Chapter 1: BloodyhellsEarly spring of the year 300 on the temperate savanna of The Suicide Hills.I stopped thinking of the unfairness that I find myself on the receiving end of the King’s justice. The past remains back there as always, and it will be there if I wish to revisit the pains of regrets. No, I must make do with my current situation, and keep looking forward in the future, whatever this desperate journey may unfold.
The silence of our weary travel is broken by the grunting of the pair of breeding yaks that pulls this saguaro wagon, heavily laden with our sorry arses and meager supplies. The soothing rhythmic of the creaking wooden wagon over dense dead meadow-grass is joined by the crashing of ocean waves foaming over vibrant blood-red sands.
Perhaps in another place and time, this symphony of nature would fill a traveler with peaceful contemplations. But not this time because I witness passing by dead lentil plants , dead prickle berry bushes, and dead highwood trees along this sea of dead grass. The red sand bubbles from the sea foams that leave behind yellow pools of acrid slime.
Miss Ryukan Diamondsling, the poor noble who pulled the short cave wheat straw, is leading this expedition. She’s a lusty one for sure, but is quick to anger even though she does not easily hate.
Ryukan announces from atop the wagon, “We are here. By the authority of the king of The Lustrous Artifact, I dubbed this outpost, Bloodyhells. Gentle ladies and dwarfs, I shall take the offices of all administrative duties. Our Sheriff is Mister Spish Splashoil, and our militia commander will be Miss Niner Ringgorged.”
With that formalities out of the way, she looks at Niner strapped with a copper war hammer, and finally nods. Did I mention that Ryukan likes war hammers, and probably hammering?
Miss Niner Ringgorged has the title of "Glory Overlord", and begins barking orders, “You miners just go dig us a hole, and wood cutters cut only a few trees at a time. I want a tight perimeter, no wandering about. And I need a volunteer, a sparring partner, for Bloodyhells’ first squad, The Armored Kings. But for now, you're all recruits.”
Miss Imic Earthcreatures who likes maces and is a competent mason, and Mr Spish Splashoil who likes hatch covers and is a competent engraver; both hefted bronze picks from the wagon and start digging underneath the modest dune.
Miss Flame Paddleroast who likes mail shirts is a novice doctor, and Mr Taupe Giftedpaint who likes large gems is a novice carpenter; both wielded bronze battle axes to chop down the dead trees near the murky pools of water.
I am Sanctume Plaitedurns who is assigned the duties of growing food. My hopes to learn herbalism is crushed because every plant I see here is already dead.
I end up here in Bloodyhells after telling the law-giver, “You goblins would convict a finely minced cheese roast of murder and dwarfs would not question it.”
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Niner scouts the immediate surroundings and indicated that there is a Giant Osprey Corpse flying high up to the northwest, and a Giant Snail Corpse closer to the south east.
Niner says, “What’s in Bloodyhells? An Armok cursed flying corpse and a crawling corpse!”
As soon as the miners dug some room, we rushed unloading our wagon and hauling our meager supplies inside. Niner declares the area as “Safety Inside.”
Two dead willow trees, and the nearest dead apple tree a bit to the north are marked for cutting as Niner sets the “Outside Path” while she scans the undead giant osprey moving far to the northeast.
--
A hasty mason’s shop is erected, and Imic produced a well-crafted door to be our protection from the outside.
The miner’s dig down to discover damp stone on the fourth level, so they dig a short path then an upward stairs into a room and secured by a well-crafted cobaltite hatch cover.
--
The monotonous labor of hauling logs is flavored by the danger of the outside. Doc Flame insists on including the dead apple logs be part of “Outside Path” despite Niner’s reluctance.
A giant osprey corpse swoops down from the skies with incredible speed and charges the stubborn cow yak that is slow to move to its grassless pasture. The collision was so brutal that the cow is knocked over and tumbled backwards.
The giant osprey corpse begins attacking Doc Flame…
Doc Flame screams like a girl her at top of her lungs, “Stop! This isn’t happening!” “Help! Save me!”
Her 86 year old bones carried her arse, running wildly, screaming, heading south, and fortunately not into the pools of acrid slime.
She drops the bronze battle axe and says, “I was attacked by the dead” then looks back, “The battle rages… Ahhhhhh! No!”
Niner, Glory Overlord, Bloodyhells militia commander, flees running to the southeast but manages to give orders for everyone to join the fray.
(ooc The battle reports are confusing with references to recruits. Everyone now has a humble title.)Admin Ryukan lands a punch on the head but this made the giant osprey corpse react by charging. She is knocked over and tumbled backwards from the collision.
Ryukan stands up and throws left and right combination punches, many of which just glance away.
Farmer Sanctume throws punches wildly causing bruising, and finds it more effective to bite the left foot of the undead.
The giant osprey corpse charges the farmer until the collision knocks him over, tumbling backwards.
Taupe Woodcut joins the fray with his wild punches claiming, “I cannot just stand by. This might require an answer.”
The undead attacks Taupe but misses many times over. “I was attacked by the dead. This is truly horrifying!”
Taupe wonders, “Has the ride turned? I feel no terror.”
** Where is our militia commander? **Niner, the Glory Overlord initially fled from battle, like a girl, in reaction to Doc Flame, until what little discipline kicks in, “This is a fight! I must press on.”
Miner Imic emerges from the entrance and joins in by punching.
Sheriff Spish joins the rumble and bites the undead in the right wing. The giant osprey corpse knocks Spish away, but Spish stands up and bites the left wing this time, latches on, and starts striking the left wing with his bronze pick.
Sheriff Spish lodges the bronze pick in the corpse’s head and fracturing the skull.
Here is everyone's immediate aftermath thoughts:
Spish, Rykan and Sanctume: "I was attacked by the dead. This is truly horrifying."
Flame, "I have a part in this: I will take revenge!"
Niner, "This is my fight too: I will take revenge!"
Taupe, "How fleeting life is: Begone fear!"
The giant osprey corpse is nothing now but a mangled corpse. Bloodyhells, indeed!
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Topic: Bloodyhells - Succession: Battlefailed #5 (42.06) (Read 140816 times)