Things that go bump...

Tviyr was the first boundary to be created when Fellsgard was freed from Bhelest. There is a diverse magnitude of adventurers that trek through this countryside. Decorated with grassland, coastline, forest, and jungle, it's quite the vision. Read more...
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Gailen Boden-Ashdown
Character
The drunken Hedge Knight
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01
25 / 25 HP
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Class: Fighter and Ranger
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Things that go bump...

Post by Gailen Boden-Ashdown »

THE SERPENT KIN
EVENING/MISTY

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Gailen moved a bit closer to the fire, stretching out his hands, more for comfort than for warmth. Mouse was also standing closer and closer to the fire, ears turning this way and that as his skin twitched every few seconds.
"Stop it. You are putting me on edge with your twitching." Gailen told him. Mouse snorted at him, but he still stood closer to Gailen. The knight had to admit, he wasn't sitting closer to the fire because he was cold. This area of the Ordinuad always ran a shiver through his spine. He never stops here. Unfortunately, this time, this place was his destination. As he had passed through Verdant Row, he had heard talk of a dark creature that hailed from here and which carried away the occasional villager. He was soon approached by some villagers, giving him a small bag of coins to get rid of this monster. The money did not hurt, but he felt compelled to help them nonetheless. So here he was, on the semi-solid ground on a bend of the Serpent Kin, wonderfully on edge with no idea of what it was he was hunting.

A twig snapped a little ways to their right. Both Gailen and Mouse's heads snapped up at this. Another shiver ran through the horse and his nostrils flared. Gailen drew Bianca from her scabbard as he peered into the darkness. He really wished he hadn't finished his flask of ale before he made camp. He needed the confidence now, as he did not fancy fighting whatever or whoever it was that was moving through the trees in their direction at night. Gailen slowly got to his feet, scanning the area around him, wishing for the first time that he was Kerasoka so that he could see in the dark.

@Rothardan
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Katarya Frost
Character
Witch
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04
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Re: Things that go bump...

Post by Katarya Frost »

Cursing, Katarya Frost pulled at her skirt which had got snagged on yet another broken branch and pushed through the brush, grimacing as her boots sank slightly in the soft ground.

'Why I thought a skirt and heels would do for this Ny'tha-forsaken place is beyond me! she thought, as she took a moment to catch her breath.

It had supposed to be a standard trip to Verdant Row to pick up herbs for her newly acquired apothecary (though much smaller than her previous place, she was still grateful to Farro for the coin to buy it; even if it would come with a price not yet paid), when she had heard of a "disturbance in the woods" that was spooking the locals (which was quite something; spooking ghosts!). She had been told she would receive silver if she could make it go away, and though Farro might be willing to fund her new enterprise, she knew the deeper in his debt she was (and she was already in deep), the bigger the price she would eventually pay.

So she decided she would make her own money.

'And now I am lost in a swamp.'

Taking a breath, Kat closed her eyes and held up her hands. Whispering in Elvish "Rad- nin i lond bar" To view this content, you must log in.  ] When she opened her eyes, the shadow of a small bird materialised in the gloom and flew around her, then flitted off into the darkness. "I guess it's that way." she said, aloud.

***

When Katarya saw the flicker of the fire, she hiked up her skirt and pushed her way through as fast as she could. She had specified in her small spell that she ought to be going 'home', but a campfire would be good enough ... unless it was a bandit camp.

Well, she would either die in a swamp or die fighting bandits, and her pride meant that she was not going to die in a swamp.

Pushing through the last of the bush, she winced against the sudden brightness of the fire, her hand coming up to shield her vision from the glare. "Hello?" she called out. "Damsel in distress, here! Please don't kill, rape or eat me. I have coin."

She must have looked quite the sight. Her snug black shirt and skirts snagged and muddy, her dark hair almost completely pulled free from it's braid, and even the twinkling of her modest jewellery was out of place in her general look. She lowered her hand to look up at the man before her, her jet black eyes narrowing as she tried to make out his features against the backdrop of the fire.
Word count: 443
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"Now is the Time, now is Hour, mine is the Magic, mine is the Power"
User avatar
Gailen Boden-Ashdown
Character
The drunken Hedge Knight
Level
01
25 / 25 HP
18 / 18 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Human
Class: Fighter and Ranger
Posts: 13
Joined: July 15th, 2020, 1:44 pm
Has thanked: 13 times
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Re: Things that go bump...

Post by Gailen Boden-Ashdown »

When a figure stepped into the circle of light, Mouse shied away with a screech. At the same time, a woman's voice asked for help.
"Whoa, Mouse! Easy!" Gailen said, holding out his free hand in a calming motion. "It's just a lady, you twat!" he added when Mouse was still aiming to rear. When Mouse finally quieted down, Gailen turned back to the woman.
"What are you doing here? This is no place for a lady." he said, sheathing his sword. "Who are you?" he added.

Just then, a human-like screech could be heard through the night. Gailen's head snapped to the side, along with Mouse's snort. What ever the creature was, it was out hunting. Hopefully, with him here, it would leave the villagers be.

He needed a drink.

He turned back to the woman.
"This is a very dangerous area right now, my lady. I suggest you stay close to the fire." he said, pulling his crossbow from the saddle that was lying on the ground. He fitted an enchanted steel bolt and waited. Mouse will probably curse him, but Gailen could not allow this thing to keep plaguing the land. That screech had given him an idea of what it could be. He just hoped he had enough bolts for a Harpy.

@Katarya Frost
Word count: 218
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Katarya Frost
Character
Witch
Level
04
46 / 46 HP
40 / 40 MP
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Re: Things that go bump...

Post by Katarya Frost »

When she saw it was one man and a horse, Kat felt a sense of relief. A single man she might just be able to handle, if he decided to get difficult.

Smoothing her dark hair back and lifting her chin, she stepped closer to the fire. For a young woman, she had a way of holding herself that spoke of a deep pride (with perhaps a tinge of over-confidence). She also couldn't deny that being called 'my lady' did not displease her, as she was used to being called much worse things by many people.

"I happen to be looking for whatever it is that is scaring the locals, good sir." she said, trying to muster some self-pride despite being muddy and looking like she had been dragged backwards through a hedge. "I thought the silver might come in handy."

The screech made her turn around quickly, taking a step backwards, closer to the fire, the warmth of which she barely felt. It had been a long time since she had been able to feel warmth, the dark magic inside her was like ice-water through her veins. But the light was comforting.

When he suggested she stay back, she turned her head to see him fitting a bolt to a crossbow, she glanced up at his face. He was handsome, in a way that spoke of long travels and nights sleeping under the stars, not the pretty face of a soft noble. But his bearing and the way he held himself ... "You're a knight ..." she mused, aloud. "I am Katarya Frost. My friends call me 'Kat' ... or at least they would if I had any friends. You may call me what you wish."

When the screech pierced the air again, she turned back to its general direction. "I am just a simple healer," she lied. "But I might be able to provide you with a little assistance, Sir Knight." She held up her hand, closed her fist, then extended her first two fingers. Taking a deep breath, her eyes narrowed and then she spoke. "Nanhalya!" To view this content, you must log in.  ] She said in clear Elvish, her voice ringing out in the darkness.

From her hand, a wave of silver tinged shadow spread forth before her, out into the darkness like the casting of a great net. As it did, in the pitch black of the night, a sudden silver outline of a monstrous, winged creature manifested in the air not far from where they stood.

Kat took a quick breath, her heart beating faster. Thank Ny'tha she had not taken that thing on alone; she would surely have not come out on top. "The silver won't last long, Sir Knight." she said, without looking back. "You won't have long before it goes dark again." She spoke with more confidence than she felt, but she never saw the use in panicking. If she were to to die - even if it was being torn apart by what was obviously a harpy - she would do so with at least some dignity ... she hoped.
Word count: 508
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"Now is the Time, now is Hour, mine is the Magic, mine is the Power"
User avatar
Gailen Boden-Ashdown
Character
The drunken Hedge Knight
Level
01
25 / 25 HP
18 / 18 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Human
Class: Fighter and Ranger
Posts: 13
Joined: July 15th, 2020, 1:44 pm
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 10 times

Re: Things that go bump...

Post by Gailen Boden-Ashdown »

When she called him out as a knight, he looked up from the crossbow and gave a smirk.
"I have not considered myself one in a long time. I am just a traveler who helps folks in need. Gailen Boden at your acquaintance." he said. Mouse snorted at him. "All right! No need to be rude!" Gailen retorted before turning back to the woman that had introduced herself as Katarya Frost. "I often help folks for a bit of coin." he added to his initial statement quite bashfully.

His embarrassment did not last long though, as another screech filled the night air - this time closer. Gailen brought the crossbow to his shoulder, but was surprised when Katarya uttered some Elvish word and some silver shot out from her fingers. It seemed a witch had stumbled onto his campsite. That could only help.

The silver outlined a gigantic Harpy. He sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. He was hoping for a youngling, not a battle hardened creature. It has been a while since he had dealt with one of those.
Katarya told him that the silver would not last long. With a nod, he then released the enchanted bolt at the winged beast that was heading right for them. He then fitted another bolt with a practiced movement and brought the bow to his shoulder again.
The initial bolt had found a mark in the creature's wing joint, but did little to balk it, other than keep it on the ground.
"Curses!" he exclaimed before releasing another bolt at the bulk. It embedded high on the bird-creature's thigh. A painful screech echoed though the night, as it finally slowed down. His chance was now.

Gailen dropped the crossbow and drew Bianca from his hip once more and grabbing his shield from the ground before making a beeline for the Harpy.

@Katarya Frost
Word count: 316
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User avatar
Katarya Frost
Character
Witch
Level
04
46 / 46 HP
40 / 40 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 35c
Race: Human
Class: Wizard
Posts: 315
Joined: September 27th, 2019, 12:09 am
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Re: Things that go bump...

Post by Katarya Frost »

Kat held her breath as the bolts flew out into the darkness and hit their mark; he was a good shot! But it didn't stop the harpy, only slowing it down a little.

When Gailen dropped the crossbow and pulled his sword free, Katarya raised a brow. "You're going to fight this thing one on one?! She shook her head. Either he was a great swordsman or a great madman; she often saw both qualities in the same man (it was always a man)

She hiked up her skirts a little and moved behind him. "We both know I'm a witch ... something that would get me hauled off to prison in Fellsguard where I'm from. I'm not a fancy mage, but I might be of some assistance. There's a spell-"

Kat was cut off by a deepo scream, bellowing out it's anger and pain as it moved towards them. She shivered a little in fear - to think she had been out here trying to hunt the thing herself! But a harpy in these parts was unheard of, so she had arrogantly thought she could handle whatever ghoul or ghost might be causing such problems. "No time to explain, also," she said, glancing at him. "If you tell me to stay here where it's safe, you will be soundly ignored. So lead on, Sir Gailen."

She certainly sounded very determined. It seemed Katarya Frost was not used to being told what to do, or if she was told what to do, rarely did so.
Word count: 254
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"Now is the Time, now is Hour, mine is the Magic, mine is the Power"
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