King of the Rubble (Help us Hope: Season Finale) - 3/12/19
Dec 4, 2019 14:09:02 GMT
via mobile
Grimes, Varis/G'Lorth/Sundilar, and 4 more like this
Post by Ian (Menace) on Dec 4, 2019 14:09:02 GMT
The quiet is almost oppressive. Where only hours before, the air had been filled with the sounds of horns, the crash of boulders, and the cries of the wounded and dying, only the low hum of industrious clatter remains, as the survivors of Nrav’Garat clear the rubble from their streets. The battle is over, and the war may have stopped, but the campaign to survey the damage and begin the painful process of rebuilding has only just begun.
Through the hum-drum of shifting detritus, wagon loads of injured, and grimly determined search parties skips a cloaked tiefling - hood drawn fast over his head, whistling a tune as he weaves through the chaos.
Mace is pleased. Surviving the battle against the giants, after having led the strike force against their general, he is now surveying the remains of the once proud city, nestled within a forest - or what is left of it, for the giants left nothing unscathed; black smoke still billows from beyond the breached walls. But none of that fazes Mace, as he wanders the ruins, cheerily looking for pickings among the hastily abandoned homes of the townsfolk. The battle is still fresh in his mind, and the thrill of tasting sweet victory has made him eagre for more.
So much death. So much slaughter. Truly, our Lord could not have asked for a greater gift.
Mace had arrived from Zot’Goran and immediately assumed command of the mercenary strike force dispatched to aid in the defense of Nrav’Garat, the town already being under assault from giants, Gotreshamnian elves and the Shunned. Sheryl, Will, Arkadius, Taz and Gegrun had proved a coherent unit, well accustomed to fighting together. They had been ordered by Lady Breeze, commander of the Kul’Goranian defenders, to rescue a number of civilians still holding out in the southern part of the city, and cover their retreat to the safety of the central keep and its teleportation circle. While the giants continued their bombardment of the city by hurling boulders into and over the walls, the strike force of Kantasian adventurers pushed forward, crushing a raiding troop of Shunned goblins engaged with forward elements of the giants’ scaling parties. Gegrun, Arkadius, Will and Taz utterly annihilated the surprised invaders, supported by Mace’s tactical mastery, while Sheryl had rushed ahead to secure the civilians, and leading them to safety.
The ground truly drank its fill today. What marvelous bloodshed!
There was no time for rest or respite, as the giants breached the walls and began their push into the city. Forming the spear tip of the counter charge, the adventurers met the vanguard of the giants head on. Led by the fire giant general, they faced a pack of dire wolves, as well as a group of ogres, ready to tear into the soft innerts of the city, as if it were a wounded lamb. It was then that the Kantasian adventurers were reinforced by Matthew the bard, battered from the fighting that now threatened to spread throughout the city. Mace has swiftly assessed the tactical situation and split his forces to deal with both the ogres and wolves, before they could disperse and flank the remaining defenders. Had those not been engaged and tied up at the gate, the Kul’Goranians on the walls would surely have been overwhelmed and the city lost. But the fighting proved fierce, and the mercenaries’ were on the verge of buckling, when the remaining Shunned raiders appeared from underground. Sheryl saved the day, as she assumed the commanding presence of a fey noble, turning the goblins against the ravening beasts and their fire giant master.
We shall let her have this day. I so adore the desperate charge of meat shields to certain death! How they screamed, and bled...
Distracted by the goblins throwing themselves at him, the fire giant general was overwhelmed by Gegrun who chopped off his head with a mighty swing. The surviving Shunned then withdrew, seeing no way to overcome the combined might of Kul’Goran and Daring Heights.
The battle was won - and then the earth erupted. Whatever magic had been unleashed elsewhere in the war was felt all the way to Nrav’Garat, as fissures spread, and unearthly orange light seeped from the wounds of the earth. What caused it, what it meant, noone was certain; only that this day the ground has finally sated its thirst for blood, which no longer was absorbed as greedily as the land had once been famous for.
“Certainly, a curiosity. But one that can wait for another day. Today, we celebrate!” Mace chuckled to himself, as he combs an abandoned house for valuables. He has come a long way, grown a great deal. His talents had served him well in this war. Close combat is for those of simple minds - the hired help - while he turns his attention to the bigger picture. A well placed word here, a timely command there; they made all the difference. Let others play with clumsy swords, while- VICTIM!
The thought flashes in his mind briefly, as he notices a figure crouched desperately behind a toppled table. A swift kick, and he comes face to face with a small goblin. His eyes quickly assess the intruder - nervous, alone, likely straggler, runt of the pack - as he interposes himself between the goblin and the door.
“Well, well, well, what have we here?” he says, a smile spreading over his face. The goblin casts about desperately, seeing no easy escape, and barks “Let me go! I am Shunned!” a spark of recognition in its eyes, “We helped you!”
Menace’s smile widens. “Got left behind, did you? Such a shame…”
The goblin lunges for an opening, but gasps as Menace’s knee sinks into its belly, dropping to the floor.
Menace leans down and whispers in the goblins ear. Words, laced with power, poisoned with malice, pierce straight into the mind. “The strong do as they will, and the weak suffer as they must.”
The cleaver feels natural in his hand, heavy and dependable, like an old friend that has always been at his side. The goblin shivers and weeps on the ground, wracked by the dissonant whispers tormenting its mind. As steel meets flesh, there is no resistance - and the cruel blade drinks greedily of its fresh victim’s life.
Lady Breeze, commander of Nrav’Garat, looks up, as she hears the unexpected sound of a whistled tune joining the hum-drum of noise from the field hospital and the minotaur engineering corps clearing rubble from the streets. The hooded tiefling that had come with the Kantasian mercenaries has a spring in his step that is quite at odds with the grim determination of the Kul’Goranian survivors. As he draws up at her desk, he performs an elaborate bow, and addresses her in auric.
“Lady Breeze! How good to see you hale and healthy! I see you survived the battle unscathed - what a victory it was!”
She examines the small man, finding his cheer amidst the carnage ever so slightly unsettling. His leather armor and coat show signs of wear and large dark stains.
“That it was, though victory was bought dearly. I see you have seen your share of fighting?”
He looks down at his clothes, laughs and makes a hurried effort to wipe the blood off his clothes, only succeeding in spreading the dark stains over a larger surface.
“Indeed! War is a bloody business, is it not? Tends to make a real mess of things. But I am glad I could do my small part to help your people, and I would be delighted to return and help you with whatever tasks you have for a man of my talents…”
She looks after him for a moment as he takes his leave and departs via the teleportation circle, not quite being able to shake a faint sense of unease the man seemed to emanate. Returning to her field desk, she begins to write a new order for the quartermaster to dig fresh grave pits outside the city walls - the stench of death was becoming quite unbearable.
Through the hum-drum of shifting detritus, wagon loads of injured, and grimly determined search parties skips a cloaked tiefling - hood drawn fast over his head, whistling a tune as he weaves through the chaos.
Mace is pleased. Surviving the battle against the giants, after having led the strike force against their general, he is now surveying the remains of the once proud city, nestled within a forest - or what is left of it, for the giants left nothing unscathed; black smoke still billows from beyond the breached walls. But none of that fazes Mace, as he wanders the ruins, cheerily looking for pickings among the hastily abandoned homes of the townsfolk. The battle is still fresh in his mind, and the thrill of tasting sweet victory has made him eagre for more.
So much death. So much slaughter. Truly, our Lord could not have asked for a greater gift.
Mace had arrived from Zot’Goran and immediately assumed command of the mercenary strike force dispatched to aid in the defense of Nrav’Garat, the town already being under assault from giants, Gotreshamnian elves and the Shunned. Sheryl, Will, Arkadius, Taz and Gegrun had proved a coherent unit, well accustomed to fighting together. They had been ordered by Lady Breeze, commander of the Kul’Goranian defenders, to rescue a number of civilians still holding out in the southern part of the city, and cover their retreat to the safety of the central keep and its teleportation circle. While the giants continued their bombardment of the city by hurling boulders into and over the walls, the strike force of Kantasian adventurers pushed forward, crushing a raiding troop of Shunned goblins engaged with forward elements of the giants’ scaling parties. Gegrun, Arkadius, Will and Taz utterly annihilated the surprised invaders, supported by Mace’s tactical mastery, while Sheryl had rushed ahead to secure the civilians, and leading them to safety.
The ground truly drank its fill today. What marvelous bloodshed!
There was no time for rest or respite, as the giants breached the walls and began their push into the city. Forming the spear tip of the counter charge, the adventurers met the vanguard of the giants head on. Led by the fire giant general, they faced a pack of dire wolves, as well as a group of ogres, ready to tear into the soft innerts of the city, as if it were a wounded lamb. It was then that the Kantasian adventurers were reinforced by Matthew the bard, battered from the fighting that now threatened to spread throughout the city. Mace has swiftly assessed the tactical situation and split his forces to deal with both the ogres and wolves, before they could disperse and flank the remaining defenders. Had those not been engaged and tied up at the gate, the Kul’Goranians on the walls would surely have been overwhelmed and the city lost. But the fighting proved fierce, and the mercenaries’ were on the verge of buckling, when the remaining Shunned raiders appeared from underground. Sheryl saved the day, as she assumed the commanding presence of a fey noble, turning the goblins against the ravening beasts and their fire giant master.
We shall let her have this day. I so adore the desperate charge of meat shields to certain death! How they screamed, and bled...
Distracted by the goblins throwing themselves at him, the fire giant general was overwhelmed by Gegrun who chopped off his head with a mighty swing. The surviving Shunned then withdrew, seeing no way to overcome the combined might of Kul’Goran and Daring Heights.
The battle was won - and then the earth erupted. Whatever magic had been unleashed elsewhere in the war was felt all the way to Nrav’Garat, as fissures spread, and unearthly orange light seeped from the wounds of the earth. What caused it, what it meant, noone was certain; only that this day the ground has finally sated its thirst for blood, which no longer was absorbed as greedily as the land had once been famous for.
“Certainly, a curiosity. But one that can wait for another day. Today, we celebrate!” Mace chuckled to himself, as he combs an abandoned house for valuables. He has come a long way, grown a great deal. His talents had served him well in this war. Close combat is for those of simple minds - the hired help - while he turns his attention to the bigger picture. A well placed word here, a timely command there; they made all the difference. Let others play with clumsy swords, while- VICTIM!
The thought flashes in his mind briefly, as he notices a figure crouched desperately behind a toppled table. A swift kick, and he comes face to face with a small goblin. His eyes quickly assess the intruder - nervous, alone, likely straggler, runt of the pack - as he interposes himself between the goblin and the door.
“Well, well, well, what have we here?” he says, a smile spreading over his face. The goblin casts about desperately, seeing no easy escape, and barks “Let me go! I am Shunned!” a spark of recognition in its eyes, “We helped you!”
Menace’s smile widens. “Got left behind, did you? Such a shame…”
The goblin lunges for an opening, but gasps as Menace’s knee sinks into its belly, dropping to the floor.
Menace leans down and whispers in the goblins ear. Words, laced with power, poisoned with malice, pierce straight into the mind. “The strong do as they will, and the weak suffer as they must.”
The cleaver feels natural in his hand, heavy and dependable, like an old friend that has always been at his side. The goblin shivers and weeps on the ground, wracked by the dissonant whispers tormenting its mind. As steel meets flesh, there is no resistance - and the cruel blade drinks greedily of its fresh victim’s life.
Lady Breeze, commander of Nrav’Garat, looks up, as she hears the unexpected sound of a whistled tune joining the hum-drum of noise from the field hospital and the minotaur engineering corps clearing rubble from the streets. The hooded tiefling that had come with the Kantasian mercenaries has a spring in his step that is quite at odds with the grim determination of the Kul’Goranian survivors. As he draws up at her desk, he performs an elaborate bow, and addresses her in auric.
“Lady Breeze! How good to see you hale and healthy! I see you survived the battle unscathed - what a victory it was!”
She examines the small man, finding his cheer amidst the carnage ever so slightly unsettling. His leather armor and coat show signs of wear and large dark stains.
“That it was, though victory was bought dearly. I see you have seen your share of fighting?”
He looks down at his clothes, laughs and makes a hurried effort to wipe the blood off his clothes, only succeeding in spreading the dark stains over a larger surface.
“Indeed! War is a bloody business, is it not? Tends to make a real mess of things. But I am glad I could do my small part to help your people, and I would be delighted to return and help you with whatever tasks you have for a man of my talents…”
She looks after him for a moment as he takes his leave and departs via the teleportation circle, not quite being able to shake a faint sense of unease the man seemed to emanate. Returning to her field desk, she begins to write a new order for the quartermaster to dig fresh grave pits outside the city walls - the stench of death was becoming quite unbearable.
