The Day After the Confrontation with the Giant Crystal Spider
Sareesa woke up with a start, she remembered fighting a Crystal Spider but not what had happened. She sat up and looked around and immediately knew something was wrong. Her skin felt all slimy... but burned. She felt her hair, someone had cut off three inches of it. Most telling of all was how her abdomen felt like somebody had spent the last twelve hours stepping all over her. She laid back down and groaned.
"What happened? Where am I?" she asked, not necessarily expecting a response, but getting one anyhow.
"'Ey 'dere, take it easy. Ya been through quite a lot." She recognized the voice, she was in the home, or at least she assumed the home, of one of the village elders, the herb collector and potion brewer.
"Now 'den, everybody be wantin' ta know, how did ya manage ta kill 'dat spider last morning?'Sareesa grimaced, remembering the felling of the fear that burned her and exploded the spider.
"Ya know how sometimes, I be able ta make t'ings happen around me, unnatural t'ings. It be like 'dat... only I not be in control last time, last time... I not be able to explain. It be like... too much of a good t'ing, ya understand?" she said, pausing only momentarily before continuing.
"I hate ta be intrudin' on yah kindness, but I be feelin' real hungry.""Of course, I go get ya somet'ing, don't strain yahself gettin' up though." the elder cautioned as he walked into another room. Sareesa looked to the end table at her side and saw a fang from the Crystal Spider laying there, on the side of it was written, "
You did good Reesa." She turned her attention back to her own body and tried to turn herself around and get more comfortable, but it seemed hopeless, she just couldn't get comfortable with all this slime and goo coating her body. She felt up and down her body, and was relieved to find she was still wearing her undergarments. Her dignity preserved, she waited for the elder to reappear.
Before to long, he did, with a light broth with some chicken and potatoes mixed it.
"'Dere ya go. Eat it slow, ya been through a lot, no shame in takin' it easy for a while." Sareesa nodded, slowly eating her soup. While she ate the Elder continued talking.
”Dat’s what we t’ought it might be. Ya not be ‘da first wit’ ‘dose gifts, certainly one of ‘da more powerful though. It usually be a sign of ‘da demons, but wit’ all my gifts, I still not be sensin’ any corruption in ya. Either way though, ya did right by us, and we be doin’ ‘da same ‘ta you. Ya be one of us now Sareesa, ya be a member of ‘da Broken Tusk Tribe.”Sareesa smiled softly, awash with emotions. Fear, at her own power, pride at being named a tribe member, and anxiety, about rejoining society after such a display. Could she really be a tribe member after such a display? Only time would tell. She finished eating was in her mouth before responding.
”T’ank yah. It be a kind t’ing for ya ta do, at ya own risk as well. I be wonderin’. . . ‘dis burn salve, how long it be takin’ ta’ finish fixin’ me up?” she asked, wanting to return to her family more than anything right now, and maybe hide from everyone else while everything blew over.
The elder troll looked at her quizzically for a moment, trying to figure out her train of thought but seemingly not able to understand. He answered her question anyhow,
”It be another two days probably.”Sareesa nodded and finished her soup. She felt tired again, her whole body ached from the burns and moving around to eat didn’t help much. She flipped over to her side after saying good night to the elder and began to fall asleep again, escaping from the pain in her dreams.
Zealots and Demons, The Fall of a God, Turn 87: Mega Update!!!
Communicate with the ghostly spirits but be ready incase they try anything.
[auto-success] "You... are different. "You... will help. Remove... the trespassers... or... suffer." They say fading back away again. You get the feeling it would be a good idea to finish up in this place as quickly as possible.
Open the door harder!
[2] You pull against the knob to know effect. You then try pushing, again to no effect. The only answer is to break the door down! Just as you are about to charge the door full force, it opens up again. "What was that all about?" you wonder aloud
Action not applicable, Move the party towards the door in order to start our search of the area.
[auto-success] You manage to gather everyone up and have them move towards the only door leading into the mansion. You put your ear to the wall. You can hear anything inside, either they are standing around not doing anything, or the room is unguarded.
Check the window, peer thru it and see whats going on inside. If I'm staring at..oh, say a brick wall, smash it open after telling the others of my find. If the scenery is mostly...tranquil, don't smash it in.
[6] You check the window of the shed first, but unfortunately are too late to see anything interesting. [3] You also check the window to the first room of the mansion. You ascertain that the room is in fact a kitchen, but can't tell much else.
Action not applicable, Pray quickly for the safety of the group.
[1] As you pray, you get an ominous feeling. You recognize it's from some God of Murder. You feel quite concerned, but also angry that he is the one to answer your prayers.
Follow along
[auto-success] Fleur follows along silently, keeping her thoughts to herself.
Character StatusInventory: Portable Alchemy Equipment (needs restocked), Traveler’s Staff, 1 Protection Potion (Wild Magic), a box of matches (16 remaining, dirty pistol.
Health: 20/20
Mana: 30/30
Energy: 4/4
Status:
Inventory: Spiked Flail, Sanctified Plate Mail, Iron Buckler, Thurible, 3 Loaded Single-Shot Pistols, 3 Protection Potions (Wild Magic), 5 silver coins, Nepthym's Tattered White Crows Banner
Health: 24/25
Mana: 5/5
Energy: 15/15
Status: None
Inventory: Ironwood Staff, Beaded Wristband, a brown leather-bound spellbook of enchanting and summoning, Odd-smelling smoke pellets, First Aid Kit, (1 + 1d6 health), Blade of Grass
Health: 19/20
Mana: 23/30
Status: None
Inventory: Concealed Knife, Basic Writing Equipment (several sheets of parchment, quills, ink), 1 silver coin, Bottle of Rum, Enchanted Bongos of Enemy Summoning
Health: 20/20
Energy: 20/20
Status: None
Inventory: Unadorned plate armor, well crafted broadsword, 1 Protection Potions (Wild Magic)
Health: 25/25
Mana: 5/5
Energy: 15/15
Status: None
In Sareesa's Mountain Base, a Few Days from now
Sareesa looked up at the enchanted ceiling of her room. It showed an image of what it would look like were it not for all the rock in the way. She frowned, not for displeasure at the image, but rather at the problems facing her immediately. It was maddeningly puzzling, there wasn't a trace of wild or demonic magic in the entirety of Sanctuary as the Priests and Priestesses had taken to calling to it, yet still, she could feel her followers subtly changing.
It was similar to a latent transformative field Sareesa had once used against the demons, the longer they fought in it's proximity, the weaker and more feeble they became, but this was different still for no spell or enchantment had ever been cast. Sareesa ran a hand through her blonde hair before picking a lock and putting it in her mouth, feeling it's texture as she thought more about what could be causing this disturbance.
At first Sareesa thought it heralded the return, or perhaps the reformation of her angels, now seeing the error of their ways and now returning to her side, but it seemed increasingly unlikely. Sareesa undid the clasps holding her mantle on her shoulders and took off the more ornamental pieces of her clothing setting them down on the armor stand she used to hold her formal attire when not using it. She was left in a plain white chemise and form-fitting leggings. She laid down, mentally picking through the vast array of magical knowledge, searching for clues as to what this might be.
A few hours passed and no solution became apparent.
"I must find a solution, or my people... MY priestesses will be corrupted by this. . . taint." she thought, seemingly unaware of her own corruption. Sareesa knew at the rate it was going, it would soon be to late for her people to be spared any malignant effects from this magical disturbance. She breathed deeply and tried to think of some way to address the problem without knowing it’s cause. With an extension of her will she formed an entity that contained the entire sum of her magical knowledge and experience. It took the form of an old friend... one she couldn't seem to remember but she remembered the form for some reason. She dismissed her failing memory, it was unimportant in the face of the trials she and her followers faced of bringing the heretics who defamed her name and memory back into line with the near universal worship she once enjoyed.
”How may I aid you, Sareesa?” said the entity. It seemed to be made entirely of magic and took a light blue tinge.
”My Priestesses are changing, though they know it not. I have eliminated the possibilities of demonic corruption and wild magic. What else might be causing these mutations?” Sareesa said, sitting up in her bed to look directly at the entity which she had given birth to.
”I see. In what ways are your people changing.””Their features grow more sharp, magically they are more present in the Aether, allowing them to be detected by magical means more easily. They grow more inclined to excess in all things where before they were able to moderate themselves. I now see them becoming divided, one group being devoted entirely to war, another devoted to healing, and so on.”The figure closed it’s eyes for a moment, searching mentally for the information Sareesa sought.
”I have reached my conclusion. You are the cause of these mutations. They grow more perfect, more like you. In time some will even gain the ability to see the skein of fates that you yourself see. This was caused by the power of your rebirth and the close proximity to your abundant Aether essence.” The form then disappeared in a cloud of grey-blue smoke, more questions than answers left behind him.
Sareesa heard a soft knock at her door.
Who is it? Sareesa asked moving to put on her more ceremonial robes if the situation called for it.
”Your humble servant, Priest Joachim, calls upon you, seeking your insight, guidance and divine inspiration, oh holy goddess.”((What's that, you weren't expecting the double story? WELL THERE IT IS!))
Author
Topic: Zealots and Demons, The Fall of a God, Turn 122: A Standoff (Read 136507 times)