Under A Darksun: PART I SEGMENTS 1-124

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 083
“The Escape”

Mania had come around. He was quite embarrassed by his emotional breakdown. He was starting to think something was wrong with him. Men are not supposed to sure strong emotions- and to cry! The Pyreen Kara had coaxed him into calming down and focusing on his memories that had been stirred by her.

“You are older than you think Mania. You look and think you are 18 summers old but in truth you are older. You are closer to 50 years old. A by-product of your parent’s unique conditions. Your mother was in the resistance. She was trying to stop the rulers of the city-states from becoming more powerful. It was during this time she met and fell in love with a man known as Victor Parcellbonacus. In was the beginning of the end for the Resistance.

Unknown to her or any of the other members, Victor was in truth the very Sorcerer-King they were trying to dethrone. Using your mother, he learned the names and activities of the Resistance members. Once he felt he had all the information he needed, he killed your mother and crushed the Resistance. Unknown to him, he had fostered a child. During one of his extended leaves, your mother carried and birthed you. At the time of birth, the Resistance had just learned of who Victor truly was. Even as he arrived back to the secret building they called home, I and several other allies of the Resistance escaped. In my arms was a bundle. That bundle was you. We could hear him shout then there was a terrible explosion. Only here came out.

Rumors spread of you within the Resistance. It was believed you were the Chosen One. A human borne of something greater than human. You would be the perfect human. You would be stronger, faster and smarter than the average human. It was suspected you would have powers of the Will and the Way. Perhaps as great as your mother and father. You were to become a Champion.

To keep you safe, we secreted you to a small village far to the north of Tesh. You were brought up to know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong. We checked yearly on you and the village. You did indeed grow to be all we expected…and much more. Though very old, we had a powerful Seer come to you once. It would be the last time we would visit you.

The Seer saw visions of you. You lead armies. There was blood shed and destruction. There was a horrible war. Undead walked the valley freely. She screamed out and before passing away said you were to be a force of destruction. She could not give further details. It was too great for her.

My elders had a long summit at Pyreen Grove to the far west. Many felt you should be destroyed. You were afterall…the son of a Sorcerer-King. Others argued the influence of your mother. She was a powerful psion and knew much about magic theory. Perhaps her essence was stronger. And yet others felt you would decide. You were the final master of your fate.

You see, the visions told never said you started the war, created the undead or were evil. Perhaps you were a force of good…or at least change.

We decided to allow you to live and fate would decide. Many of the younger pyreen, myself included, disobeyed our leader and her laws. We would still check on you. When the Dragon of Tyr struck your village, we thought the visions were blown out of perspective. But you lived. The visions had to be true. You have a destiny and I can only hope it is a destiny for good.”

Five minutes go by as Mania and Cosa take this in. It would crush the mind of most men. To learn he was the child of a Sorcerer-King and destined to be a leader in a bloody destructive war. That he was aging very slowly because magic and/or psionic residue is in his blood.

A hard deep breath is let go. One he didn’t know he was holding. Mania looks up. A new light in his eyes. One not there before. One that makes Kara uncertain if it was wise to tell him what she knew of him.

“So…Where do I go from here?” He says a queer look on his face. Was he still mentally stable? Who could know…until he acts.

 

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 084
“New Allies”

“Oh well that was expected. Mr. –too old for me to hit- says no to me but allows the two of you in.”

Mania and Cosa look to the doorway and see the song writer before them. Though completely annoyed, she has a big smile on her face.

“I thought you had left already” comments Cosa.

“No, I’m still looking for song, adventure and legendary characters. Two out of three isn’t bad. Still looking for adventure however. How about you Mania?” she says looking directly him.

“You are mistaken. Thankyou for the compliment. It is not everyday one is compared to the all-mighty, handsome hero of the free world.”

A quiet gasp of air escapes him as Cosa elbows him again. “If you please, we have work to do.”

The bard steps aside and gives a bow. A knowing smile on her face the entire time. She leaves after watching the couple go down the street into the growing crowd. The old man steps inside. He looks at the pyreen with concern. “Yes, she will be troublesome but not in the way you expect.” Says Kara. She then smiles and turns back to her retreat.

Mania and Cosa see some activity ahead. They move into the crowd and see a ½ Giant lying on the ground. He is asleep and several elves are circling him. Mania is not amused. The elves see him as both amusement and a means of money. While three of them are mocking the sleeping giant, a fourth elf is working the crowd. Worse yet, Mania recognizes the of tribe of one elf. He belongs to the elven tribe that “rescued” him a short month or so ago. He turns to tell Cosa this but can not find her. “uh-oh!”

Suddenly one elf yells and begins to scratch and claw at his clothes. The other two stare in bewilderment. They then see that the ½ giant has awoken. “uh-oh!”

“Ahhhh! Dirty Elves!” He yells and sits up quickly. His 10ft frame allows him to stare into the eyes of many of the watchers in the circle. The first elf is now running away tearing off clothes still yelping in pain. The two by the ½ giant give him more room but maintain their distractionary tactics. The fourth has stopped picking pockets and now is searching for the cause of the new disruption.

Cosa.

Both can see her wriggling her fingers in hair as if to scratch at an itch. In truth, she is tickling the first elf and effectivly driving him crazy. She has not seen the rogue. Nor his Widow’s Bite. Mania sees the short poisoned blade favored by several elven tribes in his hand. Mania trys to do something he never has before. He trys to mentally engage another person, another mind. In works in that the rogue is no longer targeting her. He now targets Mania.

With his eyes closed trying to concentrate, Mania appears to be an easy target. The rogue positions himself then strikes! “Ahhh!” Mania grasps his hand holding the knife before it hits him. “Boo!” The rogue runs dropping his knife. Mania steps onto it covering it up. As people move their attention from the elf to him he simply shrugs and acts as if he is watching the ½ Giant.

“Ahhh! Goes away! Yells the ½ Giant. Seeing their leader, the rogue, has fled, they do likewise. A satisfided smile crosses the large humaniod’s face.

Cosa returns to Mania’s side. “Him?”

“Yes. I know the elves that he was contending with. We need to help him and in return he can help us.”

Cosa notices the change in Mania. Is he accepting his destiny finally?

The crowd disperses leaving the ½ Giant alone. He looks at his bags and finds several things missing. “Darn theiving elves” he grumbles. Then he sees a tall long shadow before. “Back for more…?” He looks and sees Mania.

“Hello. My name to Scot. What is your name?”

“Ugh…” The ½ Giant looks hard at Mania trying to decide if he is a new threat. Then a big toothy grin grows on his face. "Named Stonecrusher. Some call me Stone. Others Crusher. Hmmm. Some even Stonecrusher."

“Hungry?”

“Yeah!”

After thirty minutes of food consumption and Mania reliezing how expensive feeding him would be they agree to help each other.

During this time Cosa is searching for a cleric. They were going to need one…may two or three. She traveled far and wide hitting every camp and tavern but finds none. Discouraged, she goes back to the agreed meeting place. Unknown to her, the ½ elf bard is following her.

Stonecrusher and his new bestest friend- Scot, are waiting just inside the cavern where Salt View is hidden. “Oh pretty lady. You go with us to find goodies?” Cosa shots a look at Mania. He was not susposed to tell him where they were going! Not until outside of the tent city anyway.

Stonecrusher growls suddenly and menencily. Mania and Cosa follow his eyes to a spot hidden in shadows. “I mean no harm.” Comes a soft elven voice. Out steps a dirty and dusty elf dressed in robes of a drab dull color. “I am Dessantee. I could not help but hear you speak of your journey. I too wish to go there.”

Cosa looks him over and sees he has an emblem depicting either sand or silt. Could he be…a cleric? Mania looks at him and is uncertain about him. However, he knows his encounters with elves may be making him distrustful of them. He decides to listen to him. Stonecrusher stares hard at the elf whom ignores him.

“I would offer my abilities and talents in return of a fair share of anything…found while we look for your desired goods. I am quite aquainted with the area as it is covered by inland silt seas.”

Still uncertain whether to trust him, Mania decides to continue the conversation in a more well lit area where he can see if he has any friends with him.



The unlikely foursome make camp just outside of the area. They can watch the tent-city without being within it or pay to be within it. Each person takes a turn watching over the others. Whether the elf knows or not is uncertain, but Mania never sleeps during his watch. Cosa seems to be trusting him but Stonecrusher obviously dosen’t and he is uncertain to or not.

During Mania’s watch he sees a figure walk up the camp boldly. It is the bard.

“Hello”

“Hello songwriter. Nice night for a walk. Keep walking.”

“You know ‘Scot’, that is your name right? You know, I figure you to be either Mania or his fun lovin’ twin. I’m figuring Mania personally. So much so, that if you don’t allow me to travel with you, I’ll go back to Salt View and tell everyone that Mania is here and going into Bodach to find an artifact.”

 

[Corwyn]

A group is a forming

 

[megamania]

and what a group it will turn out to be!

 

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 085
“Death from Above”

“Must you play that instrument of pain?” Complained the elf to the ½ elf.

“You do not like the harmonica my dusty cleric?” Replies Glaze in a charming and sweet smile.

“Though I enjoy the sound of it, it would be better to save it for later. The sound carries.”

Stonecrusher slows down once it occurs to him that the music has stopped. “Stone like music. Music make Stone Happy.” Says the ½ Giant.

It has been an unusual first three hours of travel thus far. Cosa and Mania are not use to traveling with strangers. Especially strangers with no purpose or reason to be together than possible…fame, riches, fun and who knows what the elf wants. Still, it has not been bad.

“How do you fare Cosa?” asks the elf. “I hope traveling by day is not too much for you. I do it occasionally but find the travel under moonlight better.”

Cosa realizes now that perhaps he was right. Travel in the salt is hard on one’s eyes and exposed skin by day. However, creatures and marauders are more active by night. She doesn’t want to trust the elf but may need to consider his ideas more in the future. The trip was beginning to show the most on Stonecrusher. His great bulk made desert travel difficult and hard to cover his body to avoid sun exposure. He was already very red from the sun.

Perhaps the elf could help him a bit when they rest. Assuming the ½ giant would allow it. Stonecrusher had an obvious dislike or distrust of the elf. She assumed it was due to how many elves had treated him in Salt View. Or perhaps, like some animals, he could sense something that could not be seen. She would a spell or two in reserve just in case.

She slowed down her pace to meet with Mania whom was watching the back. “You have been quiet lately. A ceramic bit for your thoughts?”

Taking her hand into his, he smiles and makes eye contact with her. “Just looking at the group. It somewhat resembles the atypical adventuring group. Stonecrusher the ½ Giant fighter is the brute strength of the team. Glaze is a joyful ½ elf songwriter looking for adventure and fame. Dessantee is the mysterious elven cleric of Silt. You are a mage with talents to get things lost or required from others.”

“You forgot yourself, a man of mystery with talented psionic fighting abilities in the search for his past.”

“Perhaps Glaze is right. This sounds like a story in the making. Kind of funny.”

“Almost as funny as Scot. Quite the name.” Cosa says smiling.

“It was on the spur of the moment- give me a break.”

The day burns away and gives to night. The elf hesitates only slightly to aid the ½ Giant with his sunburn. Stonecrusher snarls but gives in as the burning heat on his shoulders and arms begin to ease away. Glaze hums a merry tune as food is divided up for the evening meal. Mania somehow feels…content. Cosa makes sure her belongings are still there before settling in for the night.

Based on the map The Silent One gave them, they were still North of the Silt Basins that surrounded the ruins of Bodach. Tomorrow they would begin to go SE following the silt inland sea. The elf’s knowledge of Silt would be useful during this dangerous time.

The watch began with the elf. Then came Mania’s turn.

“Why is it always my watch?” he asked himself as he could hear a soft buzz from nearby. Listening more carefully, he decided it was coming from the silt basin. There were three large flying things headed in their general direction. Suddenly, out of the silt a large serpent like creature shot up and a loud crunch could be heard as it bite into the flying creature. Serpent and flyer strike the silt with a puff of dry silt and sink out of sight. So amazed by the sight he nearly forgot that two flyers remained.

He hesitated awakening the group. Most everyone was tired from the first day of walking. He didn’t want to wake anyone unless it was required. The creatures flew by about 100ft away. He guessed them to be some sort of giant fly with a tuberous mouth. Perhaps they were hungry and looking for rotten fruit. He sat back down and waited for Glaze to awaken.

She was watching the stars and saying something to herself. He couldn’t pick it up enough to understand. She continued working out song lyrics in her mind until it was Crusher’s turn. Stonecrusher was in a truly great mood having been relieved of his burnt skin and blurry vision. He had a long drink of water before sitting down. He looked at the stars and at the two moons. A childlike smile of awe and wonder crosses his face then he goes about trying to draw the stars and moons in the sand.

A gentle buzz comes from behind him. He continues to draw Ral in the sand, salt and silt mix before him. The noise becomes louder. Everyone is sleeping through the buzz but one. Mania sticks a finger in his ear trying to clear it of the noise. He rolls over then suddenly shots to his feet “GET UP EVERYONE!”. Crusher jumps.

The two flyers are coming directly at the party. They seem to be directing their attention on the party. Mania grabs his large club thinking its reach would be better against these flyers. Crusher looks at the giant flies trying to decide if they are a threat to him. The flies make it clear that they are as one attacks him. It tries to bite at him for his blood and moisture but he fends it off by rolling like a giant fleshy boulder out of the camp. The fly follows him. The other fly hovers over the party trying to decide as a fly would, which target would be the tastiest, to a fly that is. Cosa awakens but doesn’t see the cause of commotion. She is looking along the ground. The others toss and turn a bit before opening their eyes. Glaze screams out as the fly has seemly decided she would be the tastiest.

Mania glows softly as he leaps up and swats the bug. A loud audible crunch is heard as his magical great club breaks it’s thick shell and damages the innards. It flies out of control as a wing spasm and it hits the sand. Dessantee reaches for his club and hefts it. His dark brown hair hiding his eyes from view.
The Giant fly tries to walk out of the camp before further attacks occur. Cosa now sees the cause of the panic and recognizes that Mania has it under control. She decides to see how Glaze and the elf handle themselves instead. Where’s the ½ Giant?

Stonecrusher rolls onto a dune then down its face. The Giant Beastfly follows him the whole way down. At the bottom, he rises to his full height of over ten feet tall. “Leave…me…alone!” He swings at it with his hands missing the first few times then he lands a solid hit. Its shell is crushed and a wing breaks off as it sails over the edge of the dune. It hits the sand and finds itself helpless on its back.

Stonecrusher tries to climb up the dune but it just shifts under his great feet. “Eh?” is all his mind can fathom. After three tries, he backs up to the other side and tries a running start. Again, he is stopped by the shifting sands. “No like sand!” he bellows. Cosa and Glaze move to the edge. They call to him to calm him down. Mania circles around to lead the gentle giant out of the sand dune.

The elf just stands there. His eyes burning with emotion are hidden behind his thick strands of hair.

 

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 086
“Day Two”

It took a few hours, but Dessantee and Mania have located a shaded area to rest and stay by daytime. They will try traveling at night to avoid the desert heat. A large rock outcropping provides shade and some shelter from the wind. During the search, Mania reinspected the elf. He was tall, as per his race; he had a long billowing robe and cloak. The cloak was designed to cover his face in case of sandstorms. Most of his material goods where hidden under the robe and cloak. He had a club. Mania knew that from the brief show of defiance he had against the giant insects.

Why did he distrust the elf so much? Because Cosa doesn’t trust him? Because Stonecrusher outright growls at him? His greatest fear is because of his race. Mania feared being judged with his father. He didn’t want to be just as guilty of judging one wrongly. He was better than that…right?

It was a long delay. Everyone was restless. Glaze played her flute this time. She chimed in with a poem about a dwarf and his focus on completing a task asked of him by a town leader. It was in good humor and everyone laughed. Even Stonecrusher whom laughed more since the others were.

Mania felt bad for the ½ Giant. He was dim witted but not stupid. He just didn’t understand much of anything. He was much like a 10-foot tall super strong child. In that way, Mania was envious. Crusher was happy so long as the others were. He didn’t understand that they could die fighting undead. All he knew is he had new friends and they asked for his help. Mania hoped he wasn’t subconsciencely using the big guy.

Glaze was something else. She rarely didn’t have a smile and twinkle in her eyes. She was fun to be around. Mania liked her. Cosa knew this. He hoped they wouldn’t avoid being friends because of this. Women. He was certain that he would never figure them out during his lifetime.

With the sun finally setting, everyone picked up their gear and headed out. The ½ Giant led as directed by the elf behind him. Cosa was in the middle watching the elf. Glaze and Mania followed in the rear. Once she felt the others were out of earshot Glaze began to speak softly to Mania.

“I know it is Bodach we go to but why? Is it to search for an artifact? Is it to retrieve something for The Silent One?”

Rising his eyebrows and sighing, Mania gives in and says this to her. “Cosa and I go to Bodach for unclear reasons. The Silent One is knowledgeable. She wants us to come here. She feels once here we will know what to do. I seek…for my past to find the future. Cosa seeks for items of the past that tells of the future. Weird isn’t it. We seem compelled to go backwards to go forward.

“Drop 10 and punt. It was a term I once heard in a unique gladiator game in Urik. I think I understand. It will make a wondrous story.”

“About that…do you have to tell everyone who I am and what I am? There are things I may learn about myself that I don’t want to know. It would be worse to tell every city-state from Balic to Urik. There are people, evil people, whom would kill me and use others to further punish and torture me. This is no party we are going to.”

Stiffening up and looking proper and serious Glaze begins to recall what she knows of the famed and doomed city.

“Bodach city of the dead. Said to have been the richest city in Tyr Valley until something awful happened 100’s even 1000’s of years ago. A great war between defilers and preservers raged. The demi-humans were targeted within the war. Bodach was one of the first great war zones. Magic and psionics were unleashed and killed everyone. But everyone is not resting in death. Now they are undead. They are protecting their city and it’s secrets.”

“Ah com’on! Lighten up Mania…Scot. The stories I create and tell give people hope and a sense of being. It has to be good. Templars chase us out of the cities on sight. Except for Nibenay. Oh Course there you must sing and play what they want. Most people don’t know that.”

Mania looks at her and can’t help but to smile. “You are something else Glaze.”

They talk in silence for several more hours. Then they see Dessantee wave them into a patch of piled rocks. “The brute saw it first. Look there- to the west.” Mania looks and sees nothing then he spots it. “What is that mammoth?”

“A Cloud Ray. To be safe we should stay here for awhile. We are not equipped to deal with such a creature should it see us.”

The enormous creature seems to float on the air and the wind currents. It is flat with large flap growing from its main body; a tail that looks barbed and dangerous trails behind it. It is big…too damn big. They hide a while longer after it has gone.

Mania is certain that in the daylight they would have been seen. “Okay, one for the elf.” Thinks Mania.

 

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 087
“Unique Sand Storm”

It has been three days of walking on hot, stinging salt now but now they begin to walk on sand. It is just as hot, just as hard to walk on and though it doesn’t sting as much, it gets into everything. Stonecrusher seems to have the greatest bit of difficulty. His enormous size and weight makes it hard for him to climb up the shifting sand dune and when he goes down the dune it often is on a wave of sand. I am sure he doesn’t care for it, but the party insists he travel 20 yards ahead of them in fear of a sandy wave engulfing everyone.

Much like the salt plains, there appears to be little life here. There are an occasional cacti, large rock or bone remains that give shelter to bugs, spiders and they suspect scorpions. The group has an another day of sand dunes then about 2-3 days before reaching Samarah. There they will try to restock on supplies using the last of their money.

They continue to walk by night and early morning and rest by the heat of the day. It serves them well and allows for trust with the group and the elf. The elf seems to know to the area some but says he has not been here. Perhaps he is lying; perhaps he just knows these terrain types. Either way, it has saved the life of the ½ giant and made travel easier for everyone else. Mania and Cosa listen to the elf carefully. They are trying to learn everything they can from him on surviving in the lifeless area of salt and sand.

Just as the group prepare to set up camp Glaze spots a light brown cloud. Mania and Dessantee both recognize it as a sandstorm. There is some shelter here provided by tall broken off rocks with cacti growing within. They go here for shelter. Dessantee stares at it long and hard frowning the entire time.

Dessantee drops to the sand and covers his body. Stonecrusher looks up and goes “ooohhhhh…. not sand winds…flying creatures. The howl of the winds deafens Mania and Cosa. Glaze, curious about flying creatures peers up and sees seven winged shaped within the sandstorm. “Uh-oh…guys …it’s heading for us!” She tries yells above the wind.

And that is how the seven Sand Wyverns came onto them.

 

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 088
“Death Comes Already”

The flying creatures flew in low and fast. By doing this, they caused a miniature sandstorm that sometimes drove prey into easier positions of capture. The blinding disorientation caused by it bothered the Sand Wyverns little. Their unique nature adapted for it. But most prey was not.

As was the normal attack formation, the larger mother lead the “V” shaped flight formation across the sand and silt. As prey was found, the half of the “V” nearest to the food were veer off and try to tear into the prey. The mother and the other half would land and take care of the remains. It always worked. It has to today also. There were young to be fed and they too were hungry.



Stonecrusher saw the cloud for what it was. He cried out a warning but the winds drowned out his voice. Only Glaze heard him and she was more curious than concerned. Dessantee moved to a different rock formation from the others and kept his head down. The others could hear and see nothing but the wind and the sand and silt carried by it. Then something…three somethings appeared out of no where. Stonecrusher cried out as three Sand Wyverns each struck him. Blood and tissue became air borne. He fought back tears from the pain of the injuries and the air borne salt that got into the wounds.

Mania instantly begins to glow as his psionic aura projects a cushion of energy around him. Cosa castes a quick spell of protection onto herself that is similar to Mania’s field. Glaze knows a battle is about to begin and stops and weaves a quick song of music and inspiration. The winds drown out the words but the feeling gets through. Stonecrusher, now angry collects his club and sets his grip. He can see other creatures setting to land near him. He will show he is not so easy to kill.

The first wave made a mistake in Mania’s mind. They landed. They stood a better chance in the air. He steps out from the sheltering rocks quickly and attacks a Wyvern. A solid strike is landed that pushes the creature into the sand and off balance. Cosa hits the same beast with bolts of energy that further injures it.
With supreme effort, Glaze begins to sing a song of heroic levels. She calls on Zev and his epic battle against a Brown Dragon said to have occurred near this area. Stonecrusher swings high and hard onto an incoming flying beast. He hits it so hard that one eye pops lose and it bits completely through it’s own thick tongue. It’s one remaining eye goes cloudy and it teeters and falls, its brain crushed by the shards of its shattered skull. A mysterious area of darkness begins to cover Dessantee’s hidden body. No one notices.

The beast Cosa hit drops so Mania moves onto a beast that is trying to get Cosa. He hits it but knows it will take more than that to save Cosa. Cosa, being more defensive than aggressive natured, calls up a spell that she used on the last dumb beast she faced. Mirror Image. The Wyvern shudders as it now faces six foes instead of two. Glaze begins her next verse of Zev’s Epic Song. Crusher sees an onrushing beast. It is as big as he is! He swings and an echoing thud is heard as its head is struck. Enraged- the flock mother attacks him. She bites him on the neck and tugs hard. Blood sprays everywhere as the sandstorm settles down. Her claws sink deep into his already torn body exposing organs to the air and then finally- her tail curls up between his legs and stabs him in the lower back injecting poison.

Stone crusher shudders. He turns his head with a bloody smile….”bad….birdy…beast….” then falls.

Cosa is struck several times and fears she may succumb to the creature after all.

Mania strikes the beast again. Bones break and the beast is favoring one side now. Cosa’s images spread out and surround the beast. Confused and surrounded, it can not protect its injured side as she attacks it. A bone breaks and punctures it’s heart from her sneaky attack of desperation and need. Glaze breaks her song as she sees Stonecrusher topple over and spill out. The largest of the beasts snarls at her in obvious defiance. She back pedals quickly into…utter darkness!?!?!
The four remaining Wyverns launch into crusher’s body. They hack off a limb and step back. One takes to the air pushing sand into Mania and Cosa’s faces.

“Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” screams Cosa and she and her four duplicate Mirror Images react to the site. Mania knows they are outmatched. He looks at the mysterious black area and pushes Cosa into it.



From inside the globe an elf can be heard shouting something about being stepped on. Glaze about “bad touch” and Cosa’s crying. Mania swears…and swears.

Outside…Stonecrusher…a 1/2 Giant looking for friends in the desert is torn apart to feed young. His bloody smile is eerie and unsettling. Stranger yet…one hand seems to have loosen it’s grip on the club enough for one finger to straighten out…in the direction of the mother of Sand Wyverns.

 

[megamania]

Bummer...I was starting to like him.

 

[megamania]

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 089
“The Game has Begun”

The crimson sun was relentless. How she hated traveling in the open sun. She had agreed to work for the Templar. It was a foul game she played. It was doomed to come back on her in time. She better pay up first!

Tangiers had followed the trail into the tunnels. This terrain was very alien to her and gave her something she had not known before…uncertainty. It was a good feeling almost forgotten. She was happy to see her prey was equally unsettled by it. The primary target had found and broken through a trapdoor covered in earth. It had to have been spectacular to see. She envisioned and thought about the emotions he must have felt. He was trapped…entombed..then through a desperate act…freedom!

Tangiers knew this would be a good hunt.

She was at home in the forest. In truth, she was born within this forest to the south near Gulg. It lightened her heart to see the target …the prey…the game…was going south.

Based on dropping found, she knew they came to live off of the forest. Good. They were resourceful. Both templars suggested that but the clients always said not to underestimate the prey. Perhaps this would be her greatest game ever.

At the very least, Tangiers knew this would be a good hunt.

She knew the spirits watched her. She was in their home. She didn’t mean any disrespect and took time to pray to them. Her heritage insisted on it. She continued on and the trail led to the forest edge. She followed this and found herself walking in the bright hot merciless sun. They were going to either North Ledopolus or Salt View. Though Salt View was known for harboring wanted criminals she chose the last Dwarven settlement that she knew of. She spent a few days here and found nothing. Nothing but the House of Blewes. Word was out. They were looking for me. They heard I was seeking Mania. He had good friends and strong allies.

This would be a good hunt.

A human rogue known a Dogg nearly caught her in the “Fat Dwarf Tavern”. He was skilled and quick but no challenge to her racial heritage or skills. A woman seemed most determined also. She seemed to care for him the most. I spent a day following her. She was Jocasta Blewes, daughter and heir to Greene Blewes of said trade house. The prey got around and made good impressions. It would be a shame to catch him too quickly.

She gleaned information from their minds about the prey. He was truly a worthy target and player of her game. He was very fast and strong. He had intelligence and wisdom to do the right things but rarely did. His heart and his genitals controlled him. Normal for a human male of his age. The fact that he was still a teenager surprised her. She envisioned someone older when she was told on his contacts and deeds. They did not have any personal items of his to use so she went to Salt View.

The quick teleport to the area didn’t go unseen. Neither had the targets. Word was they had spoken to the famed Silent One. Another curious person he had contact with. He was full of surprises. The Silent One was rumored to be the sole-survivor of a large adventuring group that entered Bodach seeking its treasures. They were wrong. She was so much more.

This was becoming her greatest hunt yet!

The Silent One was not human, elf or a mixture. She was a pyreen. Why would she see him? She had to know.

The halfling psionic bounty hunter thus set foot for the building being used by Kara, the Silent One.