“So hasty,” he spits back as one hand whips out like lightning to snatch the woman’s jet black hair. He tugs hard and spins her away from the edge, using his superior height and strength to throw an arm around her neck and keeping her tresses grasped firmly. He lifts her to her toes and steps towards the center of the deck, towards Alaris. “What say you, fair knight? Sigrid here has places to be it seems, but I don’t think we’re finished here, do you?”
With a single wingbeat, the fair knight rushes forward with their arms wide. Slamming into both Caio and Sigrid, they wrap them up and drive them both away from the edge of the longboat. Backwinging to come to a halt, Alaris slams Sigrid to the deck and stands over her. "I think not, my dear shadow. I think not."
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Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
"Cease your prattling, witch, if you have a care for the lives of your wolves."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
"Their lives are in your hands," Sigrid notes as Shiva continues to massacre the Norscans that Astrid is holding almost frozen in time behind Alaris. "Would you slaughter them over a few minced words?"
"She slaughters them for what they've done." Caio spits. "Tell us now, do you have more girls in captivity? Living girls, not the tortured souls you left in your wake."
As the Norscan leader undulates on the deck and casts her seductive, sardonic gaze at Caio and Alaris, the aasimar's fingers tighten around Hope's Edge. Images of the horrid corpses rising to attack them... The flock of undead that swarmed over Caio and Shiva... Shiva's descriptions of cruelty and oppression, of living people reduced to sex objects shackled in filth... And even more - this woman radiating from her pores acceptance and contentment and partnership with all that is cruel and corrupt in the cosmos.
With a relentless, implacable finality, Alaris growls, "No." Before Sigrid can begin to escape, the long blade of Hope's Edge rises and then plunges towards her heart!
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Sigrid lets out a long garbled breath as Hope's Edge slices through the surface of her chest, crushing cartilage and snapping ribs until it finally reaches her heart. The woman's eyes glass over, changing from brown to blue. Her luscious mane of beautiful hair withers and fades to a straggly mop in a mousey-brown that is almost grey. Her face grows gaunt and her cheeks drawn in, until what lies beneath Alaris is a corpse that looks quite different to the woman that they had been fighting just moments ago.
"This body was not hers," the inquisitor proclaims as his eyes flare with pallid grey light. He turns downriver as if following something with his gaze then points in the same direction. "She is many miles away from here," Caio continues to explain, voice heavy with frustration. "Likely out on a ship in the middle of the Norscan sea. Surely that's where this vessel was heading." He turns to look at Alaris, seeing the unfamiliar glint of wrathful anguish in the angelic warrior's normally serene face. "Another monster to be slain another day."
Tearing through muscle, fat, and bone, Shiva eviscerates the enemies held by Astrid's spell. She pours all of her rage, hate, and disgust into her volley, finding that in between her screams and grunts of exertion, she's laughing. The suffering of these men, who would attack, enslave, and strip defenseless women of their humanity is a joy to her that she hadn't tasted so fully since the killing of the man who enslaved her. Sections of her hair are slick with Norscan blood, and little of the blue of her skin can be seen from her elbows downward, every centimeter stained a deep red.
As their lifeless bodies fall from Astrid's spell and crumble to the wooden deck, she purposefully saves three for last. The men who she'd faced earlier that evening are covered in slash and puncture wounds, their breathing labored. Slowly, she faces each one, slashing out their eyes before ripping their chests open with both sets of claws. It is only when there are no more enemies that Shiva comes back to herself. Coming to steady herself, she looks up to Astrid and gives a nod of appreciation. Stepping over bodies, she approaches the priestess of time. "I would've looked like they do now if you hadn't held them with that spell. Thank you." She then feels a tinge of shame, as Astrid must have seen her in her blood-drunk state. "I...let's find the women. They're probably below deck."
Taking one last look back at her work, she recalls what she'd said to a certain nightmare. "Énbarr. It's over, you may come and feed at your leisure."
With that, she makes her way across the deck, surveying what had become of the witch. "****, and I thought that I was the one who ate souls." Looking to the faces of her friends, the levity of her joke is pushed away when seeing their expressions, particularly Ari's. Reaching out, she lays a hand on the bogatyr's shoulder. "She was monstrous for taking part in this. You did what you had to. Let's go find those women and remove their chains."
Alaris stares at the dessicated remains while Caio explains the reality before them. Long moments pass while the bogatyr remains frozen. their mind and heart wrestling with the implications. When Shiva's hand falls on their shoulder, Alaris starts with a spasm. The blade of Hope's Edge tears loose from the deck with a crunch of splintered wood and the bogatyr shakes their head. "No. Well, yes. Let's go free the rest of the slaves, but no - we do not know whether she was a willing participant or as much a slave as they..." Ichor from Shiva's slaughter splatters against Alaris' breastplate, and they run their fingers through the blood with a sigh. "Such a waste of life. Come - let us get done with this business."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
The cabins below deck are dark and silent, but for the creaking of the ship and the rushing of the water outside. No slaves are to be found, but now and again Shiva feels as though something moved in the corner of her eye. However, when she turns to look, there is nothing there.
Shiva casts her eyes about, searching for the source of the movement. She finds it, but too late and the creature is upon her, leaping on her back and clamping sharp teeth down on her shoulder.
Shiva is only able to reach up to try and rid herself of the undead before its teeth find her flesh. Almost instantly, her body feels heavy as her movements become sluggish and uncoordinated. A deeper numbness then begins to spread, threatening to leave her body as cold as the creature straddling her. Darkness encroaches at the edges of her vision, and her breathing stutters as her lungs being to seize.
The demon then screams within her, railing against the embrace of the corpse's kiss. Heat and feeling fill her limbs once more, but she remains sluggish. She hears many footsteps and turns her head to see her companions all reaching out to help her.
The horrid ghoul is red in tooth and claw before Alaris can respond. Seeing the defilement of their beloved friend's flesh by the rotten fruit of the necromancer's art twists the bogatyr's guts with the pain of guilt and frustration and failure. "No!" they cry out, the implacable ring of their voice slashing through the fog of dark fever smothering Shiva. "You will not harm her while we stand. ASTRID! We need you!"
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid,Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions! I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Astrid huffs and clamors down the steps behind the others. She gasps seeing the ghoul attempting to make a meal out of Shiva. The cleric holds her hand up to the heavens and calls down a bolt of holy flame upon the ghoul. It takes all of her effort to keep the flames confined to the undead creature but it still is not enough to keep them from harming the tiefling, as her blue skin begins to lighten and blister under the effects of Astrid's spell.
“Surely we are wicked for we find no rest.” Caio slips like a ghast between Alaris and Astrid, reaching through the flickering embers of holy flame to grab hold of the ghoul my the nape of its neck and whirling to put himself between Shiva and the thrashing corpse.
“Slavery.” he says plainly, matching her glare.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
The woman rolls her eyes at Caio's posturing.
"So noble," she scoffs, before adding with a sad sigh, "such a waste... My name is Sigrid Ingridsdotter, elf. Remember it. We will meet again."
Holding eye contact with Caio, Sigrid steps backwards over the edge of the boat.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
“So hasty,” he spits back as one hand whips out like lightning to snatch the woman’s jet black hair. He tugs hard and spins her away from the edge, using his superior height and strength to throw an arm around her neck and keeping her tresses grasped firmly. He lifts her to her toes and steps towards the center of the deck, towards Alaris. “What say you, fair knight? Sigrid here has places to be it seems, but I don’t think we’re finished here, do you?”
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
With a single wingbeat, the fair knight rushes forward with their arms wide. Slamming into both Caio and Sigrid, they wrap them up and drive them both away from the edge of the longboat. Backwinging to come to a halt, Alaris slams Sigrid to the deck and stands over her. "I think not, my dear shadow. I think not."
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Sigrid grunts from the impact, regaining her composure only after she finds herself on her back beneath Alaris.
"Take me, Charming, I'm yours," she croons up at the knight with bedroom eyes.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
"Cease your prattling, witch, if you have a care for the lives of your wolves."
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
"Their lives are in your hands," Sigrid notes as Shiva continues to massacre the Norscans that Astrid is holding almost frozen in time behind Alaris. "Would you slaughter them over a few minced words?"
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
"She slaughters them for what they've done." Caio spits. "Tell us now, do you have more girls in captivity? Living girls, not the tortured souls you left in your wake."
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
"Oh, you want your turn?" Sigrid asks, winking at Caio suggestively. "You should have just said so."
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
As the Norscan leader undulates on the deck and casts her seductive, sardonic gaze at Caio and Alaris, the aasimar's fingers tighten around Hope's Edge. Images of the horrid corpses rising to attack them... The flock of undead that swarmed over Caio and Shiva... Shiva's descriptions of cruelty and oppression, of living people reduced to sex objects shackled in filth... And even more - this woman radiating from her pores acceptance and contentment and partnership with all that is cruel and corrupt in the cosmos.
With a relentless, implacable finality, Alaris growls, "No." Before Sigrid can begin to escape, the long blade of Hope's Edge rises and then plunges towards her heart!
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
Sigrid lets out a long garbled breath as Hope's Edge slices through the surface of her chest, crushing cartilage and snapping ribs until it finally reaches her heart. The woman's eyes glass over, changing from brown to blue. Her luscious mane of beautiful hair withers and fades to a straggly mop in a mousey-brown that is almost grey. Her face grows gaunt and her cheeks drawn in, until what lies beneath Alaris is a corpse that looks quite different to the woman that they had been fighting just moments ago.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
"This body was not hers," the inquisitor proclaims as his eyes flare with pallid grey light. He turns downriver as if following something with his gaze then points in the same direction. "She is many miles away from here," Caio continues to explain, voice heavy with frustration. "Likely out on a ship in the middle of the Norscan sea. Surely that's where this vessel was heading." He turns to look at Alaris, seeing the unfamiliar glint of wrathful anguish in the angelic warrior's normally serene face. "Another monster to be slain another day."
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
Tearing through muscle, fat, and bone, Shiva eviscerates the enemies held by Astrid's spell. She pours all of her rage, hate, and disgust into her volley, finding that in between her screams and grunts of exertion, she's laughing. The suffering of these men, who would attack, enslave, and strip defenseless women of their humanity is a joy to her that she hadn't tasted so fully since the killing of the man who enslaved her. Sections of her hair are slick with Norscan blood, and little of the blue of her skin can be seen from her elbows downward, every centimeter stained a deep red.
As their lifeless bodies fall from Astrid's spell and crumble to the wooden deck, she purposefully saves three for last. The men who she'd faced earlier that evening are covered in slash and puncture wounds, their breathing labored. Slowly, she faces each one, slashing out their eyes before ripping their chests open with both sets of claws. It is only when there are no more enemies that Shiva comes back to herself. Coming to steady herself, she looks up to Astrid and gives a nod of appreciation. Stepping over bodies, she approaches the priestess of time. "I would've looked like they do now if you hadn't held them with that spell. Thank you." She then feels a tinge of shame, as Astrid must have seen her in her blood-drunk state. "I...let's find the women. They're probably below deck."
Taking one last look back at her work, she recalls what she'd said to a certain nightmare. "Énbarr. It's over, you may come and feed at your leisure."
With that, she makes her way across the deck, surveying what had become of the witch. "****, and I thought that I was the one who ate souls." Looking to the faces of her friends, the levity of her joke is pushed away when seeing their expressions, particularly Ari's. Reaching out, she lays a hand on the bogatyr's shoulder. "She was monstrous for taking part in this. You did what you had to. Let's go find those women and remove their chains."
Alaris stares at the dessicated remains while Caio explains the reality before them. Long moments pass while the bogatyr remains frozen. their mind and heart wrestling with the implications. When Shiva's hand falls on their shoulder, Alaris starts with a spasm. The blade of Hope's Edge tears loose from the deck with a crunch of splintered wood and the bogatyr shakes their head. "No. Well, yes. Let's go free the rest of the slaves, but no - we do not know whether she was a willing participant or as much a slave as they..." Ichor from Shiva's slaughter splatters against Alaris' breastplate, and they run their fingers through the blood with a sigh. "Such a waste of life. Come - let us get done with this business."
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
The cabins below deck are dark and silent, but for the creaking of the ship and the rushing of the water outside. No slaves are to be found, but now and again Shiva feels as though something moved in the corner of her eye. However, when she turns to look, there is nothing there.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Shiva casts her eyes about, searching for the source of the movement. She finds it, but too late and the creature is upon her, leaping on her back and clamping sharp teeth down on her shoulder.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Shiva is only able to reach up to try and rid herself of the undead before its teeth find her flesh. Almost instantly, her body feels heavy as her movements become sluggish and uncoordinated. A deeper numbness then begins to spread, threatening to leave her body as cold as the creature straddling her. Darkness encroaches at the edges of her vision, and her breathing stutters as her lungs being to seize.
The demon then screams within her, railing against the embrace of the corpse's kiss. Heat and feeling fill her limbs once more, but she remains sluggish. She hears many footsteps and turns her head to see her companions all reaching out to help her.
The horrid ghoul is red in tooth and claw before Alaris can respond. Seeing the defilement of their beloved friend's flesh by the rotten fruit of the necromancer's art twists the bogatyr's guts with the pain of guilt and frustration and failure. "No!" they cry out, the implacable ring of their voice slashing through the fog of dark fever smothering Shiva. "You will not harm her while we stand. ASTRID! We need you!"
Eshuvenniel Kazander Ravid, Valor Bard and Acolyte of the Goddess of Luck
Caradoc Langham, Halfling Rogue - Lost Magics - Epic of Pre-made Proportions!
I'm not looking for heaven or hell... just someone to listen to stories I tell...
"Oh, no! What is it now!?"
Astrid huffs and clamors down the steps behind the others. She gasps seeing the ghoul attempting to make a meal out of Shiva. The cleric holds her hand up to the heavens and calls down a bolt of holy flame upon the ghoul. It takes all of her effort to keep the flames confined to the undead creature but it still is not enough to keep them from harming the tiefling, as her blue skin begins to lighten and blister under the effects of Astrid's spell.
"Oh, Shiva! I'm sorry, dear!"
“Surely we are wicked for we find no rest.” Caio slips like a ghast between Alaris and Astrid, reaching through the flickering embers of holy flame to grab hold of the ghoul my the nape of its neck and whirling to put himself between Shiva and the thrashing corpse.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger