forums.rs

Forums

^+^ The Age of Nhur ^+^

Quick find code: 49-50-404-60641944

of 63
A Mad Hatter
Dec
fmod Member
2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Eh, gotta manually bump this thing, but figured I'd also drop a note to self/preview thing since I'm running behind on writing atm and figure I should at least follow through with one of my unwritten story policies (translation: school and a bunch of other crap is keeping me from writing, so you're all stuck with the cruel fate of anticipation instead. :P )

Anyway, coming soon:

Jailbreak
The stone prisoner
Traitors
Mahjarrat
The Spider vs Viez.....

.....and the Horde prepares for war as 'Hounds begin to stalk the world of shadow.

(Manual bumps ftl, but at least this one's more fun than doing one in GFB ^.^)
^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

15-Apr-2010 04:01:45 - Last edited on 15-Apr-2010 04:02:27 by A Mad Hatter

A Mad Hatter
Dec
fmod Member
2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Eh, 'nother manual bump >.>

Expect adds to happen within the week. The semester's ending soon, so they'll have to be the last real adds until a few weeks into May since I need to study my ass off for finals :|
^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

28-Apr-2010 01:56:39

A Mad Hatter
Dec
fmod Member
2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Chapter4
<><>
Location: Somewhere in the wilderness surrounding Ukrosha

Uthalion sighed as he lifted his helmet and began to survey the land once again. As usual, all he saw was a normal, everyday field with some hills before him, along with a few clusters of trees dotting the landscape here and there. Which wasn’t a bad thing, he thought. He always preferred the open wilderness compared to the city anyway, because unlike Ukrosha, which was normally dark most of the time thanks in part to the shadows supporting the buildings there, the wilderness was pure beauty. Part of it was because the shadows which were a natural part of the plane itself, which infused the various plants as well as some of the local wildlife, while another reason was because the naturally occurring twilight lent the landscape an unnatural , yet comforting feeling to anyone who took the time to stop and smell the proverbial roses.

A man came up behind him, and asked, “Is this the place?” Uthalion regarded the man, a bald headed guy who looked like he never stepped foot outside of a lord’s manor before now, and said, “He said this was supposed to be the area, Smithe. Now, we really need to find this damn thing soon, or else we won’t be goin’ home anytime soon.” He then put his helmet back on, picked up his pack from the ground, and began to descend the hill they had just reached the peak of.

Smithe nodded, and picked up his pack with a huff before proceeding to follow Uthalion down the hill they were on. As they neared the bottom, Uthalion came to a stop, and held up his hand to signal for Smithe to do the same. He managed to sneak a glance beyond Uthalion, and saw a small group standing before them. The creatures looked odd to him at first, and then he realized that the band was comprised of Rakshasa’s. He also noticed that they were armed and armored in tribal looking gear, as if they were expecting a fight and wanted to carry a light load just in case things went bad.
^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

04-May-2010 04:54:13

A Mad Hatter
Dec
fmod Member
2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The Rakshasa that looked like the leader of the band, a muscular, hulking tiger-like creature with black stripes contrasting with its stark white fur, came forward. He regarded the two with a strange calmness which somehow seemed out of place, given the circumstances. Its eyes settled on Uthalion, and it asked in a deep, guttural voice, “What is your business here, trespassers? Speak quickly and truthfully, or else I can safely say that you won’t be going home in one piece!”

Uthalion glanced back at Smithe and nodded. Smithe knew that he couldn’t keep calm when dealing with unfavorable situations, so he knew that he was better off letting Uthalion doing the talking. “I’m sorry, goodsir," Uthalion replied. “We were unaware that this land was claimed by anyone, and were just passing through on a job.”

The tiger-man laughed, and the rest of the band echoed his laughter. “Ah, so you’re hunters, then,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ll ask you once, leave our lands. We have no wish for a fight, but we won’t hesitate to defend our homestead and game stock.”

Uthalion shook his head. “I’m sorry, but you have it all wrong. Yes, we’re hunters, but not the kind that takes the lives of animals. We just want to reacquire something for our employer, and bring it back to collect our pay. Nothing more, nothing less."

"What is it that you seek, hmmm?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you. Not that it matters, because to be quite honest, I’m not sure myself. All we know is that it resides in a tomb of sorts that’s rumored to be in this area somewhere. Surely your horde won’t object to two Shades just collecting our stuff and getting out of here with no harm done towards you and yours?”
^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

04-May-2010 04:54:23 - Last edited on 20-Oct-2010 04:01:36 by A Mad Hatter

A Mad Hatter
Dec
fmod Member
2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The Rakshasa looked them over, taking their measure. He turned back to the group, and they began to speak amongst themselves in hushed whispers. Smithe was nervous, and the beads of sweat pouring off of his head showed it. “Ummm….Uthalion, are you sure that it’s wise to let them know what we’re after?” he asked.

“No, but what choice do we have?” he replied. “If they think we’re here under the Emperor’s orders, chances are they’ll fight us. If they think we’re hunters after their stock, they’ll fight us. Give them a reason to suspect that we’re assassins from another clan, and guess what happens….they’ll fight us. It’s best just to reassure them that we mean no harm and give them no reason to attack.”

Smithe realized that he was right. If there was one thing any traveler who wanted to traverse the Plane of Shadow knew, it was never to fight a Rakshasa in its own territory-after all, not only was there the chance of being outnumbered, but the tiger-men also had some strange connection with their lands which allowed even a lone Rakshasa to wipe the floor with a team of highly trained and fully armed Ordinators.

Just as he finished his thought, the leader came back to address them. “We’ve decided that you may pass. But know this: if you harm any of our stock, or our own people, we will hunt you down. The forest has many eyes.”

“Thank you,” Uthalion said. “We are most grateful that this hadn’t come to bloodshed. You have my word that we will only collect our trinkets and leave in peace.”

The leader nodded, and turned back to the group, which had started to leave. He stopped, and turned back to the two Shades, and replied, “So are we. But, a warning for you. This thing you seek…it is in a tomb, yes? There is only one we know of here, and we leave it alone for a reason.”
^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

04-May-2010 04:54:37 - Last edited on 20-Oct-2010 04:02:32 by A Mad Hatter

A Mad Hatter
Dec
fmod Member
2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“What are you talking about?” Smithe asked.

“You shall see,” the Rakshasa replied. “We won’t attack you, because we know the fate in store for you. Many have come seeking the treasure, including our own, and none have returned. Be warned: if you wish to live, you must abandon your quest. Otherwise, we shall not weep for your foolishness.”

“We’ll take our chances,* Uthalion replied. “Thank you for your kind words of warning, but I doubt what we’re seeking is what you’re talking about.”

“For your sake, I hope so,” the Rakshasa said. The creature then turned and ran back in the direction the others had retreated to.

“What was that about?” Smithe asked. Uthalion shook his head. “I’m not sure. I guess they’re just superstitious is all.”

“I guess so,” Smithe said. “They said something about a forest. Does the map have any forests mentioned on it?”

Uthalion shrugged. “I have no clue. Let me check.” He brought his hand up to touch where the temples on his face would be underneath his helmet, and the eye sockets of the helmet began to shine an azure color for a few seconds before fading. Uthalion stood still for a second, and then said, “Actually, yeah. There’s a forest a few miles to the west of our position. We should be able to make it there in an hour or two, and if we hurry we could make camp and have time to look for this place before nightfall.”

“Oh, great!” Smithe cried as he began to walk towards the west. “Let’s get going then before we run into another wandering tribe.” Uthalion agreed, and they began traveling again.
^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

04-May-2010 04:54:51 - Last edited on 28-Dec-2010 03:14:17 by A Mad Hatter

A Mad Hatter
Dec
fmod Member
2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
After an hour, they finally saw a line of trees on the horizon, and not soon after they reached the edge of the forest that was mentioned on the map. The forest itself looked no different from any other found on the Plane of Shadow- all it had was a lot of trees close together to the point where from a distance they looked like one big black wall, but on closer inspection they were far apart from each other so light could still reach the floor- but something about it made both men nervous.

Regardless, the men decided to set up camp first, which took them only a few minutes since they packed light, and after finishing, Uthalion took his helmet off before reaching into his pack and pulling out a small anvil and a bag full of metalworking tools.

Smithe remarked, “Seriously? You’re messing around with your gear this late in the day?”

“Hey,” Uthalion shot back. “. It’s not like Katagon grows on trees or anything, and the enchantments I had put on the set kinda set me back a bit financially. So don't act surprised that I want to get every last bit of my moneys worth out of it as much as possible before I have to replace it all.”

Smithe sighed. He couldn’t blame Uthalion for caring about his gear a lot, but at times he wondered why his best friend would wear it all of the time like it was his second skin. After all, he pretty much had it made- if his slightly muscular build didn't attract any girlfriends, his brown hair done in a crew cut coupled with a charming smile would do the job, and if there was one thing any monks of the Masked God such as Smithe hated, it was seeing one’s full potential go to waste.
^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

04-May-2010 04:55:00 - Last edited on 20-Oct-2010 04:04:05 by A Mad Hatter

A Mad Hatter
Dec
fmod Member
2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Oh, well, he thought, I guess it’s just one of those things nobody could fix. It wasn’t like Smithe was any good himself either. Thinking back, he found himself wishing at times that he hadn’t joined the Order of the Mask and devoted his life to trying to bring out the best of random people, much less a Changed One. All he got for his hard work was a place to stay at the monastery located on the outskirts of a village called Egrissa, which wasn’t much considering the whole area was one giant swamp with a small fishing platform comprising the entirety of the “village”.

A sound broke his train of thought. Looking over, he found Uthalion running a needle like tool over some barely visible markings on his helmet and chestplate which was propped up with the anvil, which was making an annoying scraping sound as it touched the metal. Smithe stood and watched as he worked, and after what seemed like an eternity, Uthalion finally wrapped his tools up in a cloth, and put them back in his bag along with the anvil. “So, can we go look now?" Smithe asked.

“Sure, just let me get this stuff back on,” he replied. He skillfully donned his armor and helmet, and within the span of minutes, Uthalion no longer looked like a Shade, but rather some purple horned monstrosity born from an alien world. This seemed fitting, Smithe thought, because he knew what Uthalion was capable of in his gear. He knew that whatever drove the Rakshasa away from the area probably wouldn’t last too long in a fight, so he calmed down a bit. “Alright, done.” Uthalion said. “Let’s roll.”

~^+^~

A few hours went by before they found the entrance to what they guessed was the tomb that the Rakshasas had mentioned. There was really nothing worthy of note about the whole thing, even the three gargoyle statues perched menacingly above the doorway were mostly eroded to the point where very few features could be made out, except for the fact that the entrance seemed to have been built into the side of a small hill.
^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

04-May-2010 04:55:12 - Last edited on 20-Oct-2010 04:05:10 by A Mad Hatter

A Mad Hatter
Dec
fmod Member
2005

A Mad Hatter

Forum Moderator Posts: 9,861 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Well, this looks like the place,” Uthalion said. Smithe agreed. As they approached the doorway, Smite noticed that the doorway had some strange markings carved into the stone. In fact, as he soon realized, the pillars keeping the earthen ceiling from caving in were covered in the markings as well. Various swirls and contoured patterns made up a majority of the symbols, though a few sharp edges and esoteric symbols were present as well.

“Strange,” he murmured. “I knew we were supposed to raid a mage’s tomb, but I don’t think any mage would even recognize these symbols.”

“Now that you mention it, these markings kinda do look odd for a mage.” Uthalion said in agreement. “Hell, I haven’t even seen these things while serving under the Banner of the Ruby, and those guys went into some pretty crazy areas as it was.”

“Well, it looks like ex-bounty-hunters-turned-treasure-hunters first then,” Smithe said with a sigh. “You’re heavily armed compared to me anyway, so go get ‘em buddy!”

Uthalion shrugged, and then put his hands onto the stone door and pushed with a grunt. He kept at it for a minute, and then it suddenly gave way to reveal a small room that was bare, save for a lone spiral staircase leading downward in the middle. Uthalion began to descend the staircase, with Smithe following not far behind him.

They soon reached the end of the stairs, and went through the only hallway until they found themselves in a much bigger room than the initial entrance, which was also well lit for an abandoned crypt. Strange statues dotted the room, along with a few tapestries on the walls depicting a kind of creature which seemed to be a half dog and half man merged together, with two horns protruding from its head, and what appeared to be some kind of skeletal designs sticking out of what Uthalion could only guess was some kind of fur.
^+^ Antediluvian of the Draculesti Bloodline ^+^

^+^ If the Gods see fit to curse us with the Blood, then we shall raise ourselves above them ^+^

04-May-2010 04:55:22 - Last edited on 04-May-2010 04:56:32 by A Mad Hatter

Quick find code: 49-50-404-60641944 Back to Top