Author Topic: New face (Read 13304 times)

Scrasamax · « **Reply #100 on:** August 27, 2004, 12:17:58 PM »

Redwick was able to breath a sigh of relief, these were brutish and dumb demons. Two bolted after the haunch of meat. Another hiss angrily as an elven arrow narrowly missed it.

More had come out of the darkness, bringing their number up to eight. Callista and Redwick could hear the elves from the Elfhame arrive north of them, and charge into battle with weapons drawn. Steel struck sparks against their dark hides, blades clattering against their skin.

One gave a curious bellow as an arrow punched through its eye, ichor running down it's face. A runner approached Redwick, his axe in hand. He passed the half-dwarf the weapon and stood ready with a sword of his own.

"Aelfwine says help is on the way if you can hold but for a little." the courier said two Redwick, and to Callista

Callista Miala Moonshade · « **Reply #101 on:** August 27, 2004, 12:22:21 PM »

"it would be my pleasure" she said firing two more arrows at two more oncoming demons, she swung around and fired another one at a demon who was stalking up behind one of the elf fighters, she turned once again "what are these thing's, i know they are demons but where the hell did they come from" she fired another arrow "and how many are there?" she turned once again firing another two,

Scrasamax · « **Reply #102 on:** August 27, 2004, 01:10:48 PM »

"There are perhaps one dozen of these demons." Aelfwine said, striding up next to Callista, his sword drawn. It was a long narrow blade, akin to a rapier, but still bladelike, still a sword. (estoc or tuck for the sword savvy)

"They have come before, but never so many. To kill them, you have to strike through a vital point, and forget hitting the heart or lungs, We've not found a blade to pierce their hide." He accentuated the point by quickly closing with one of the monsters, parrying an attack, and following with a brutal riposte that plunged the blade through the mouth of the monster. It gagged and struggled back, more black ichor pouring from its mouth. It made a bubbling noise, clawing at its throat, before collapsing to the ground.

Even as it landed, its supernaturally hard flesh began to hiss and sizzle and the body dissolved.

Callista Miala Moonshade · « **Reply #103 on:** August 27, 2004, 01:33:58 PM »

Callista nodded to make sure that he new that she understood, she fired an arrow which flew through the air straight into one of the demons neck, it struggled with the arrow, she ran up and plunged an arrow right down the demons throat, she ran back "this is going to be hard with bow and arrow, have you any swords that i may use" she once again fired an arrow trying to keep them back she awaited the answer from Aelfwine

Scrasamax · « **Reply #104 on:** August 27, 2004, 04:58:18 PM »

Aelfwine only had a short sword to spare, a backup weapon in case he lost the estoc. Deftly he removed it from its sheath and floated it to Callista (underhand toss). It was a well made, if non-magical elven blade, leaf shaped, wider just below the tip, and narrowing towards the haft.

"Do your ancestors proud!" Aelfwine shouted to her as his sword thrust again, driving one of the demons back as it sought to protect its delicate face. He shouted an elven warcry and struck again, striking through the ocular cavity, dislodging the beasts luminescent eyeball with the stroke. The demon howled and staggered away, hands clasped to its face.

Callista Miala Moonshade · « **Reply #105 on:** August 27, 2004, 05:31:37 PM »

Callista nodded her understanding and slashed the demon across the face, with the short sword, she moved to the back of the demon and forced down on the back of its neck, she pushed the sword in further into its back plunging deeper into his chest, the demon fell to the floor and began to writhe on the floor, she turned and one head came clean off, she at once shuved her hand into the goo, she ripped her hand out clutching a wrinkled and shriveled black lump, which she assumed was it's heart, she grimaced as she wiped the goo of her hand onto her clothes, "i hope this stuff aint poisonous" she said to herself quietly,

Redwick · « **Reply #106 on:** August 28, 2004, 04:35:00 AM »

"Hurm, thanks for the axe, but I think I'll get my sword..."

Redwick swinged the axe and even tough he couldn't get trough the demons' skin, it was still sent reeling by the blow.

The half-dwarfs sword was up in the dining-room. He started advancing, pushing demons aside with his axe as best as he could (he wasn't very skilled with it).

Scrasamax · « **Reply #107 on:** August 28, 2004, 07:26:10 AM »

The courier who delivered the message to Callista returned to Redwick, his sword in scabbard, "I apologize for my assumption Master Undersoor. I though that you would prefer the axe.."

He handed the sword over, and only a second later took a demonic haymaker to the head. The elf crumpled like a rag doll, and hit the ground hie face a ruin of broken bone and blood.

Danu Raven Nightshade · « **Reply #108 on:** August 28, 2004, 12:25:11 PM »

Danu faltered, unsure as what to do. Her companions (and she used that term loosely for the majority of them only just tolerated her presence) were in a battle against her own kind, demons. It was a hard choice to make. Surely if she were to fight she would have to revert to her demonic form, but then...

She took a deep breath, mind made up. Growling viciously, she shifted her form. Large black wings sprouted from her back, her spine extended to form a whip-like tail, razor fangs grew from teeth, claws grew from nails. Her ivory skin took a silvery blue hue, and eyes glowed. She was unseelie. A creature of darkness and shadows. And she would kill all who stood in her way.

With a snarl she whirled towrds her first enemy, claws raking deep wounds in one beasts chest, drawing hot blood, then spinning round for another lightning fast strike before the creature could even raise one of its club like hands in defence.

Callista Miala Moonshade · « **Reply #109 on:** August 28, 2004, 12:54:40 PM »

Casllista looked over to Danu, she ducked narrowly escaping a bludgen in the face, she turned at shot an arrow through the beast's eye causing it to fall back with pain, she once again repeated her prossedure, she cut its head of with the sword and stuck an arrow down its neck to reach the tender heart inside, she looked over to Danu again and smiled a tiny bit "that will show that she is a friend and if he still doesn't believe,then that is his decision" she swung around to face another demon once again dodging out of the way of the demon swinging it's hand down towards her, she dodged and sliced of it's hand and then jumped behind it, to attack from the rear, she saw a smooth almost gooey surface on the side of the demon and thrust the sword upwards into it, making the demon howl in pain,

Redwick · « **Reply #110 on:** August 28, 2004, 01:20:08 PM »

"Ah, now we're talkin'..."

Redwick drew his sword and charged at a demon.

"Weak point...weak point...Hey, your zipper is open!"

Before the demon could realise that it didn't actually have a zipper (or pants, for that matter), Redwick thrusted his sword right trough it's bowed head.

"Hurm...I don't like fighting to be this gooey and stuff..."

Callista Miala Moonshade · « **Reply #111 on:** August 28, 2004, 03:01:12 PM »

Callista fought her way over to redwick "how you doing over here?" she asked stabbing another demon in the side "not getting to much for you is it?" she smiled and even gave a short inaudible laugh, she stabbed a demon who was coming up behind redwick in the side

Redwick · « **Reply #112 on:** August 29, 2004, 03:24:29 AM »

"Bah, don't worry 'bout me, elf..."

As a demon charged at him, Redwick jumped up on its back.

"Yeehaw!"

He held onto its horns and steered it into another demon...

SMASH!

Red Un got off the fallen creature.

"That was fun! But how many 'o these things are there?"

Callista Miala Moonshade · « **Reply #113 on:** September 02, 2004, 12:41:04 PM »

"well i am not quite sure but i suppose if we block of where there coming from if we can find it then, no more will be able to escape right!" she ran forwards and impaled a demons throat on the sword spinning around servering the head from the body and making sure it was dead by thrusting tge sword deep into the demons side, piercing it's ugly black heart.

Redwick · « **Reply #114 on:** September 03, 2004, 02:35:42 AM »

Redwick looked around for any demon-portal-thingys...

Scrasamax · « **Reply #115 on:** September 03, 2004, 04:20:59 AM »

There was a cheer from the elfin warriors as the tide of the battle turned in their favor. The air was ripe with the fetid odor of demonspawn as their blackened husks sizzled and evaporated back to the infernal realm that spawned them. Despite the valiant effort of the elfin warrior and the half dwarf, no portal was discovered. The demons, thirteen in all, were slain to the last, but their damage had been done.

Of the seven pillars being lifted to celebrate the Kindling, four lay in various degrees of damage. One was cracked, while another lay in shattered pieces. It would be a miracle if the pillars could be replaced in time for the feast on the morrow.

The cheer of victory faded as the scope of the battle became clear. More than a dozen elves had lost their lives. Most were the laborers who were lifting the pillars, one was a servant, and the last was Lord Aelfwine. The elfin lord lay collapsed on the ground, his retainer near him, head neatly decapitated by a single monstrous blow. The elfin lord had died on his feet, sword in hand, blood on the blade.

"We will gve him a funeral in the old way." A young elf, not even into his first century, said. "It will be a feast for the slain, and we will have to raise eight pillars now instead of seven, one for Lord Aelfwine."

The widow in the croft, and even the dwarves are often ignorant of the old ways of the elves, such as the solemn rites of death as the elves are a deathless race. The survivors moved quickly, the dead were lifted from the field and taken away. On the green, a great bier of wood was gathered, it was as tall as a man, and as large as a room. The workers sang a lament, while others cried with the loss of their kin, but all worked.

As the bier was finished, the host returned bearing the body of the fallen lord, now dressed in his finest silks and velvet, his wounds carefully hidden under bandages. He was laid upon the bier, his sword placed in his hands, pommel up towards his face, blade pointed to his feet, his shield laid across his chest. More laments were sung as oil was splashed onto the bier in copious amounts.

The young elf returned, his face marred by unmanly tears. He bore a single sputtering torch. With a strangled cry he hefted the burning brand onto the bier and the flames spread through it with alarming speed.

Callista Miala Moonshade · « **Reply #116 on:** September 03, 2004, 09:42:46 AM »

Callista just stood watching as the flames licked the sky, sending smoke high up, she countinued to stare into the flames, realizing that they never had discovered what they wanted to know, she hung her head, grief spread over her as she remebered the pillars smashing to the floor, her fathers between them "ahh i am so insensitive" she cried out suddenly "thinking about the pillars when many have lost there life's today" she hung her head as if she had just been told off, she turned slowly, pushing her hair out of her eye's, she had to find the other's and ask them what was to happen now, she moved slowly almost gliding along with the air.

Redwick · « **Reply #117 on:** September 03, 2004, 09:43:02 AM »

Redwick was standing next to the bier, holding his head down sadly.

"Farewell, Lord Aelfwine", he said. "Wherever ya are now, may there always be earth under your feet an' fire in your heart..."

Scrasamax · « **Reply #118 on:** September 03, 2004, 09:52:03 AM »

"What are we to do now?" the young elf said, wiping the tears from his face. "Now that my father has fallen, there are none left to lead..." he said, his body visibly trembling.

"We will have to flee, run away to another elven hold..." he said, his voice tinted with shame as well as the hot dagger of grief. "They have won, we killed all of them and they still won."

Luke Lavin · « **Reply #119 on:** September 03, 2004, 07:13:16 PM »

An elegant figure appeard before the great gate of Elfhame, for the trees that looked on it would have thought he had stepped from shadow himself. When he walked there was the clink-clink of chain mail. He stood a good two meters tall but with a slim build, a runner's build. A dark black blue robe with a high collar hid almost all his body, on top his head was a pointed straw hat, in his left hand was a glove like device, it was made of metal of some kind that ensconed his finget tips and followed the bones of his hand, in the palm was a soft orange jewel that had a distubing inner glow. His right hand was covered in a black leather glove that could have been dragon hide if one well versed with such creatures got a good look.

With a wave of his right hand the great Elven gates creaked open, the Black Mage stood there surveying the field before stepping forward. Everyone stared in a mix of fright, or curiosity at him. Amber gold fixed the young son of Aelfwine.

"Running would be illadvised young Lord, it is time you took your father's place, the Gate of Izreath will not close if you flee from it. It will only grow larger." The figure removed his straw hat revealing middle aged features. He had a mop of chestnut brown hair, and piercing amber eyes that didn't have the warmth of aged wisdom of the Wood-kin but cold unflinching truth.

"My name is Apawfis, I am a Mage."

Scrasamax · « **Reply #120 on:** September 03, 2004, 10:13:47 PM »

"The gate of Izreath?" the youth said. "I have never heard of it, might that be the true name of the Black Gate?" he asked the wizard Apophis*

"My name is Beleg, but I am hardly old enough to be on my own let alone take the mantle of my father." he said. "I have some skill with a bow, but I am no lord, no adventurer of legend..."

"The Prince understates his ability, Master mage." A slightly older female elf spoke. "He sells himself short too often."

*This is just an assumption on my part, but phonetically I assume you meant the Egyptian deity who sough to swallow the sun.

Luke Lavin · « **Reply #121 on:** September 04, 2004, 01:23:14 AM »

OOC: I liked the name but I didn't want the Egyptian connection so it's an intentional mispelling.

Apawfis looked at the young elf Beleg, "Humility is a just virture but your people need you now, a new threat has arizened a new leader must meat it. As for the gate Izreath yes it is termed the Black Gate some times, possessing true names is to possess great power."

Apawfis paused, "The Fellowship is gahtered now, we should set out to permantly destroy the gate once the armies gather. Lord Beleg I assure you more will come and in greater numbers and in greater stength too. It is time for all the races to unite again as in times past lest the shadow be cast over this land. I can already feel it's presence approaching."

Redwick · « **Reply #122 on:** September 04, 2004, 03:08:59 AM »

Redwick had stopped his mourning and had gone back to the feast-chamber to find something to eat. He returned outside, chewing on a piece of meat and holding a mug of beer. Seeing that there was some sort of gathering at the gates, he went there.

He listened to the words of the wizard-fellow and the prince with quite some interest.

"Hum...Black Gate...I've heard that name before somewhere. Some old book or another..."

Suddenly, he took of his backpack and rummaged trough it. Finally, he produced an old leather-bound tome. Written on it was strange unidentified letters, but below those someone had quite recently carved in "THE BOOK OF THE BLACK GATE". Redwick showed the book to the wizard.

"I've heard this is quite a rare book."

Callista Miala Moonshade · « **Reply #123 on:** September 04, 2004, 06:45:25 AM »

Callista had also gone over to the gate, to see what all the comosion was about, 'wait did he say black gate' she thought to herself, she watched as redwick passed forward the book with the writting and carved words black gate underneath, she steped forward imediatly "can you tell me was the person of old who closed the gate before, could his name be Kelsta?" she moved forward once again, "the widow croft told me storys of my father closing the black gate, before he started working for the king" she stroked her hair back with one slow movement, "please can you tell me!"

Scrasamax · « **Reply #124 on:** September 04, 2004, 07:02:44 AM »

Beleg gathered himself, the presence of the mage was a comfort, as his father had long told him to trust the council of the magi, but warned him against blindness. The magi were more often than not benevolent and wise, but a few had been seduced by the dark powers and were as dark as devils themselves.

"I would join you in this quest to close the black gate of Izreath, for too much pain and suffering has come from it to let it go unavenged." Beleg said. "My people will have to make preperations for our departure, the arsenal will be opened and those who are willing will be clad in koboldwerk mail, and armed with elven steel."

"Those who come not to the gate will be allowed to stay at the Elfhame to hold her as a bastion should we fail." he said.

As he spoke a small retinue of men approached, three warriors riding on bay war-horses. The leader dismounted. He was a tall man with long mustaches and a chest like a barrel. He wore a mantle of red wool over a well fitting suit of field plate armor, an impressive sword on his hip. The two with him were similarly armored, but one bore a banner showing a gold dragon rampant against a field of red. The other wore a grim expression, and a large variety of weapons.

"I trust I am not too late for the Kindling?" the lord asked.

"Duke Dragomir..." Beleg said, a look of surprise on his face, "Aelfwine is slain, the Kindling defeated, and we are going to destroy the black gate..." he said in a sudden outburst of words.

"My grandfather fell closing that gate a century ago. It is fitting that I will accompany this quest." Dragomir said in a tone that brooked no word otherwise.

OOC: Apawfis it is, hadnt thought of that angle.

OOC: Contribution to the quest - Beleg, a adolescent elf lord, Alexi Dragomir a seasoned human lord, plus two extras. (not important characters, there for filler. Hopefully they will be better done than Thanatos and Yama.