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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 10, 2023 19:55:31 GMT -5
The problem with the Zeinav Desert was…it was a desert. Just sand and bandits and mobsters everywhere. If it were up to Shaa, he would burn the place down and not look back. The only problem was it was a stupid desert with nothing to burn even if he wanted to. Even his sweat was sweating. The fact he even took a commission out here was hard evidence on how broke he was. Broke wasn’t the right term. Deeply in debt was the correct phrase. Like if he was a repo man he would just end up delivering the contents of his own house broke. For Zeinav’s utter lack of stuff, at least, for some reason, probably illicit, they had money.
When the commission had first come into the office of the fighters guild, Shaa had actually laughed and quipped that Zeinav was so bad that even the dead wanted out. The joke was a lot less funny when he realized that he was the one next in line to take care of it. That was karma for you. Hopefully he would be able to deal with the problem quickly. According to the commission, 6 confirmed undead were around raiding camps and harassing people. So the job was simple and to the point. Take them out, no questions asked. He was to meet the broker at the camp where the first attack took place.
It was getting dark when Shaa finally arrived. He was pretty beat from walking all day and found a large tent where people were eating and drinking. It was also where the broker was supposed to meet him to discuss the details. Not seeing the man described, He decides to sit down and wait at a table in the corner and rest his hooves for a moment.
Quest Name: Unwrapped Participants: Two or more Location: Zeinav Desert Post Requirements: 6 post per person, 200 words per post Reward: +1 Renown, +Dark Catalyst, +1 Zombie Ash Description: Further exploration and excavation of the Zeinav desert has disturbed many once forgotten tombs, causing the spirits inside to become restless. Now an uncontrolled amount of Unbandaged have been seen roaming the desert, preying on travelers and merchants. Brave adventurers are being asked to dispose of these creatures, helping to cull the growing threat in the desert. Take down a roaming band of 6 unbandaged, making Charon safer and helping their spirits find rest.
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Nov 11, 2023 12:07:07 GMT -5
Out of all the monsters and villains that Sylvari fought, she always felt a special calling whenever there were undead involved. Perhaps this was due to her role as a warrior of light. Perhaps it was made more poignant given her own curse of undeath. Or perhaps it was a blending of these two things: her sense of what should be juxtaposed with what was, a sense of indignity at being forced into what she had previously sworn to destroy. Whatever the case, this excess motivation made the journey all the way out to Zeinav much more palatable.
Sylvari had heard about the job from one of her contacts in the city. Officially, it was a fighter's guild request, but both she and her contact were highly doubtful the organization would turn away extra help, especially from one who didn't care for a reward. So she went, making her way to a secondary dispatching location. According to her intel, Sylvari would know the other person assigned to the mission when she saw them.
As she made her way into a generously sized tent, she looked for anyone who might be out of the ordinary. To her informant's credit, Sylvari immediately honed in on someone much different from the rest: a minotaur, sitting in the company of the rest of the people, politely tending to his own business.
Sylvari blinked only briefly in shock before moving forward.
"Excuse me, dear. I've been informed you were the other one sent to deal with the Unbandaged problem?" Sylvari extended a meek, gauntleted hand. "Sylvari Dawnsage, a pleasure."
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 12, 2023 0:58:35 GMT -5
Shaa waited around about an hour for the contact to show up but to no avail. But he didn’t mind the wait. It gave him time to recoup and enjoy a weirdly bitter drink that the locals called “ Nucha” it took a couple but he eventually saw the appeal. He was considering ordering some dinner when a voice caught his attention.
Excuse me, dear. I've been informed you were the other one sent to deal with the Unbandaged problem?" "Sylvari Dawnsage, a pleasure."
He looked up and saw a woman standing over him offering a hand. He noticed how beautiful she was but also noticed how unnatural it was. Something common in the more long lived races like elves. But she was no elf. Did he catch a set of fangs? Not one to snub a friendly gesture, he stands up and takes her outstretched hand. Despite her size, he can feel the power behind the shake and makes note of it.
Hey there, my name is Shaa and you heard right. He motions for her to take a seat. Come on pull up a chair. I have been sitting here forever waiting for…. From the side, another voice pops up. Sorry sorry. I’m late I know. This whole thing has just been a mess. Shaa folds his arms and looks at him expectantly. My name is Fahl Whittier. I was the one put in charge of this trash fire of an operation. Fahl takes a seat at the table without asking. He looks directly at Shaa and flags a waitress to bring him a drink. You are from the Fighters Guild right? Yeah, yeah you are. I can always tell it’s you guys. You all have that same kind of surly look about you. He stops a minute and back peddles. But…that’s not a bad thing mind you. I can certainly use a surly guy…. He looks at Sylvari or woman. I’m not biased. I just need the help. Are you two…together?
Shaa is taken back a bit. No, no we just met. But I understand she’s here for the same thing. Just not part of the guild. Fahl raises an eyebrow. Oh an independent! I like that, less red tape. The waitress comes over with a large tankard and a loaf of bread. Ahhh thanks love. Look, I just have a bit. Here’s the deal. We keep on getting hit by these undead bastards. Normally we can handle it, put ‘em back under. But… he takes a long drink from the tankard. He takes a deep breath and takes a bite out of the bread. They came up ….6 of them. Like a friggen nightmare. Found a bunch of horses, tore them up…ugh I never. Taking another swig, he looks at both of them. These 6. The traders are calling them “The House of Pain” I want them done, you get me? I don’t care how much it costs anymore. It’s cost too much already. I want them down…like now. You think you can handle that for me?
The big Minotaur stands up and downs the rest of his drink. We took the commission didn’t we? I’m in. Looking over at Sylvari, he asks. How about you? I wouldn’t mind the company.
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Nov 12, 2023 17:45:21 GMT -5
Pleased at the tact and etiquette the minotaur displayed, and guiltily burying any expectation that she had that such an interaction would be hostile, Sylvari smiled at the reciprocated greeting. She dipped her head in acknowledgment and took the indicated seat across from Shaa. She had barely settled herself when their contact unceremoniously, and a little disorganized in his approach, stepped up to them and began babbling on about the job. He seemed flustered, as if this assignment was just thrust on him, and Sylvari threw an incredulous look towards Shaa as if to ask if this was typical for a fighter's guild bounty.
At the insinuation that she and Shaa were together, Sylvari flushed slightly, the scarlet in her cheeks only spreading as the man clarified he was speaking about guild membership. Pull yourself together, Sylvi. She refocused on the man as he finally got to the contract details: a group of six undead had been terrorizing the roads. She nodded along: such a mission was well within the bounds of her oath.
She realized with a start that Shaa asked if she would come along. Sylvari composed herself and nodded in the affirmative. "Of course, there is need, therefore I must rise to meet it." Sylvari adopted an imperious expression and placed a solemn hand over her heart as she bowed slightly in her chair. "I am honored to have your assistance in this matter."
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 12, 2023 21:09:10 GMT -5
Shaa slaps down on the table hard, rattling the flatware. Fantastic. Ok Fahl, looks like you got your hunting party. We’ll deal with these things and be back before you know it. I expect to be paid on my return. I don’t want to spend any longer in this sand flea infested rot hole than I have to. Fahl looks at him surprised. I’m a bit taken aback to hear that you are not a fan of the desert. Many Minotaur make their home here. Shaa shakes his head. I’m from Kings Valley. Besides, I’m not like most Minotaur that you have probably met. Fahl gets up and wipes his face. I don’t care where you are from as long as you can deliver. Happy to. We will go after them first light. No sense tromping around in the middle of the night. Smart. You should start your search near the last attack, about 30 minutes directly north of here. Great thanks.
Fahl relaxes a bit and points them to a spot outside of camp. You can camp over there for tonight. No one sleeps around here anymore so if you need anything before heading out, someone will be around to assist you. I think we will be fine. Thank you and see you soon. Fahl grunts something unintelligible and walks off. Interesting.
Shaa motions to Sylvari to follow him out. And thank you for coming. The other reason I wanted to wait is, no offense, I don’t know you. If we are going to be fighting together, I’d like to know you better. Why don’t we camp over there and talk about how we want to deal with these guys. Got to be honest, I have had very mixed experiences with the undead. The last one I went on an adventure with betrayed me, ate our employer and set a town akimbo. Not great. Want to go talk it out?
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Nov 12, 2023 22:27:45 GMT -5
Sylvari silently followed the conversation with furrowed brows. We aren't going after the creatures now? What if they claim more victims while we rest? Despite her internal protests, she bottled up her emotion and followed the minotaur as he motioned, walking in stride with him, keenly aware of the size difference between them.
Sylvari stopped dead in her tracks as Shaa mentioned his distrust of the undead. The way he phrased it could mean that he saw through my guise, but it's not a sure thing. If he really does have that much animus toward the undead, perhaps playing my cards close to my chest is the correct move here.
Thus, assured of her strategy, Sylvari resumed walking with Shaa and began to speak in a measured, diplomatic tone. "I understand caution when it comes to such creatures. It behooves a wise adventurer to take careful consideration of one's targets at all times, to safeguard against arrogance. That said, undead as a category are too broad to encapsulate fully in a blanket statement. So, I am happy to discuss specific tactics for this battle."
The whole time she was speaking, though her face was decidedly set forward, her eyes were glued to her companion's larger frame and particularly the powerful fists, large enough to crush her skull in a single palm.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 13, 2023 0:45:19 GMT -5
Shaa raised an eyebrow as they sat down and started a campfire. It sounds like you know a lot about the undead. I understand that you came here to fight them. What I don’t understand is..why? I don’t mean to be nosey or anything but if I am going to trust you when things get hairy out there, I need to know who has my back. Why are you here..really?
Shaa takes his finger and stirs the fire without flinching. Between his extra tough hands and fire Elementalism mastery, the fire doest hurt at all but she didn’t know that. He wanted to see her reaction. Sure it was a bit on the over the top theatricality but it was effective. He needed answers and didn’t have time to mess around. He felt the pressure as well as anyone to take those things out. But maybe I’m prying a bit too much. Maybe I should tell you a bit about me first.
As you know, my name is Shaa Rhunn and I am from the Fighters Guild. Actually, I am the intirem captain of the Fighters Guild. The actual Captain, Athena….well we will just say she is unavailable for now. The real point here, is I have been fighting for a really really long time, I can take care of myself . I can think of several ways we can go after these things. And…it could even be pretty fun if we do it right. Shaa smiles and takes his finger out of the fire. He looks at the pale woman carefully, gauging her reaction.
But, I haven’t always been in the guild though. I have kind of been all over. You know, fighten , adventuren and such. Even made a name for myself in the Gazablaak fight pits if you have ever been that way. I have met all sorts of folks , seen more weird things than I care to admit. Very few things really surprise me anymore. Don’t really like surprises much now. But.l. Well that’s me in a nutshell. Now, how about you? What’s your story.
Bare Hands Endothermic reaction ( 1 stack of conflagration)
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Nov 13, 2023 10:48:08 GMT -5
With an iron will honed over years, Sylvari's face was a mask that betrayed no emotion, even at her internal surprise of the minotaur stoking the flames with his bare hand. She listened to his words carefully, teasing out the meaning between the lines of what he said. It's a threat, veiled in the veneer of reciprocative sharing. That said, this doesn't have to end in a fight, but I must tread carefully here. Why do Romarii's lessons seem a million miles away right now?
"Thank you for sharing of yourself, Lord Shaa. Such a thing was by no means necessary, but welcomed with a grateful heart. Let's see, myself..." Sylvari took a small breath and made motion to indicate she was thinking as her brain scrambled for an appropriate strategy.
"I hail from the Crescent Isles. I was born to a wandering tribe of the People whose purpose is the administration of justice and safeguarding the common man. To this end, each of our members, at adulthood, is tested to ascend to full status as a justiciar in their own right. While most stay with the People, some justiciars elect to move on and minister to the wider world, to better serve our mission. After completing my vigil, I left and have pursued the ideal instilled within me since that day. My interest in the undead stems from the fact that they are an affront to the Light, and their mere existence constitutes a debt owed to the world. I intend to collect on their behalf."
A profound silence followed Sylvari's words. It wasn't a lie, not technically, anyway. She did know of three separate justiciars who had obtained her father's permission to strike out in the wider world in service to a mission. Of course, that wasn't the case with her, given her exile, but such was a plausible enough inference.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 13, 2023 13:05:08 GMT -5
Shaa considers her words as he peers at her through the smoke of the flames. So, you hunt them out of duty? I see. Shaa had spent a lot of time down in the Crescent Islands and had heard of the tribes there. At least that part of her story held up. He could feel that she was holding back but he had what he needed for now. What they needed to do was focus on the job at hand. He would see soon enough if she could hold her own.
It seems our goals align for the moment. I wasn’t kidding before when I said I would be glad to have you along. You have my word that I will watch your back until we deal with these things. For now, we need to get some rest and we can head out at first light. These guys just may be annoying for now but, as there are so many, we will want to be ready as possible. See you in the morning.
Shaa laid down on the ground and curled up to sleep. He spent most nights outside so sleeping was easy. As he slept, he had a very odd dream.
In his dream, he found himself inside a large building with dozens of people milling about. They were servants by the looks of them but none of them paid him any attention as they went about their tasks. As he walked through the building, he could hear yelling from a large chamber. He found a man on a throne with 6 servants kneeling in front of him, begging for their lives. The man on the throne waves his hand and guards come and drag the servants off to a dark room. Shaa can still hear the screaming and then..silence.
The man on the throne looks at Shaa and points a now boney finger at him. The man’s flesh falls away as fire replaces his eyes. There is more screaming now until Shaa opens his eyes. The dream was over. In the distance, Shaa can see the first rays of the sun start to emerge from the top of a far off hill.
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Nov 13, 2023 14:30:10 GMT -5
Hearing Shaa's solemn vow drove a stake of guilt through Sylvari's heart. She never liked deceiving people, but it seemed like all she did since receiving this wretched curse was lie again and again. It burned like the branding iron when people dealt with her honestly.
Sylvari could offer no response to Shaa's words, electing to remain silent rather than trust her unsteady tongue. She merely dipped her head in acknowledgment to his words as he laid down to sleep, and then slinked off to feed when he drew breath deeply in dreams. She went back to the drinking tent, and found enough willing partners to safely sate her dark thirst, feeling dirty for the first time in a long time. Have I really adapted so quickly? I remember when I couldn't bear the thought of drinking blood and starved myself to prove my ideals. Am I really different than the undead I slay? Or just another parasite on the world?
Despite her philosophical musings, Sylvari still had a job to do, and the only thing more unpalatable to her now than her continued deception was to go back on her vow to see this through. Thus, she was there when Shaa awoke, with her back to him, facing toward the rising sun.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 14, 2023 9:29:43 GMT -5
The sleepy fighter woke slowly with the break of the new dawn. Scratching a bit to help wake himself up, he looks over to see his new companion laying on the other side of the fire with her back towards him. He was glad to see the seriousness of the conversation or the situation had not scared her off. Such heady conversation right off was not how he would normally handle things.
The whole thing was very unusual for the large Minotaur. He had always considered himself one who made friends easily and was in for a good time. Recently however, he had found himself more cautious, more suspicious of what was happening. When he thought about it, finding out that the gods were actually dead and the world was not as he thought, it had impacted him more than he thought. Maybe now that he was aware of it, he could try and get back to his more carefree nature. It certainly was more fun that way.
He picks up a small stick and playfully tosses it her. Hey sleepy Pete, you awake? Let’s grab some breakfast and head out. Those things aren’t getting any deader. If you kill something undead, do you kill it or unalive it? It was way too early to be thinking about such things. Shaa stood up and finished stretching a bit. He could hear his joints pop a little and the ache of inactivity was pulled from his large frame.
You coming?
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Nov 14, 2023 11:23:09 GMT -5
Sylvari glanced back with a half-hearted smile as the stick clatters harmlessly against her cuirass. She knew that Shaa had awoken of course, detecting the subtle changing of his breathing that indicated a return to consciousness, but decided to play at ignorance to avoid arousing any more suspicion than she already had. She rose to her feet alongside the minotaur and gave a small nod to his words.
"Can't say I favor eating just before a hunt, and I'm not all that hungry besides. Nevertheless, I will accompany you, and then we will venture into the wilds to drive this evil away from the populace." Sylvari paused. It didn't sit right with her that Shaa had given her his oath and she hadn't reciprocated in kind. More concerning was the apprehension she felt at giving what had previously been as free-flowing as water, but she could only remedy one of these feelings. Thus, the justiciar fell to one knee, bowed her head, and placed a hand over her breastplate as she spoke the words that seemed so familiar yet so distant at this moment.
"Lord Shaa, I vow to be the shield that defends you, the sword at your hip to strike at your foes, and the warmth in your heart to raise your spirits for as long as our pact shall stand."
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 14, 2023 15:58:17 GMT -5
Shaa was a bit surprised at the formality of the mysterious woman’s declaration of their new partnership. She obviously took her word seriously which Shaa appreciated greatly. Personally, Shaa never really understood the purpose of oaths. When Shaa said he was going to do something, he just did it. Not doing it would wreck his reputation which was basically the most valuable thing he had. It was not to say that he wouldn’t use guile to mess with his enemies. Many an opponent had been taken down because they didn’t understand who they were dealing with. But when it came to personal interactions, the Minotaur just was who he was.
No breakfast hunh? Ok, suit yourself. But if you start looking at me all hungry, we are going to have issues. Shaa had meant the offhanded comment as a joke. For some reason, he felt some awkward tension when he said it. Shaking off the feeling, they head to the tent. He quickly grabs a hit meal with extra rations and water. Soon enough, they are ready to head off.
Following their employers directions, it doesn’t take them long to find the remains of the recent assault. It was obvious that people had already come to retrieve the bodies and any useful equipment. The only thing left at the site were broken crates, some torn tents and the odd piece of pottery.
Hmmm he mumbled to himself, looking over the site. I’m a bit surprised. This is very close to the main camp. It wouldn’t have taken much to call in some soldiers. Why risk something like this? It could be random. These guys could have just really bad luck and been in the way. But considering they were staying together… Where they after something? If so, what could it be?
What do you think?
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Post by Sylvari Dawnsage on Nov 14, 2023 16:20:04 GMT -5
Sylvari knelt down to touch the broken pottery fragments as she contemplated. She had done research into these foul creatures before taking the job, pressing her contact for all the information available. "The Unbandaged are greater than run-of-the-mill undead. They have a cunning about them, even being known to turn into dust to infiltrate homes and attack when people are at their weakest to feed their twisted urges." Sylvari grimaced at the obvious parallel, thinking of her nightly activities.
"Given the relatively short time period since the incident occurred, it's unlikely that the authorities could have removed all the indications of a fight, but other than the broken implements around, there is not much evidence of a struggle. It could have been an ambush. Alternatively," Sylvari continued, wiping her gloves on her greaves as she stood and leveled a disappointed look at her companion. "The Zeinav is not without its fair share of criminal elements. Perhaps our victims here were incentivized not to alert the law, even in mortal peril. If they were mere smugglers, it's unlikely they would have been able to put up much of a struggle.
"Whatever the case, we're unlikely to find anything of use here. Without bodies to analyze, we can't determine how successful the fiends were, and how hungry they're still likely to be."
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Nov 15, 2023 12:44:54 GMT -5
They had reached a dead end and they had barely even started. It was not the best way to start admittedly. But the fighter in him made sure that he was no quitter. Hmmm that’s pretty sneaky for a bunch of dead guys. But it will take more than that to throw us off. The problem is that we are playing on their turf. So, if people play unfair, we need to switch up the game.
Shaa slaps his hands together and summons a cloud to ride on. The Minotaur hops on the fluffy white cloud and flies high in the air to get a better view of the scene. The destruction in the camp looks about the same from the sky but up there, he spies something else. East of the wrecked camp are tracks that look like slide marks. He follows the slide marks from the sky. They lead him to a cave that disappears deep in the sand.
Flying back on the cloud, he relays what the reconnaissance has found. Well good news and bad news. The Good news is I found some tracks which are probably our guys. The bad news is, they are in a cave and will unlikely be happy to see us. We’ll approach on foot. Maybe we can surprise them. How is your night vision? He does a final sweep of the camp site and starts to make his way east to the hidden cave. Going caving would not be a problem for him. His own home was a cave after all. But this was their turf. They knew the area and could be stashing who knows what down there. They would need to be careful
Cloud Walzing
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