Dark Lands: The prison of death

1. Dark Lands: The prison of death

   #81

   Seeing Coal Dog's success with his attack, in a flash, Andimia sheathes her right sword, and pulls one of four daggers from her right thigh, throwing it at the hideous creature's head, finishing the throw by unsheathing her sword in one fluent motion.

2. Dark Lands: The prison of death

   #82

   Silence erupted into chaos as one of the passages that led off the cavern began belching smoke and fire. Shouts and warcries echoed across the dank stone and flickering lights shot across.
   
   Tras jolted awake, grabbing at Vyre, his rapier, as an arrow clattered harmlessly across the carvern. He spotted the chaos that one of the tunnels emitted and ran towards it. Smoke obstructed his sight and he did not dare to charge into the place, filled with shadowy figures and dangerous movements. And magic.
   
   Magic. The heavy stench of it. But not for long...
   
   Tras stood, slightl shadowed by the billowing smoke as a ghostly white began creeping from his form. A flicker of antimagic, the bane of all mages, emitted itself from his motionless form. Then it died, the spark never burning to a flame.
   
   "What in the name of..."
   
   He trailed off and gave up trying to use his antimagic, which seemed to be dampened.
   
   "Hoy! Can any of thee hear me?"

3. Dark Lands: The prison of death

   #83

   The charred beast stomped forward, nearly toppling, and swiped at Andimia with an ashy paw. The slap went high, however, and swept over the woman's head, swinging the creature off-balance.
   Coal Dog struck, slicing a layer of flesh from the leg of the thing, and a foetid stench arose as his blade met the bone. The flesh was rotten to the muscle.

4. Dark Lands: The prison of death

   #84

   (OOC: Just as a reminder, the only reason Jade can smell magic is her unique ancesty, which gave her, among other things, a heightened sense of smell.)
   
   Too much. It was too much. The stench rose from the wounds of the monster like a tangible thing. Jade staggerd backwards, choking. Could none of them smell it? She moved out of the way, allowing the others more room to fight. She moved to the far edge of the room, trying to get air.

5. Dark Lands: The prison of death

   #85

   As the creature swung at her, Andimia ducked a little, then stepped to the side and slashed at the beast's exposed side with her two swords. The Rogue stepped back to put her mask accross her face as the stench was horrible. Andimia saw her dagger lying on the floor accross the cavern. How had she missed her target? She then noticed Jade gasping for air. As all sound in her head went quiet except for the beating of her heart, Andimia looked back towards the beast just as it was taking another swing at her.

6. Dark Lands: The prison of death

   #86

   As he hacks at the creature ineffectually, there's little Searren can do, except to do his best to sidle his way past, attempting to flank the creature cursing all the way. For a moment, he is stopped by a swinging paw, catching it on his runed blade for a moment, before breaking free, to emerge behind the creature. He makes several more mostly inneffectual hacks, frustration and angre building on his face all the while, until the runes upon the blade burst into flame.
   
   For a moment, the blade rises, before it swings down again, the runes channeling the man's rage into burning flame and cutting power.

7. Dark Lands: The prison of death

   #87

   Tarquin studies the woman who backs away, seemedly choking at the odours of the battle, but then blinks, his gaze darting backwards down the tunnel as that sickly feeling of null-magic begins down there, and Tarquin actually hisses in fury - Such things he loathed... But his hiss dies down as that feeling fades - whatever made that seemed to have stopped now... Then, of course, comes a mans voice from that corridoor, and Tarquin seriously considers not replying - In any other circumstances, he would kill such a threat to his existence... but, null-magic could be quite effective for the future of their 'adventure', so his better judgement decides him to put aside his hatred for the moment, "Come, aid us..." His voice was just a broken, ragged whisper, but all the same it would seem to penetrate the sound of battle and the distance to reach the ears of the man down that corridoor.
   
   Tarquin does not linger to await a response, however, and his attention turns once again back to the creature attacking them. He raises his right arm, pointing index and middle finger towards the creatures midsection and awaiting for a clear shot. The second he gets one, the mage utters in a broken, barely audible voice, "fulguritus..." Promptly, as though summoned, a spark of what seems to be pure, electrical energy vines around the mans fingers, as though hesitant to leave, but then, in a burst, and a crack of sound, the blue and pure white light darts from his finger, streaking with great speed towards the beast. Whether it hits or not, Tarquin's shoulders then slump, and his knees buckle slightly, causing him to stumble ungracefully back. His leg catches apon the hem of his black robe as he stumbles back, and he consequently looses his footing, falling down to the ground with a heavy exhalation of breath. Straight after, however, he pushes himself off the ground into a kneeling position, one hand raised to his forehead and his gaze cast to the ground. He is breathing quite heavily, and seems defenseless for the moment - If the creature has not been too effected by the spell, and if it manages to break past the others attacking it, it may have a quite clear shot to this weakened mage.

8. Dark Lands: The prison of death

   #88

   The glowing blade and flashing bolt sheared through charred and stinking flesh, smashing through bone and releasing a cloud of horrible gray gas from the beast's innards. The whole ashy mass released a rattling screech, and, releasing a swirl of foul vapor, toppled to the floor, brain matter, blood, and charred ash splashing outward over the floor.
   "Shark's...Teeth..." Coal Dog gasped, catching his breath. "We've felled that demon!"
   He seemed not to realize the sorcerous power of Searren.

9. Dark Lands: The prison of death

   #89

   Jade gasped for air. Even dead, the stench was hideous. She finally got enough breath back to stand up and look around. It was dead, true, but it had made a hell of a mess. Coal Dog had taken still undetermined injuries, and Tarquin looked like he was about to drop. And there was yet another newcomer, in the passage behind the dead thing. "This just keeps getting better and better."

10. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #90

    Apon hearing the pirates utterance, Tarquin pushes himself to his feet, though at first seeming as though he would stumble once again. His gaze seems to flicker into an orangey hue as Tarquins gaze shifts from physical to ethereal. His eyes study the surroundings for that soul that would have been released apon the death of the creature. He gives a faint growl, though, apon finding nothing, and utters, "Damn..." Softly, but with intense emotion. He was depending on that soul to refresh him for the next battle - and since there wasnt any, he will still not be able to cast any particuarly powerful spells for a while. The mages eyes slide back into that hellish, crimson shade once again and he now turns his gaze to the sickening pile of ashes, brain and ooze, looking for anything redeemable to replenish him slightly. Of course, he finds nothing, so instead turns to watch the rest of the group with perhaps uneasy silence. He has come to the conclusion that the beast was either animated, or undead, due to the fact there was no soul. He was familiar with both aspects, but since all magic residue to hold such beasts together fails with the creatures death, he came out of that battle with no gain.

11. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #91

    Several bruises on Coal Dog's tanned arm faded away before their eyes. He didn't seem to notice.
    "What...Was that thing? It looked like gorira!"
    
    (OOC: Yes, I did mean to type "gorira".)

12. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #92

    "I don't know." Jade looked at the pirate thoughtfully. She hadn't smelled any magic on him, but maybe it had just been overwhelmed by the smell of the other magics around. She'd gotten confused before. All she knew was that for some reason, she felt slightly more at ease around him than she did the others. And there was still the matter of the stranger down the hall.

13. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #93

    As Searren's blade slams through the creature, the elfin knight howls something incomprehensible in words that snap and crack, as if they were meant to be spoken by a bonfire rather than a man. It's only a moment after that the war-cry breaks into coughing as he catches a breath of that foul vapor.
    
    Once his lungs are clear of the hacking, he stands straight, looking into the shattered mass of the creature's body. As he speaks, his voice is clear, yet it cracks, snaps and hisses much like the words of his warcry, and his face is unmoving and disturbingly placid, all traces of his anger gone. "Lord of Flame! The cleansing of this place has begun! Grant me the light to see my path and the fury to follow it!" The blade in his hand rises upwards in a sort of salute, before he swings it down sharply, and sheathes it.
    
    His ritual done, Searren steps forwards, treading ash underfoot, as he says, "Whatever it was, I'm entirely certain it wasn't what it was born. Someone made it, and there will likely be more akin to it. That someone probably won't be very keen on us being here and alive, and killing his pets. Therefore, we need to start moving, and start being ready for the next thing to come. I suggest we start with finding that thing's lair, and seeing if the last few people he dined on had something we can use."
    
    (Edit: One day, I'll learn how to type. Really.)

14. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #94

    Andimia picked herself off of the gound of the cavern, coughing from the stench of the slain creature, She had taken an ungraceful dive to avoid the creature's swinging paw. Removing her mask, she brushed her cloak off, and picked up her swords. She looked around to she how the others were fairing. "At least we're all alive." she said weakly as she wiped a chunk of festering flesh off of her arm. after sheathing her swords, she walked over and picked up her dagger, staring at it. "I can't believe I missed." she whispered disappointedly to herself as she placed it in its sheath.

15. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #95

    Coal Dog edged away from Tarquin and stared at Searren.
    "Err...What manner of ears are those? What island'd you come from, friend? Balkarra? Chismek?" he said, walking towards the fire-worshipper. "Or did you come from the Mainland?"

16. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #96

    "Don't worry." Jade stepped up behind her. "I missed-" She was interrupted by a fit of coughing. "I missed it twice. Which is twice more than I should have." She prodded on of the ashy bits with the toe of her boot. "I'm not entirely sure that we're to blame for that."

17. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #97

    Tarquin does not reply to the pirate, even though he had his own suspicions as to what it was - as stated in his previous post. His brow quirks slightly apon the words of Saerren, though - That was a rather good assuption made by him. All the same, he turns back to peer up the passageway that the creature came from, simply watching, eyes penetrating through the darkness. Unfortunately, he had missed the pirates abnormal regeneration - a shame, for Tarquin would certainly have had something snide to say about it. But, he may get injured again in the future... All the same, he gives a faint nod before speaking in a raspy, whispered voice. "Wise words, knight..." His gaze shifts to Saerren once more, peering at him intensly, "We should find corpses..." Of course, his thoughts werent on scavenging a corpses weapon... Of course, there was also both that unconscious man against the wall to think about, as well as that other one down the passageway - that had given off such an unpleasant anti-magic sensation...

18. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #98

    (OOC: Now would be a good time for that char to join the group, methinks.)

19. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #99

    OOC: Can't. Exit's not here.

20. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #100

    "They are ears that hear, just like yours, sir. What other manner of ears are there?" He smiles faintly for a moment, before taking another jingling step, and then another. "I am from the Giantwood, if you must know." As for where this is in relation to Coal Dog's islands? No one knows, really. It'd be something interesting to try to figure out, maybe, but here's not the time and place.
    
    "Are any of you trained in the ways of stealth?" The knight looks ruefully down at his own armor, while he says with the faintest chuckle, "I'd be heard at fifty paces, and I don't think we want to give the things that prowl here that much advance notice of our coming, especially when we don't know where they are, do you?"

21. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #101

    (OOC: Sorry. Wasn't able to hit a computer for several days.)
    
    As the angry smoke cleared away from the passage, the stench of rotting decaying flesh filled Tras's nose as he moved slowly foward, towards a group of four or five. Vyre's hilt was slick with sweat, for although he had not helped bring down the demon thing, he'd watched, hoping for an opening. Now he studied each in turn as he walked thorugh the thinning smoke. Furion's Amulet pulsed against his chest, beneath his armor and his rough linen shirt. Magic was thick in the air and emittated from one or more of these people. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the figure farthest from his sight: a mage. Tras sheathed his rapier Vyre and walked foward, his hands raised palm up in the universal sign of "I'm here and I'm not armed." He stopped several paces away from both the other people and the mess of sludge and blood that was the demon's remains.
    
    "Greetings. I'm Tras. Where am I?"

22. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #102

    Coal Dog stepped forward, striking his chest with his fist in an island greeting.
    "Damned if I know, but we're all here together, so why not come with us? I'm Coal Dog." he said.

23. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #103

    Andimia turned towards Searren still pissed about not getting a hit in on the monster
    "Hmm...that could be a problem. I can be stealthy but I don't know how well that'll work if the other creatures lurking in this hell hole have magic about them like this beast." She said as she looked down at the pile that was their attacker.
    Andimia turned to look at the new arrival with the same dismay that occupied her face when she found her dagger upon the cavern floor. She didn't speak further. Just thinking about the beast made her question her abilities that she had so carefully trained over the years.

24. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #104

    Briefly turning her attention to Tras, Jade introduced herself, then returned to the question at hand. "I can be extremely silent when I care to be, and if there are any more beasts such as this, I'll probably smell them before we see them." She wrinkled her nose, then sneezed again. She had noticed, however, that she didn't smell a whiff of magic from Tras, which, in her opinion, was good.

25. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #105

    Tras relaxed slightly. Whoever these people were, at least they weren't the least bit hostile. Yet. Tras mimicked the pirate's greeting, nodding in acknowledgement, then looked over the others.
    
    "So no one has any idea where they are or how they got here? I know I sure don't."
    
    Tras trailed off as he examined the corpse of the demon with interest but the rising stench that eminated from its body soon deterred him. He glanced around the passage, dark and foreboding in all directions.
    
    "Not a very friendly place, these tunnels, are they."

26. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #106

    The bronzed over knight only chuckles lightly at this latest remark. "Not cheery at all. Perhaps a little too damp for my taste." And a little too closed in, but he's not going to think about that. Thinking about it will only bother him, and that's not a good thing at all. After a moment's more attention to the fallen corpse, he reaches into a pouch, pulling out a rather thick looking candle, and proceeds to light it with a snap of his fingers, and a cantrip's worth of divinely granted magic.
    
    As the wax at the top of the candle begins to melt, the knight tips it, enough to let a slow, steady dripping of wax fall to the floor. "In any case, we need to start moving. The more we sit here, the sooner we come to starving to death in this benighted hole. I've enough candle that we can retrace our steps for six hours, and it's not too likely that creatures like that one we killed would have the brains to recognize the trail. Anything that's smart enough to follow it can probably smell us anyway. So, let us go. Jade, will you take point?"

27. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #107

    Tarquin Stares reservedly at Tras as he comes forth, and he simply gives a faint nod to the man in greeting, not offering his own name in reply. His gaze turns from him to the others as they speak, and his lips curl further into a disapproving frown. Apon question of where they are, however, the mage chuckles mirthlessly. "You are in the Dark Lands. You will have probably gotten here due to a spell or enchanted item. If the others want to waste their most-probable short lives telling their tales of how they got here, so be it." He falls silent, now, simply giving a fraction of a nod at Searren's words - much as he hated to admit it, the magician would make more noise than a lot of those in here - he doesnt have any skill when it comes to stealth. Thus he crosses his arms impatiently, awaiting the woman to lead the way.

28. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #108

    Jade reloaded her crossbow, and, lacking any specific directions, chose a passage that no one had travelled through yet. She didn't much need the candlelight, and so she was not hesitant to range ahead of the group.

29. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #109

    Coal Dog shrugged and said "Foward-ho!"
    He stepped into the passage after Jade.

30. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #110

    Searren follows after Coal, with a quick look to Tras. "Keep a sword in the rear, I would think." Not very bright to let something sneak up on the softer folks first, now is it?
    
    As he walks, the knight holds his candle out, and tilted, so that the wax drips to the floor, in a steady, almost measured pace. Hopefully, it'll be a little less tasty than Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumbs... and hopefully, it'll keep them from doubling back on themselves. The dust, after all, may not continue. For a man in armor, he is surprisingly quiet, fluid, elven grace serving to mute much of the noise of his movement, yet he's still in armor, and that, at least, is audible.

31. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #111

    "Hey, who are you calling soft!" Andimia glared as she brushed past Searren to join Jade near the front of the line. Her sight might not be as good as Jade's but stealth and exellent hearing make her feel like a good second. She walked forward with a ready hand upon her dagger.

32. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #112

    Tras agreed without arguement and withdrew Vyre from its sheath. The polished blade shone dimly in the candle light, shadowing a deep blood channel that ran through its center. As they moved foward slowly, Tras inspected his clothing. The blue leather overtunic was soiled, covered with dirt and grime. The light armor underneath was fine, as was the rest of it. His heavy leather boots were also alright, though a bit worn from use. He clinked softly as he moved, most of the noise covered from the cloth that protected most of the metal plates. There was nothing here but dark stone, grime, and the foreboding atmosphere that seemed to envelope everything. Everyone. Tras shivered, a chill moving through his body.
    
    The Dark Lands. Ah. That orb did eminate a thick aura of magic. Cursed by all, I am a fool. Stuck here with no way to leave, no guarentees of who is a friend or merely an ally united for a common goal. I don't like this.
    
    Tras did not voice his worries, prefering to keep them to himself. Instead, he kept moving slowly, glancing back frequently as instructed.

33. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #113

    Forward they went.
    Along the hal, small alcoves were set, and in those alcoves stood the legs of statues, smashed off above the hip.
    "Somebody doesn't like sculptures too much, eh?" said Coal Dog, examining the dusty stone legs.
    Further along, there was a very large, round chamber, roof-dome soaring overhead.
    In four alcoves along the walls stood great sculptural warriors, bearing swords of glittering obsidian. These sculptures were singularly inanimate.
    In the center of the chamber, there was a great sigil carved, a serpent, twisting around and around in a spiral, with its lunging head reaching from the flags upward, snarling forever into the ceiling.
    Coal Dog tapped one of the statues on the chest.
    "How's it going, my friend?" he said, smiling.
    But the smile was premature.
    The statue's face moved. And spoke.
    "Eternity weighs heavily."

34. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #114

    Tarquin walks with the group, not at the rear or front. Upon entering this chamber, the mages gaze slides to these destroyed statues, peering at them curiously, and as they near those still intact carvings, he makes his way over to stop beside the pirate just as he taps on that chest. Surprise does not register apon the sorcerers face as that statue moves and talks, but as it does, he takes a hurried step back to peer up at the stony face. Already assuming it hostile, but not not having enough left in his reserves to be particuarly useful, the mage speaks instead, addressing the monolith in his rasping whisper, "Are you foe to us?" Great - by the looks of things, animated minions - no souls to steal again, but, just in case, the arch-mages eyes glint a hellish tint as he alters visions once again to search for any possible souls or leechable energies...

35. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #115

    Jade sneezed violently. That was getting tiresome. She looked at the statues warily, then at the snake design in the middle of the room. This wasn't going to end well, she could already tell. She caught sight of Tarquin, and a disturbing glint in his eyes caused her to step back a pace, colliding with whoever was behind her.

36. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #116

    The statue pushed Coal Dog gently but firmly out of the way and turned towards the rest.
    "Why dost thou intrude upon our vigil, ape-children?" intoned the statue in its gravelly voice, raising the point of its sword slightly.
    With a sound of loudly grinding stone, it stepped forward.
    "The Vic art a wily spectre. It may escape in the spiritual world while I am distracted by you."
    Coal Dog stepped away, predictably making a sign against sorcery.

37. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #117

    That fiery glint within Tarquins eyes would dim slightly as he reverts back to his normal, penetrating vision, and takes another step back, glancing back to study the others. The sight of that ancient soul which resides in that statue is very tempting to him, but he was no fool - this 'vic' may cause quite a lot of trouble. So now, he was torn between gaining great power and risking freeing another beast, or to remain weak for the moment... Decisions, hm?

38. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #118

    After the others have awoken the statues, the bronze-gilded knight frowns to himself, before finally speaking. "Maintain your vigil, good Sir. We've no wish to unleash whatever you guard against, merely to find our way out of these lands to our homes. Might you point us on the way so that we can remove ourselves from your attention more swiftly?" He steps forwards then, half saluting the creature of stone.

39. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #119

    The stone being turned to face the flame knight.
    "Many hath past. Few hath found the way. All sought not my judgement. But I know not the way."

40. Dark Lands: The prison of death

    #120

    Backing up from the sneezing female, Tras noticed a greedy look flash for a moment on the mage's face. It faded almost as soon as it appeared. Tras gazed for a moment, perplexed, then stared at the stone guardian who had stepped foward.
    
    I hate magic. And its users. The mage may plot to unleash that evil and turn both it and its guardians against us.
    
    Still behind the others of the group, he stepped back and clenched a fist. Sparks of his antimagic played around his fist, which was hidden behind his back. Tras continued to glance around, though now he kept flicking back to the mage, who seemed to be closest to the 'vic' sculture. Whatever happened, he did not want the 'vic' thing to get loose. He only wanted to get back to the Hunt that he'd been so rudely thrown out of.

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