and maps written in either code or an ancient language are found. Dogg takes a few of these as well.
They move forward following the fresh air. The need for a torch is gone as flickering torches lit the way out. “The flames are waving….a strong wind is building.”, comments Dutch.
Then dim daylight can be seen from a cracked open door. Dutch moves forward but stops in horror. “Defilers!” He is staring at fungus that withers and dies abruptly. The sound of battle is heard now when the wind dies down.
Quietly, the three move to the door and see a robed figure very busily casting spells. Several green beads of energy arc towards him. Dogg pulls Dutch and Mania back as ripples of magical fire claw suddenly from outside. “Fireball” whispers Dogg. His leg is smoldering but unharmed.
Dutch and Mania both now charge out and strike the robed figure. It drops to a knee. Turns to face them and Mania is fully repulsed. Centipedes crawl and wither about his face as if it were a second skin. Suddenly- he falls apart into the form of 1000’s of centipedes and rushes like a wave over Dogg and into the darkness.
Mania is about to become sick when he sees they are not alone. Jocasta is fighting a gith defiler and losing.
SEGMENT 033
“Ill Winds Part IV”
“I’m not going to ask where you found these healing potions and items of magic….”, Dutch says to Dogg before gulping down the fluid.
“I have never seen anything like this before.”, Mania looks at his magical fluid, “I never knew magic could be held within fluid.”
“Older magic was done this way…before mages found it easier to use fruit and food stuffs to contain their magic. My cell lea…my limited recollection of magic theories suggest it has something to do with how food, fruit especially, is grown from the earth where the power comes to give magic.” Dogg sheepishly says before turning away and drinking his potion.
“Do you feel that Dogg?…”, Dutch rises his nose as if to smell deeply the air. “We are near an exit….very near.”
They rummage through the collected bundles and goods a bit more. Various weapons are found that are quickly strapped on. Books and maps written in either code or an ancient language are found. Dogg takes a few of these as well.
They move forward following the fresh air. The need for a torch is gone as flickering torches lit the way out. “The flames are waving….a strong wind is building.”, comments Dutch.
Then dim daylight can be seen from a cracked open door. Dutch moves forward but stops in horror. “Defilers!” He is staring at fungus that withers and dies abruptly. The sound of battle is heard now when the wind dies down.
Quietly, the three move to the door and see a robed figure very busily casting spells. Several green beads of energy arc towards him. Dogg pulls Dutch and Mania back as ripples of magical fire claw suddenly from outside. “Fireball” whispers Dogg. His leg is smoldering but unharmed.
Dutch and Mania both now charge out and strike the robed figure. It drops to a knee. Turns to face them and Mania is fully repulsed. Centipedes crawl and wither about his face as if it were a second skin. Suddenly- he falls apart into the form of 1000’s of centipedes and rushes like a wave over Dogg and into the darkness.
Mania is about to become sick when he sees they are not alone. Jocasta is fighting a gith defiler and losing.
megamania
Hero
UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 034
“Ill Winds Redirecting”
Dutch and Mania rush to her side. Mania misses in his frantic attempt to strike down the Gith defiler. Dutch, however, strikes clean and drop the vile creature. Dogg rushes out of the tomb door as he finds 1000’s of centipedes skittering over his feet. His fear is overwhelming and he can not fight it.
The winds pick up strength. Pieces of the burnt then cut and crushed gith warriors roll and tumble on the sand. The webbed slave tribe members and mages give in as the sand covers them and cuts off their access to air.
The surviving templar forces gather around Keela and make for the main tomb entrance. She uses the ½ Giants as a moving wall to protect her skin from the sand blasting winds.
Soon everyone is in the protection of the tomb’s columned entrance. Surviving are Dutch, Mania, Dogg and Jocasta. Keela has her two ½ giants and four warriors (of 10) remaining. Fasston came with five preservers and 20 warriors lead by two leaders. Only two mages survive and only 6 of the slave tribe members make it in.
“The winds are strong…we will be lucky if we are only trapped here for a day”, replies the watchful Dutch to Fasston. “Aye…. And wonder how long the templar will survive…?”, he says turning away.
The first chamber inside is large. Keela and her forces move to one side; the slave tribe to another, leaving the House of Blewes members to their own side. Only Fasston and Jocasta move around. He tries to help any he can and she then heals the rest using the powers of the Elements.
“I hate to bring this up but didn’t that centipede guy go into here?” asks quietly Mania to Dutch and Dogg.
“Perhaps it will face a moving statue also.”, grumbles Dogg. Dogg so hates sandstorms. The sand gets into everything…absolutely everything. “We should try to get more of these torches relite.” Both Dogg and Mania take burning torches and move to other unlit ones to reignite them.
As Mania moves about he can not help but notice the templar forces. ½ Giants. They are so large! Each stands over 10 feet tall and has a wrist as large as Mania’s thigh. He has heard several stories of these creatures. One story suggests Nibenay has 1000 of these creatures in it’s military. If so- no wonder everyone fears them as they do. They seem extremely loyal to the warrior in their midst.
He moves towards them to light the single torch not lit. The warrior watches him. He turns to the warrior- “I am Mania. I work within the House of Blewes. You are….?”, he asks.
“Keela Bannartck, of the noble family Bannartck of Nibenay, Wife to Nibenay, Sorcerer-king of Nibenay.” she replies as she removes the faceplate from her helmet. She smiles at the young man and gives him a nod of acknowledgement and introduction. “Greene has chosen a good boy in you.”
Mania- surprised the warrior is one- a female and two- a templar snaps out of it when referred to being a boy. “I am no mere boy- I am a man….er..”, He realizes just how stupid he sounded and puts his head down and prepares to move on.
Keela notices Jocasta’s keen interest in their interaction. She recalls how she was searching for lost members here. The search seemed more personal than professional. The boy was cute…. A cruel and delightful thought crosses over her mind. Revenge is best when strikes within the core was a family motto, one of many, now she understood it.
“Could you help me out this heavy armor?” She asks. Two of her warriors move forward but she stops them with a wave of her hand. “Could you Mania?”, she asks with a smile a succubus would envy having. “Begin with my breast plate please..” Mania suddenly realizes he stopped breathing for a moment then without the slightest bit of hesitation begins to undress her from her armor.
“The Bi---!” Jocasta mutters sharply as she mends a burn on a mage’s arm. The mage sees it and understands it completely without a second glance.
“Do not blame the boy Jocasta Blewes,” Utto says with the greatest composure, “That is her greatest weapon. He can not fight that which he doesn’t see or comprehend. He will see it eventually and that is when he should be judged. Give him time to see you for you.”
“What do you imply! I see nothing in him. He is but a boy!” She replies with her face down aggressively applying the salve to the burns on his leg. “It doesn’t matter to me.” She says quietly.
Fasston and Dogg give each other a nod. Fasston knows it has to be this way. There are agents of the sorcerer-king here. He would kill them but is tired and may need the strength of the ½ Giants to dig out once the storm ends. Fasston notes that Dutch seems preoccupied with a doorway leading deeper into the tomb. He is staring at so much that it seems like a style of meditation. He walks to Dogg and says something to him. Both then bring extra torches to the door and leave them there lit.
Noting Fasston’s attention. Dutch goes to him and the Preservers. “The creature we struck was no gith…nor was it alive. It was an undead I have never encountered before. Very powerful and dangerous.
“What can we do?”, asks Dazzion, the other surviving mage. Many of our spells are used up. Most of the warriors are dead or too injured to fight further.”
“Like many undead, this one found light harmful. We need to keep the doorway lit the entire time we are here.” Dutch looks about. Except for the templar section, he had become the leader of this group of survivors. It was not a welcomed station. He preferred to be on his own or in a very small group. It was then he saw Jocasta and her source of distraction. Mania was within the templar group. Talking to her like a friend.
Both Dogg and himself had revealed too much to the unproven boy while in the tombs. If he was to pass this to the templar not only could their lives be in danger but also Greene’s life.
SEGMENT 034
“Ill Winds Redirecting”
Dutch and Mania rush to her side. Mania misses in his frantic attempt to strike down the Gith defiler. Dutch, however, strikes clean and drop the vile creature. Dogg rushes out of the tomb door as he finds 1000’s of centipedes skittering over his feet. His fear is overwhelming and he can not fight it.
The winds pick up strength. Pieces of the burnt then cut and crushed gith warriors roll and tumble on the sand. The webbed slave tribe members and mages give in as the sand covers them and cuts off their access to air.
The surviving templar forces gather around Keela and make for the main tomb entrance. She uses the ½ Giants as a moving wall to protect her skin from the sand blasting winds.
Soon everyone is in the protection of the tomb’s columned entrance. Surviving are Dutch, Mania, Dogg and Jocasta. Keela has her two ½ giants and four warriors (of 10) remaining. Fasston came with five preservers and 20 warriors lead by two leaders. Only two mages survive and only 6 of the slave tribe members make it in.
“The winds are strong…we will be lucky if we are only trapped here for a day”, replies the watchful Dutch to Fasston. “Aye…. And wonder how long the templar will survive…?”, he says turning away.
The first chamber inside is large. Keela and her forces move to one side; the slave tribe to another, leaving the House of Blewes members to their own side. Only Fasston and Jocasta move around. He tries to help any he can and she then heals the rest using the powers of the Elements.
“I hate to bring this up but didn’t that centipede guy go into here?” asks quietly Mania to Dutch and Dogg.
“Perhaps it will face a moving statue also.”, grumbles Dogg. Dogg so hates sandstorms. The sand gets into everything…absolutely everything. “We should try to get more of these torches relite.” Both Dogg and Mania take burning torches and move to other unlit ones to reignite them.
As Mania moves about he can not help but notice the templar forces. ½ Giants. They are so large! Each stands over 10 feet tall and has a wrist as large as Mania’s thigh. He has heard several stories of these creatures. One story suggests Nibenay has 1000 of these creatures in it’s military. If so- no wonder everyone fears them as they do. They seem extremely loyal to the warrior in their midst.
He moves towards them to light the single torch not lit. The warrior watches him. He turns to the warrior- “I am Mania. I work within the House of Blewes. You are….?”, he asks.
“Keela Bannartck, of the noble family Bannartck of Nibenay, Wife to Nibenay, Sorcerer-king of Nibenay.” she replies as she removes the faceplate from her helmet. She smiles at the young man and gives him a nod of acknowledgement and introduction. “Greene has chosen a good boy in you.”
Mania- surprised the warrior is one- a female and two- a templar snaps out of it when referred to being a boy. “I am no mere boy- I am a man….er..”, He realizes just how stupid he sounded and puts his head down and prepares to move on.
Keela notices Jocasta’s keen interest in their interaction. She recalls how she was searching for lost members here. The search seemed more personal than professional. The boy was cute…. A cruel and delightful thought crosses over her mind. Revenge is best when strikes within the core was a family motto, one of many, now she understood it.
“Could you help me out this heavy armor?” She asks. Two of her warriors move forward but she stops them with a wave of her hand. “Could you Mania?”, she asks with a smile a succubus would envy having. “Begin with my breast plate please..” Mania suddenly realizes he stopped breathing for a moment then without the slightest bit of hesitation begins to undress her from her armor.
“The Bi---!” Jocasta mutters sharply as she mends a burn on a mage’s arm. The mage sees it and understands it completely without a second glance.
“Do not blame the boy Jocasta Blewes,” Utto says with the greatest composure, “That is her greatest weapon. He can not fight that which he doesn’t see or comprehend. He will see it eventually and that is when he should be judged. Give him time to see you for you.”
“What do you imply! I see nothing in him. He is but a boy!” She replies with her face down aggressively applying the salve to the burns on his leg. “It doesn’t matter to me.” She says quietly.
Fasston and Dogg give each other a nod. Fasston knows it has to be this way. There are agents of the sorcerer-king here. He would kill them but is tired and may need the strength of the ½ Giants to dig out once the storm ends. Fasston notes that Dutch seems preoccupied with a doorway leading deeper into the tomb. He is staring at so much that it seems like a style of meditation. He walks to Dogg and says something to him. Both then bring extra torches to the door and leave them there lit.
Noting Fasston’s attention. Dutch goes to him and the Preservers. “The creature we struck was no gith…nor was it alive. It was an undead I have never encountered before. Very powerful and dangerous.
“What can we do?”, asks Dazzion, the other surviving mage. Many of our spells are used up. Most of the warriors are dead or too injured to fight further.”
“Like many undead, this one found light harmful. We need to keep the doorway lit the entire time we are here.” Dutch looks about. Except for the templar section, he had become the leader of this group of survivors. It was not a welcomed station. He preferred to be on his own or in a very small group. It was then he saw Jocasta and her source of distraction. Mania was within the templar group. Talking to her like a friend.
Both Dogg and himself had revealed too much to the unproven boy while in the tombs. If he was to pass this to the templar not only could their lives be in danger but also Greene’s life.
