Siobhan's fantasy epic of eipc fantasy (open, PM me first)

[siobhancan99]

Jan scrambles up a nearby Boulder, then raises his holy symbol. An eerie white light joins the blue and orange, and the face of the goddess of forceful repose fills the cavern. The lesser undead go wild "Take the wight!" he screams, then unslings his warhammer. THe lesser wights and ghouls rush the boulder, scrambling up the sides to get to him, enraged instead of repulsed. "Take the wight damn you!" The big Ludowy cleric swings his warhammer, laying about, crushing skulls as the lesser undead approach in a frenzy.

The wight raises his staff, sending a stream of fire towards the group. Miray raises a hand, speaking a word, and disperses the flame harmlessly around them. "I can keep the flames off of us, or I can help Jan but not both, Harrison" she returns her attention to the wight, preparing for his next salvo.

Grimgur rushes in, slashing for the wight, who spins with a speed most of his ilk do not possess. Slamming the butt of the staff into the dwarf he sends him flying back, slamming against the wall of a nearby buiilding "I AM LIKE AS UNTO A GOD. TREMBLE MORTALS. YOU CLAIM I AM THE KING OF DUST??? THEN DUST YOU SHALL BE. I AM VALEN OF THE BRUTII."

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison watches as Grimgur is swatted aside. Seeing the power that the staff could unleash in a strike was a bit worrying. It was too late to stop now, however. He hustled over to the down dwarf and helped him back to his feet. "Help Jan out; with the other undead distracted by him, you should wipe them out easy. Once you do, come back and help me deal with this big fellow."

Once the two of them split, Harrison stayed at range, tossing darts and daggers at the lead wight. "Keep countering his magic, Miray. It's his big advantage!" He called out to her in her native tongue. Hopefully, this wight wasn't trained in every "barbarian" tongue. He made sure to stay a step ahead of the wight, mirroring his movements so he could never bring that staff to club him if he could help it.

As he danced and stayed away from the lead undead, he watched Jan and Grimgur, hoping the two of them would be free of the lesser undead. Harrison felt like he was one mistimed shift away from being clubbed and he felt like he was pushing his luck as it was.

 

[siobhancan99]

The wight leaps, far sprier than a normal undead, and brings the staff down, nearly missing Harrison. Where it hits the cracked ground, the fungus on the ground burns with acrid smoke and the earth crumbles from the blow. Iray keeps watch as the beast attempts to bring down a pillar of fire on Harrison, and diverts the flame "it's so fast!" she calls "and so strong. I can barely counter it"

Grimgur moves over towards Jan, who cries out "take out the wight gods damn you!" but the tall Ludowy cleric is being overwhelmed, ghousl scrambling all around him.. The timely intervention of the dwarf makes a few peel off but things appear dire. The beast sends another blast for Harrison, which Miray does not counter but instead redirects towards the assembled pack of ghouls, smiting them with the fiend's own energy. The Dwarf splits the skulls of two more and the cleric keeps attracting the others, acting as a beacon that draws the lesser undead to him.

THe wight snarls, slowed a bit by Harrison's darts and daggers "you're tenacious, man of the surface. That I'll grant you."

 

[Bugman29]

Graf-half orc

What was thar noise. It sounds just down the hall. Graf at first is unsure what to do. Was this a friendly group, that had come to see him. Somehow the sound, like they were not that friendly. Then again, it could be his people. That had him hopeful. It is the first hope he had felt in a long time.

It is not easy being a half anything. A half orc lives a lonely life. Shunned from both side of his life. Although Asha a half elf, he had met at the Broken Bottle Mines had been a good friend. Though that was a long time ago. She had been quick, as half elves are. In his life than out. Just that quick. One minute there than gone in a blink of an eye.

Graf waited they were just outside the door.

 

[siobhancan99]

The voices were harsh, guttural. Not the voices of his captors though. Something else. As he comes to the door he can hear the harsh language again. A bit of wire slips into the lock of his cell, and there's a bit of muttering. The door clicks and swings open, and there before him he finds four dwarves who look rather surprised to find a living prisoner in the catacombs. They speak their native tongue a moment, then one switches to Gradzlatan "Are they keeping you for food lad?" looking the half-orc over. "how long you been down here then?" The dwarf looks the half-orc over "If we give you a weapon ye willing to fight your way out of here?"

 

[Bugman29]

"Your Gradzlatan tongue is sweet honey to my ears. I am Graf of the Broken Bottle Mines. I was taken prisoner by the high priest Monkitis. I am a half Orc and I can fight like the moon shines at night. And the sun shines with the day!" Graf looks at the four dwarfs.

"You are country dwarfs. From a village. Your garments are roughly sewn. I have seen this look before. " Graf pauses to consider their words. " Neigh, I am not food, and for three moons I have found myself here. And by all things holy, give me an ax and I will slice though anything and anyone."

 

[such_a_bad_man]

"You're tenacious, man of the surface. That I'll grant you."

"You'll find there's a lot about me to like," Harrison snapped back, drawing his rapier as he did. All the while, he maintained his circle, staying just far enough from the wight to avoid its staff. He kept peppering the wight with projectiles, knowing he would be running out soon. As he did, he purposefully shorted the arc of his path. He wanted it to look like he was trying to keep his distance, but still allow the wight to draw in close to smash him with that staff. In fact, Harrison was counting on it.

He waited, looking for that shift in grip and in foot placement that would telegraph such a power stroke. When it came, he had to time his slip to the side and his counter attack along the line of the staff. He aimed to separate the wight from its staff with a timely slash at its wrists. Even magically animated, the mechanisms of the body were still at work in this corporeal undead. He hoped that losing such a staff would turn things in their favor. Grimgur and Jan might not be able to keep up their defense much longer.

As he circled, he kept an eye on where Miray was. Once he separated the wight from its staff, he aimed to kick it over to her so she could put such a powerful weapon to use to help the others.

 

[siobhancan99]

"Country dwarves? ROUGH CLOTHING?" The dwarf sputters "are you always so fucking rude to your rescuers you orcish twat? we should leave you down here!" the lead dwarf bellows, hand white knuckled on the haft of his axe. Cooler heads prevail however, as a mail armored dwarf speaks to him in dwarvish then repeats for the orc's benefit "if you've knowledge of the demon priest down here, wrangling these undead, you can be of use to us." he slips a handaxe from his belt and passes it to Graf "you're welcome to join us, half-breed. Are there other prisoners of note in the cells? have you heard anyone else who shares your plight?"

 

[siobhancan99]

Reply to Harrison

They say it is better to be lucky than good, but Harrison disproves that as his well calculated and skillful blade work disarms the wight. The undead howls in rage, then lashes out with a hand, and where it connects Harrison feels as if his very life force has been wrenched from his body. Still, Miray grabs the staff and with an exultant cry unleashes hell upon the assembled throng of ghouls and lesser wights. A blast of arcane fire explodes, scattering the survivors. Jan smashes a last one with his hammer, and the dwarf slaughters a pair of them as well.

The foursome turn on the Wight, "MY STAFF" it seems insensate in its rage, lashing out at Harrison again, the power of its unlife draining him where it hits. Miray calls out "step back Harrison! Get out of there!" as Grimgur and Jan make their way forward, far more well armored and less vulnerable to the physical attacks of the still powerful undead.

 

[Bugman29]

Graf looks over the hand ax. "Made of good quality, middle empire design. Yes, this will do very nicely."

Graff considers the question. Looking thoughtful. "I'm not sure, you understand. He turns to leave the cell and stops. "Yes, a halfling, I heard a halfling about one moon ago. I don't know what its name is or if is still here."

Graff slips the ax into his belt. He gives them a crooked smile." You are wise, I can help you rid these halls of the undead. Broken Bottle was infested with undead. Now our females come there to have a safe birth." Graf walks out to the hallway and looks both ways.

"A question my new friends, do you wish to see if the halfling is still here or do we hunt for the passage to high priest Monkitis's chamber?" He turns again and looks at the dwarf he had angered. " I mean not to offend you friend, your leather is rough, and well worn. City dwarves, armor is shiny, they polish their armor and wish they could wear it. So, a country dwarf is a good thing. It means you use your armor, not look at it, hanging on a rack."

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison hadn't counted on how fast the wight would be without his staff in hand. When he wrenched the staff free from his hands, the clawed fingers of the undead raked across his exposed arm. The fire of the slash gave way to a cold sensation. It was worse than numbness. It passed through his whole being and it felt like he couldn't breathe. When he slashed across Harrison's waist under the end of his leather cuirass, it felt even worse somehow.

He wasn't sure how he got away, but Jan and Grimgur covered his retreat from the powerful undead. Pressing his back to the wall, Harrison managed to finally suck in a deep breath. His whole body felt heavy, ashen in a way. He wasn't sure what the wight had done to him, but he was glad he hadn't done it again. Moving closer to Miray, he whisperer to her.

"End this."

He had lost all pretense about gathering more historical information from this intelligent undead. It was clear that this thing was too dangerous to permit to exist. It had to be destroyed.

 

[siobhancan99]

Reply to Harrison

Miray pointed the staff at the beast, and fired a stream of magic at it. It could deal with her, or the men but not both. It brought up a hand, countering the blast of magic. At that moment, Jan's hammer smashed through tis skull, leaving it in a husk.

A moment passed, then a strange light floated up out of the wight. It took the form of a man of similar stature, dressed in the fashion of end of Empire. It bowed to Harrison.

"I thank you and your companions, surface man. Something ill dwells here below. Something powerful and twisted. I was in its grip as surely as the lands below are. Over the centuries it has moved things. It has shifted the world below. It has created spaces here where there was nothing on the surface. It seems not to know of changes in the world above. Everything it creates is ancient, as if it would fit in the Citta De Mare. it is a power beyond magic. Whatever lies under ... the mountain. I am not sure what the natives call it these days... It is terrible and awesome. You had questions. Now that I am free, before i return to the bosom of the twins and rest... ask. ask your questions."

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison looked up, awe in his face at the spirit that lingered. He was sure he'd lost his chance to learn, but this was so much better than what he could have hoped for. "I don't know how long you might linger. It might be easier for you to tell me where I might find documents or pieces of art and culture. We have so much to recover and I aim to do that with your help. As for a question, were you given the staff or did you find it?"

Harrison spoke, but the longer he did, the more winded he felt. Something in the lingering after-effects of the wight's claws had him still feeling so weak. Leaning on Grimgur, he apologized to the dwarf as he looked to Jan for help. He didn't speak; he didn't want to miss the spirits' answers. This was a moment for the expedition and he didn't want to waste it.

 

[siobhancan99]

The spirit looks at Harrison "not much time... in the span of the plane I suppose... but time enough to answer a few questions." It floats over its desiccated corpse "I found the staff here. It is a true relic of the Homines, and was one of the artifacts I came to claim. I can also tell you that there is a particular malevolence directed at this area. For some reason, much hate is directed at the elves, and the catacombs beneath the part of the city now devoted to the elves. Do not die here, or you will suffer my fate, chained to that ancient and terrible force. As for true relics of the Homines, I am not sure. As I said, some of the areas below the city have been invented whole cloth. I can say that the treasury above is real. There should also be a bathouse in this region... though it may have been destroyed in the cataclysm. If you chance upon it though, it should be true."

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison listens, thinking back about the Homines. Such an ancient civilization must have had dealing with the elves. He tried to remember if there was ever a mention of war or of a particular instance where someone in Homines society lashed out at their elven neighbors. He had to set that aside for the moment. He didn't want to miss what the spirit told him of the area. "Bath house... We saw something that used water in another area. There must be plumbing to follow that shows us where it might be." He reasoned.

He looked at the spirit. "Tell me your name. Your job. Anything that might tell me a little more of what it was like to live day to day in your time." He said, opening it up for the spirit to share anything it could before it drifted away.

 

[siobhancan99]

The spirit smiled "I am Varus Septimus. Youngest of my family, but as we often had uprisings I became paterfamilius due to the deaths of my brothers. Some 500 years ago I saw the proverbial writing on the wall and sold my family lands to barbarians. They were civilized enough, aping our culture and speaking some of our tongue. I used that money to come here, to see if any traces of the greatness of our people existed in the depths. That dream was foolish. The depths are infested with devils and ghouls. Still, here and there you can see flashes of what was our brilliance at the height of the Bright Empire." it looked wistful a moment "Do not trust everything you see down here. Some of it is recent fabrication, made to look old. I have watched ruins form before my very eyes, man of the surface. Still... there's treasure to be had if not always knowledge." with that, the spirit faded away, as Jan said prayers to usher it on its way to the Twins "How terrible" he mutters "To be trapped in undeath truly against one's wishes. Whatever spirit is down here must be powerful indeed."

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison found his journal and transcribed everything that Varus said. He treated each word like gold; firsthand accounts were so rare from the fallen empire. Even historical records were created through a lens of observation or bias imposed by the writer. Here, for the first time, he had an account from someone alive from 500 years ago. He would not waste this chance. Even as the spirit fades, Harrison scribbled down all he heard. He looked up, placing a hand over his heart and closing his eyes in homage to the departing spirit. Bowing his head to Jan's prayer, he gave the moment its due gravity.

"I see now why groups have such difficulty returning. So much death in one place must draw those that feed on it. Not only that, but there must be so much hate, pain and loss to drive so many of the departed mad enough to become undead," Harrison reasoned, tucking his journal away before standing.

"Jan, do you have some blessing or miracle to pray over me? I don't know how to say it, but something in that wight's claws dug at my soul. I feel an ache that something is missing..." He explained, unsure what such a wound might do to him.

 

[siobhancan99]

Jan nods "we can all use a little attention. Aside from Miray." He looked around and found a mostly intact ruin of a Homines house. He placed wards on the doors and windows first "this should discourage the lesser undead." He laid out a prayer mat, then prayed over his own wounds, which slowly closed. Once he was more comfortable he called the dwarf over. As he prayed, a soft golden light flowed from his hands into the dwarf's compact body. Though heavily armored, the claws of the beasts had burst chain here and there, and where the light touched at least flesh was made whole.

"your problem is somewhat more involved, Harrison" The cleric drew out vestments, and lit incense. "Lay down on the mat" He prayed a long time, invoking the power of the twins in their aspect as punishers of the undead, imploring them to restore the vital energy of the warrior who fought their eternal foe. Jan's face strained, his prayers long and involved, annointing Harrison here and there with oil. Finally, a great golden light filled the room, slowly coalescing around Harrison and then entering his body. Jan looked tired "I need to sleep, and so do you. You'll feel better in the morning. Miray, Grimgur, you'll have to keep watch."

 

[such_a_bad_man]

As Harrison laid there, he could feel something changing with each passing moment as Jan chanted. That deep empty feeling slowly drifted away and when Jan finished, it was gone. Harrison felt more tired than he'd ever been as a result. Nodding at Jan's words, he sat up slowly. "Then, let's spend the night here. Looks like we might have enough rooms to split up in this place. I'm going to see if there's a room upstairs. I'd like to be able to hear if anything or anyone is coming." He said, holding onto the walls and broken furniture for balance as he made his way up the aged stairs to the upper floor.

As he figured, there were two more bedrooms up there and enough remnants of the furniture to make sure his bedroll was up off the floor. Taking the time to shed his armor and clothes, he dropped most everything in a heap. He was too tired to put it all away properly before crawling inside the covers. Within seconds, he was dead asleep.

 

[siobhancan99]

Harrison woke, though when it was impossible to tell. Being underground was disorienting. He could feel the lush curves of the Keshvian against him, her soft hair spilled across his chest and her arm wrapped over his body. Despite their prior daliances, she'd never spent the night and so this act of intimacy was a first. She stirred when she felt him "you were cold, you were shivering in your sleep I hope you don't mind" She made no move to get away from him, staying curled against him in the oppressive dark of the cavern. Her fingers played with the button on his shirt, and her breathing matched his "you've been out about 12 hours. How do you feel?"

He felt sluggish, but the feeling that his soul had been drained out of him was gone, replaced by a sense of sort of peaceful repose and a quiet confidence. "Jan said you would be fine but I wasn't sure."

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Feeling Miray against him as he woke was not an unwelcome feeling, but it was unexpected. He shifted a bit in her embrace to look at her as he slid an arm of his own around her waist. While his bedroll wasn't particularly thick, he'd never had a problem keeping warm. Maybe something about the ritual or this place had chilled him to his core last night. Either way, seeing Miray there was a change in their relationship. He smiled into her dark eyes.

"I appreciate your concern. I was worried I might never get you into bed again," he teased, letting his hand wander down over her hip to see if she was naked under the covers like he mostly was. If he'd been asleep that long, the others might be awake by now. That didn't mean he was ready to end this quiet moment in bed with such a receptive and caring lover.

 

[siobhancan99]

Miray rested her head against his chest and slipped her hand into his shirt "Don't take this the wrong way but... I had to know that you'd actually you know. Live. Not everyone who wants to come down here should come down here." she slid her hand down to where his breeches should have been "well. Something's alive" she laughs and kisses along his neck, then bites softly as her hand wraps around the shaft of his cock. She keeps her grip loose "And here i thought i'd find only the one magical staff down here. I wonder what this one does."

Her fingers trailed down to cup his balls, her fingertips circling them, teasing the soft skin of his scrotum. Her warm hand cradled them "mmmm I think I remember actually" she kissed her way down, then took him into her warm mouth, sliding her soft lips down the shaft. Her cheeks sucked in, she dragged her warm wet mouth back up to the head and swirled her tongue lazy around it. Her hand wrapped around the shaft, slowly stroking his cock into her mouth. She left her lips just pursed at his head, teasing with her tongue as she stroked his shaft. After a few moments she broke off, then straddled him and sank down onto him. "Now that I can trust you, really." She rolled her hips, gliding along his thick cock, her walls gripping him. She moaned softly and leaned over, dragging her full chest along his as she loomed over him "I think we can resume these little interludes. Now and again." Her breath grew a little faster as she slid along his fat shaft. "I mean not all the time but you know..." her nails dragged along his chest "not just once a week"

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison smiled at her playful banter, enjoying the feeling of her hands on his body again. Closing his eyes, he drew in a sharp breath as he felt her hand on his cock. It felt so good to feel her touching him like that again. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd missed her and her visits. Laying back a little, he enjoyed the feeling of her warm mouth working his shaft and head as she got reacquainted with it again. His hands slid up her thighs to her hips as she settled over him and sank every inch deep inside her pussy.

"Ohhhhh fuck..." Harrison sighed out, laying his head back. It had been too long since the last time they had done this. Feeling her heavy breasts against his chest as he slid his hands over her curves, he found her eyes again as she spoke. He smiled at her offer. "My door is always open to you whenever you feel like stopping by," he shared, leaning up to see if she'd let him kiss her this time. A real, meaningful kiss. The sort she had shied away from in the past.

 

[siobhancan99]

Miray presses down, her full lips finding his. her generous hips roll, sliding herself along his shaft, rolling to take him deep and slide up nearly to his head. she moans and rides him in the dark of the cave, her breath soft against his lips as she hovers just over him, her ample chest pressed to his. Her breath comes faster and she kisses him again, tongue sliding into his mouth, tangling with his as her body takes him deep with each motion. Her motions stay steady, setting a perfect rhythm, letting herself get into it, feeling the pressure of him inside her and the scrape of his head along her walls. her moans rise in intensity, her kisses in urgency, but her body continues its precision, moving in perfect time with his, taking him in, enveloping him in the warmth and softness of her body. "ohhhh Harrison" she bites his lip, tuggling, running her tongue along it after.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Harrison smiles, feeling her finally kissing him back. He doesn't move to pull away; he is eager for her to keep her lips on his. Even as they enjoy the long kiss, Harrison is surprised by her restraint. She doesn't pick up speed or slow down. Her steady pace draws out the pleasure for them both. Harrison doesn't argue; he learned not to get in Miray's way when she was after something she wanted. He was more than happy to be present for her and help her get there. Reaching down, he cupped her curvaceous ass, helping pull her down completely. He groaned as he felt the last few inches disappear inside her.

He grinned at her gasped words, wincing a little as she bit at his lip. He sighed as he resumed the kiss. Slowly, he moved to roll her under him. It would be a bold move on his part after all the times they had been together, but he was eager to push her to her climax and down the other side.