# Coils of Scuttlecove (Evil Campaign, Mature, no spoilers)



## Ipissimus (Jun 26, 2007)

Disclaimer: The following adventure is currently being played at my table. It is based in and around the Scuttlecove of Dungeon Magazine fame though altered to a great extent to accomodate an entirely new plot arc. The PCs are all of evil alignment and, as such, this game is quite a bit more mature (if it were a movie, I'd give it an R 18+ rating). The Anti-heroes that are the focus of the campaign have already demonstrated a flair for murder, betrayal, human sacrifice and other evil acts that some of you may find distasteful. If such is not your cup of tea, please stop reading now. If it is, enjoy.

###​
A black strom had settled over the smuggler's port more than a week ago and didn't show signs of letting up in the near future. The rain hissed in protest upon contact with the street as if nature itself rejected and recoiled from the cancerous blight that was Scuttlecove, home of pirates and torturers, den of drug lords and merchants of death as well as practitioners of horrifying magic and dark faith.

The relentless cloud, pounding rain and lightning that cracked the sky may have lent the town an appropriate ambiance but it did nothing to ease rowdy tempers or cool hot heads. Pirates, combining the worst aspects of hired thugs and sailors, could ill afford to escape the dock and seek their fortunes on the high seas and risk losing everything on the reefs that protected Scuttlecove from the authorities.

For Sheenestra Alovil, however, the storm meant good business. Standing cloaked under the eves of a nameless tavern, she allowed passersby a glimpse of her features while flashing each a 'come hither' look. Unlicenced prostitution was illegal, by the decree of the Mistress of Porphyry House, and yet few were the men of Scuttlecove who had the coin for more professional services. As such, the Mistress would often overlook those willing to risk more secretive services as long as the girls didn't advertize.

"Hey, kid," one of the burly ruffians finally bucked up the nerve to approach her, "you lost?"

"Not now," she purred, running her slender fingers up his filthy tunic, "come on, I need a big, strong, man like you to escort me..."

She led him into the convenient alleyway next to the tavern. No windows on either side, overlapping eves that kept the rain away and two sharp ninety degree turns in the center that, once past, would give the two of them complete privacy out of the view of both streets. He didn't waste any time once they were out of sight, shoving her up against the wall and grinding his lips against hers, hands probing under her cloak.

He was so busy that he didn't notice when her right hand emerged from her cloak holding a long, slender, poinard between her delicate fingers. A deft insertion of the impliment just under the ear, where the jaw meets the skull, allowed the blade easy access to the thug's brain stem. He died long before he hit the ground, fingers clutching painfully at her soft skin as he slid down her body.

She paused for a moment to kiss the gold heart locket around her neck before setting about searching the corpse of valuables. He didn't have much: A few coppers and a dagger were all he carried, but it'd be enough to feed her for a day or two. Business transaction completed, she pulled the body over to the partially dissolved grate that led to the town's sewers and dumped the corpse in. There were things down there that knew her and her work, things that waited for the remains of her victims and kindly disposed of the evidence of the crime. Sometimes she saw their eyes glowing red in the darkness or caught a whisper of eagerness at the prospective feast.

She didn't hear the intruder until he unsheathed his sword mere feet behind her back. "Stand slowly," he ordered, "and hold your hands out to your sides where I can see them."

Sheenestra did as she was bade to the letter. "What was this drunk to you? Companion? Brother? Or are you from Porphyry House?"

"This business is none of my affair," he sniffed, "however, your business, Sheenestra, is of my concern. Your future business, specifically."

"How do you know me?" She asked, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Madame Rythe of the Skindancers spoke highly of your abilities. I and those I represent seek to make you an offer of employment that I'm sure would be mutually beneficial to both parties."

Risking a glance over her shoulder, she took in what details she could glean from a moment's glance. His sword was black with some alchemical coating that seemed to absorb light. His garb was functional, dark brown, grey and black in both rough cloth and leather. His face was concealed by a deep hood, however. He took a short step out of her line of sight so she kept her head turned and graced him with a raised eyebrow in order to signal her disbelief. "Do you conduct all your business negotiations at the point of a longsword?"

"Every chance I get," he admitted, his grin obvious in his tone of voice. "You know the ways of the street as well as the ways of men and women. We need your skills. The pay is generous. More than you could earn in a lifetime of rolling lustful pirates... and I daresay more conducive to a long life."

"They pay my landlord and put food in my stomach," she shrugged, "what else does a lady need?"

"Lady?" He chuckled. "You're all of what, girl, fifteen?"

"SIXteen," she growled.

"My apologies," he said without meaning it, "KID. We both know you want more than just food in your stomach and a roof over your head. Everyone in this town wants more than that, what in the nine hells else is there to life?"

There was a long pause as both sides considered the situation. Sheenestra gnawed at the inside of her lip in indicision. If the man were playing straight with her, why act so mysteriously? If he saught her life, why not end it now while he had the upper hand? She took a deep breath to ease the tension before speaking again. "You know, for a man attempting to ask a lady for her favour, you are being awfully rude. It is customary to introduce yourself first... preferably without waving a sword about but let's stick to what diplomacy you are capable of, shall we?"

"Your tongue is as sharp as I was led to believe. My name's Jacith. Jacith Ravamaine."

"Pleased to meet you. May I turn around?"

"Sure, but stay in that spot."

Nodding, she turned gracefully on the spot, careful not to make any sudden moves. His face was barely visible in the shadows of the alleyway and the face was overgrown with stubble but it was a handsome face nonetheless. "Jacith. If you must, call me Shae. Do you intend to escort me across town at swordpoint? That might give some people the wrong idea."

"I don't have time to mess around. Are you interested in work or not?"

"What kind of work?"

"I'm a mercenary," jacith shrugged, "my employers pay me to get rid of inconveniences. I've signed up a croaker and a necromancer so far. What we really lack is subtlety and diplomacy, not every problem can be solved with a blade... and as you can see, that's what I'm best at. I can offer you one hundred gold pieces, that's in advance. Another hundred when the job's done and an equal share of the loot. In or out?"

One hundred gold pieces. More money in advance than she'd ever possessed in her entire lifetime. She didn't need long to consider the proposeal, greed won out over common sense. "I'm in."


----------



## Nyayesh (Jun 27, 2007)

This is just awesome. I love it


----------



## Ipissimus (Jun 27, 2007)

"Ladies first," Jacith gestured with his left hand while his right sheathed his sword. Shae noticed that he wore a small arsenal under his cloak; at least five daggers and a short sword at his right hip.

Smiling flirtaciously, she sashayed past, heading for the street. "Might I know where we're going or should I just wander around town until you point out the destination?"

"The Violated Ogre."

Nodding, she turned right when they got to the street, deftly navigating the twisted maze of streets formed by a complete lack of any form of planning for decades.Their route took them past the imposing Monestary of Dire hunger, lipless monks chanting bleak hymns in the small muddy square outside despite the rain. Further along, they passed the strange green sone building of Eralakni's Emporium, a large marketplace that primarily dealt in pirate goods. To the north, Shae spied the grizzly Plaza of Hanging Ruin, hoists atop large pillers where water-bloated corpses hung still bleeding from cruel barbed hooks. Ravens huddled underneath the bodies occasionally satisfying their hunger by pecking at the dlesh that was within easy reach.

Finally, they arrived at The Violated Ogre, the largest inn of Scuttlecove. Welcome warmth hit Shae's face as she stepped inside, though she could have done without the stench of beer, sweat and worse that permiated the air. The crowd was busy jeering at the show on stage as two naked Skindancers slowly cut the ogre with bejewled silver gauntlets fitted with scalpel-sharp knives at the fingertips and then licked away the thick black fluid that poured from the wounds. One of Kedward Bone's wizard henchmen stood watching nearby.

Shae knew the act, one not usually performed upon a creature that could regenerate. The black fluid seeping from the wounds rather than blood was a lower-grade varient of the drug called Agony, formed by the wizard's magic from the victim's pain. Agony was known to supernaturally induce please and increase the addict's beauty and poise, perfect for such sadomasocistic entertainment. Usually a relatively safe drug, occasionally the tainted lower-grade would cause one of the girls would die of pleasure during the act, a fact that only made the entertainment more popular.

Of course, that wouldn't be the end of the girl's story. The corpse would be preserved and sold to one of Kedward's friends, a Necromancer called remus Caldakar, reanimated and sold on to Porphyry House for use by those whose tastes ran toward the living dead. Shae had always refused to participate no matter the price offered. Her body, mind and soul were worth more to her intact.

What she couldn't abide was that most of the room was looking at the show rather than her. Pulling the chord that tied her cloak around her shoulders, the knot loosened and allowed the cloak to slip away. "Could you hold this for me please?" She asked Jacith coyly as he stepped through the door behind her.

He took the cloak without a word.

Underneath the garment she wore surprisingly little, considering the weather. High, soft, boots hugged the tender flesh of her legs, fully visible as her burgandy dress was slit to the hips on both sides. The rich cloth hugged her torso snugly but left her shoulders bare, though the cold had forced her to wear long black leather gloves. It was a trade-off between exposed skin and warmth but the effect of her beauty on the crowd was immediate. As she passed, heads turned. She felt the elation like butterflies in her stomach as men longed for her and women longed to kill her.

"What do you drink?" Jacith asked, making a concerted effort to keep his eyes on her face. Shae was impressed at his willpower.

"Wine, please." She smiled. "So which of these louts are your compatriots?"

He nodded towards the private rooms. "We're out the back. Come on, the drinks will be brought there."

Shae was surprised when Jacith took the lead. His exposed back was a tempting target, just for sneaking up on her earlier, but again greed and perhaps no small ammount of curiosity stayed her hand. She was so deep in thought that the sudden pain that shot up her spine took her by surprise, making her hop up slightly to her toes and letting out a yelp.

The men behind her yelped as she turned slowly towards them, eyes smouldering with something the unobservant might take for as lust. "Who pinched me?"

They weren't observant. In the midst of masculine laughter, the group pushed one of their number toward her. "Aye," the bearded lout stumbled drunkenly forward, "that'd be me, lass."

She favored him with a smile, stepping forward so that she could run her left hand over his chest and shoulder. His friends cheered and whooped, egging the impromptu show on. Leaning foward up on the tips of her toes, she whispered into his ear. "Now, hold very, very still for me, lover."

Pulling back, she considered the man's red face and leering grin for a moment before punching the heel of her palm up into his nose, spearing the cartilage into his brain. He stood still for a moment, blood pouring from his nose, before plummeting backwards over the table, scattering mugs and spraying the contents over the patrons. The crowd roared with laughter as Shae gave them a coy wink and strutted away, the crowd pulling themselves out of her path.

"Do you kill every man that finds you attractive?" Jacith inquired testily.

She thought about it for a moment. "One or two are still alive. Could you get the door for me, please?"

Bowing slightly, he opened the door for her and allowed her to enter first with trained aplomb. Shae kept that little tidbit in the back of her mind, Jacith knew the ways of the cultured gentleman even if he pretended otherwise. The room on the other side of the door was dark and smoky. Light from the fireplace flickered over three figures, two at the large round wooden table in the center of the room, one peering out into the rain through a gap in the brickwork.

On Shae's left sat a large, bulky, man in enameled black platemail embossed with the symbol of a fist clutching six red arrows. Leaning on his chair was a massive flail easily as tall as he was standing. His face, however, was a mass of scar tissue; teeth visible through a wound that had healed open through his left cheek.

On the right, across the table, sat a gaunt man in a hooded purple and black robe with a silver pendant in the shape of an eye hanging around his neck. His skin was pale, his eyes sunken and his cheeks sallow. His features were angular, skin stretched out over the bone structure underneath. He had no drink in front of him and he kept his hands folded inside his long sleeves.

The third man was much cleaner and well groomed than the other two, dressed in satin and silks. He sported a thick black handlebar moustache, long hair and bushy eyebrows over hawklike features.

"Shae," Jacith introduced her after he closed the door, "these are our compatriots, Dukar of the church of Hextor and Zaladi, until recently an apprentice of the Black Acadamy. The last man is my employer, Baron Rikelander."

The Baron turned and bowed gracefully. "Please, gentlemen, it is rude to sit while a lady still stands."

"Let me know when one comes," Dukar growled.

"Dukar," Jacith reproached calmly with the one word.

"That's all right, Baron, Jacith," Shae smiled, gliding over to offer her arm to the Baron, "no need to inconvenience yourselves on my account. I too would like to get down to the business at hand and fulfil my aching curiosity."

Smiling, the Baron led her arm in arm to the table before drawing her chair out for her and taking a seat beside her next to Zaladi. Jacith slid into the chair on the other side between Shae and Dukar, giving the priest a dark glance. "The Baron has asked me to find three of the most capable mercenaries in Scuttlecove," Jacith explained, "each of you was picked for your particular skills. Dukar for both his ability to cause and repair damage, though he seems to enjoy causing destruction far more than he does healing it. We have fought together in the past and I can vouch for his skills if not his manners. Zaladi knows intimately the ways dark and mystical, though I cannot vouch for him personally, he does come recommended by people that I have good cause to trust in their judgement."

"What people?" The Baron asked suspiciously.

"Zeladi here served on the pirate vessal Tarrantula," Jacith informed, "I know the captain."

"And the female?" Dukar sneered.

The Baron frowned but Shae put a staying hand on his wrist. "Do you have a problem with women, priest?"

Dukar leant forward in his chair, showing off his scars in an attempt at intimidation. "I hate the weak and the useless. When the Paladins razed my temple, they cast me into the firepit when I refused to recant my religion. The fires burnt away my face and much of my body and so I no longer have a use for women. Some men might mourn that loss but I find myself imbued with a clarity of purpose and focus on my goals that most are unable to achieve through the miasma of such petty distractions. The only practical application of females is procreation and once I shuffle off my mortality I will feel no need to spread my seed either. Women are weak, illogical, capricious and simple-minded, fit only to be sacrificed for the glory of Hextor."

Leaning forward to match Dukar, Shae rested her delicate chin in her hands and simply smiled without saying a word.

Jacith coughed. "Shae comes to us recommended as a cutpurse in good standing with the Guild as well as a member of the Skindancer Academy. She is particularly well known amongst certain circles for the ability to kill a man with her bare hands."

Some of the certainty bled from Dukar's eyes while the pleasant smile on Shae's face never faltered. Slowly, a smile split the scarred man's face. "Perhaps she does have another use after all."

"A eunoch," Shae accused, "and a coward."

He shrugged off the insults. "The loss of my skin taught me to value it above all else. Anything else is insanity."

"As I said," Jacith turned to the Baron again, "Dukar's manners are attrocious but there's no other man I'd have at my shoulder in a fight."

Shae sat back in her chair and absently pulled her red braids over one shoulder, wrinkling her nose. "Can anyone else smell that?"

Zeladi coughed in embarassment. "That would be me. You just can't get the stench of my trade out of your clothes between carcasses and chemicals, I know it is one of the more detestible aromas of the world."

"I hired Shae to grease the wheels in places that your professions would usually have us killed on sight," Jacith told the other two, "now, if you'll all be quiet, the Baron has a business proposeal that I believe could be quite lucrative. Baron, if you please."

Nodding, the Baron stood, resting his hands on his wide leather belt. "The situation that I currently find myself in requires some explaination on my part. I was born in the city of Leshass on the other side of this island and my family counted a large part of the tamed north coast as part of their holdings. When I was old enough, my father sent me to war in his stead and I served this Kingdom alongside Jacith for several years. When I returned my father was dead and my elder brother stood to inherit our father's lands. My elder brother was a scholar and prone to bouts of sickness that prevented him serving in the war and... I admit, that he would inherit everything my father owned while I would depend upon him for food and shelter rankled my pride.

I was almost resolved to sign on with the King's Navy when I was approached by a childhood friend who claimed to have a better proposition in mind. He had entered the merchant's guild and earned enough money for himself to construct his own palace with influence stretched across the globe and his fingers in too many pies to reliably count. He claimed that his success was due in no small ammount to the intervention of a society known as the Seventh Coil..."

The Baron paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself and a sip of ale to calm his nerves. "He also claimed that this society knew of myself from my exploits during the war and believed me to be a talented general worthy of induction into the society. He promised me wealth, lands, power and most of all the respect that I felt was my manifest destiny. I agreed and I was inducted into the society and given this."

He produced a ring in the shape of a silver serpent eating its own tail then pocketed it again quickly as if he were afraid that hidden eyes would glimpse it.

"And that was the beginning," he continued, "a few days later my brother contracted an illness that neither priests nor doctors could cure. He died in agonizing pain and I inherited the family lands. I convinced myself that it was just a stroke of luck, some unfathomable trick of circumstance or perhaps the will of the Gods. In truth, I didn't want to believe that I was somehow responsible. Over the years, I forged a great many financial and political alliances with the help of the Seventh Coil, amassing such power and wealth that I had never even dreamed of possessing. In return the Seventh Coil send messengers asking for minor favors and boons, a pittance compared to what I was recieving in return. Then their requests became larger and yet the returns for what I had to do were substantially greater. It was in this way that I slowly sold my soul to them piece by piece. When my childhood friend failed in one of his tasks, they had me execute him. I did it without a moment's hesitation.

After that, I found that nothing was beyond me. Murder, torture, piracy... I have committed many crimes, chief among them being High Treason. Since then my main contact with the Seventh Coil has been through my best friend's widow as she inherited his businesses following his death. Recently she admitted to me that she has a contact to can assure anyone's death through mysterious and incureable illness. Though it is trivial, I find that I do so balk at the notion that my brother was murdered by poison and my heart burns with the need for revenge. I wish to bring down the Seventh Coil and take its power for my own. Those that are willing to risk all to aid my quest will be given power and wealth beyond measure. Any who choose against me will be destroyed."


----------



## Quartz (Jun 27, 2007)

This could be interesting.


----------



## Ipissimus (Jun 27, 2007)

Dukar shrugged. "So where do we come in?"

"I need agents," the Baron said, "people who can investigate and root out the parts of the Seventh Coil that I myself am not privy to. It is my belief that the Seventh Coil has headquarters in most of the major cities across the land and counts many of the wealthy among their members. As important as I now believe myself to be in their affairs, even I have yet to meet the inner circle. If the Seventh Coil is to be defeated, their leaders must be uncovered and eliminated. That will be your job."

"I'm sorry but I don't buy it," the priest growled, "why tell us? Any one of us could go to the Seventh Coil and rat you out for a golden handshake."

"Because I know their methods," the Baron retorted, "your golden handshake would be coated with deadly contact poison. We have no reason to trust each other, I have no illusions on that score. You must understand, however, the nature of the enemy we face and the scope of the rewards I am prepared to offer. In addition, Dukar, I warn you not to take me lightly. If any one of you even thinks about betraying my cause you will be disposed of without mercy. I will allow nothing to come between me and my revenge. Nothing."

They were all silent for a long time as the Baron glared down at Dukar. The priest gave him a respectful nod. "I'm in."

Zaladi shrugged. "All I'm interested in is the money. I'm in."

All eyes turned to Shae. She smiled. "Sounds like fun. Why not? I'm more concerned with our first move."

"Very well," the Baron nodded, sitting back down. "I have three leads for you to follow up. I must stress secrecy in all aspects of your dealings. You will have my backing when I am able to act but I cannot jeopardize my standing with the Seventh Coil or all will be undone. Now, firstly I know of a secret Seventh Coil storehouse near the village of Haven on the east coast of the island. Though it has fallen into disuse, a through search of the remaining contents could reveal further leads as to the nature of the organization. Secondly, they've been urging me to make ovatures to the elven settlements near the mountains. Last of all, my own home town is currently being terrorized by a madman who kidnaps people off the street, murders them and leaves the bodies for the authorities to find in the morning. I believe that this isn't the work of a madman, his targets are very precisely selected from those who somehow stand to interfere with Seventh Coil dealings. In a few weeks a patsy will be caught and promptly hanged in a wave of public discontent and thw whole thing will blow over as they have planned."

"So we leave scuttlecove," Jacith said, "push north towards Haven, see what we can find there, then cut across country through Elven territory towards Leshass. We can pose as mercenaries hired to patrol the trade route by the Baron, which also gives us a good excuse to do a little snooping if the need arises. Once we arrive, we can report to the Baron and he can hire us again to track down this serial killer. Anyone have another idea?"

Dukar and Zelandi shook their heads. Shae, however, nodded. "Two things, really, not related to the plan. Firstly, if you don't mind me asking Baron, are you married?"

He shook his head. "No."

"This is no time to be looking for a date, girl!" Gukar protested.

"Actually, I think it's a very relevant question. How well do you know your friend's widow?"

"Milady," the Baron scowled, "are you suggesting some from of impropriety on my part?"

"No, I was wondering if she'd made any ovatures to you."

"i don't see how that could be relevant," The Baron answered evasively.

"Consider the situation from the other side's point of view," Shae explained, "this woman sounds to me like she is most eligible. Wealthy now and, if your body language is anything to go by my dear Baron, a beauty. Also, no doubt, a confidant of yours seeing as how you have intimated a close working relationship within this secret society."

"I have not told her of my plans, if that is what you're getting at, and I wish to keep her out of it if at all possible."

"has she made any ovatures of marriage to you?"

The thought gave him pause. "She has been... solicitous of my health where most others are cold to me. Nothing improper, however, it would be churlish of me in the extreme to take advantage of the widow of the man who was both my friend and one that I had executed. In addition, she has turned down several prospective suitors on the grounds that she is not yet over her beloved husband."

"Oh, dear," Shae sighed, "men can be such clots. Baron, I would be willing to place any bet you care to name that if you were to make any sort of advances upon her person, she would be all too willing to go along with them. She is an agent of the Seventh Coil, marriage to you would give the society another hold over you as well as a more valuable agent... or perhaps agents if she succeeds in begetting a child by you."

The Baron stared at her, the colour slowly draining out of his face.

Dukar chuckled. "This is what I mean. Love is a weakness."

"By the Goddess, I didn't see it. Twice blind and stupid!" The Baron growled at himself, stamping his foot.

"If I might make a suggestion," Shae smiled disarmingly.

"I'm all ears, milady."

"Go along with it."

The Baron looked shocked.

"What?" Shae shrugged. "You're unmarried, and might I suggest that if you were your wife might already have been stricken with the same mysterious illness that took your brother if you had been married. She is a wealthy and beautiful widow. Your position and prestiege would expand greatly with your union and as such no-one will dare voice any moral objections. And I daresay if they do, the Seventh Coil will silence them before you have time for second thoughts. Respond to her advances, spend time with her, woo her and get engaged after a properly discreet period of time. Let them think you're falling into line with their plans, give them no reason to doubt your loyalty. As they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"Hmmm," the Baron mused, scratching his chin, "we'll see. I should be back in time for the ball, assuming this rain lets up, if I ask her to the dance and she agrees, we'll play the game and see who comes out on top, figuratively speaking. Your second point?"

"Yes, when do we get our money?"

Zeladi smiled. "Good question."

"Jacith has your one hundred gold piece advance," the Baron answered, "the rest plus a bonus dependant on your performance awaits you in Lashess. Now, if that is all, I'll leave you all to your bussiness."

Jacith and Shae stood with the Baron and bowed before he left. Sitting back down, Jacith glared at Dukar and Zeladi. "You could both use some culture. Our employer is a man of breeding, he respects those who know the proper courtesies."

"I bow to no man," Dukar snarled.

"Honestly," Zeladi waved away the complaint, "I couldn't care less what he thinks of me. I know seven baleful magics that could tear the man apart with a snap of my fingers. His claims of power by indefineable birthright are laughable at best."

"Dear gods," Shae sighed, "of all the evils in the world, I had to go an align myself with a republican."

The necromancer raised his eyebrow. "You have a problem with the concept of every man and woman being free and equal in society?"

"By Hextor, I damn well do!" Dukar exclaimed.

Shae winced. "As much as I hate to agree with the priest, I think that no matter what sort of label you put on a civilization, there will always be those that are more equal than others. It's human nature to form a pecking order with the strong rising to the top. Monarchy, democracy, theocracy, magocracy, it just doesn't matter one whit."

"Enough," Jacith interrupted the necromancer before he could retort, "we leave in the morning. I'll have your pay divided up by then. We all have a room here tonight and fresh horses in the stables, I'll expect to see you in the tavern at dawn."

###​
Shae was busy combing her hair later that night when she heard some noises in the hallway. She'd spent the rest of the day packing for the road, paying off her landlord and transfering her belongings into a locker at the Rustry Shunt, the only place in town you could trust to return your things in the same condition you gave them.

Treading lightly to the door, she opened it a crack to find Zeladi hovering over one of the barmaids, entrapping her against the wall. She was young but experienced and she was having none of the necromancer's advances.

"...even if I were dead, the answer would still be no. Can't you get it through your thick skull?"

He smiled lewdly. "I think I can change your mind." His voice lowered but his next words reverberated through Shae's bones despite the fact that they were barely audible. The barmaid swayed on her heels for a moment as her expression changed from one of blatant disgust to open admiration. Absently, Shae clutched her locket for reassurance as Zeladi pulled her into a kiss that she eagerly returned.

Stepping into the doorway, Shae raised her voice. "How long does it last?"

Pausing, Zeladi broke away from the kiss to glance at Shae. Turning back to the barmaid, he patted her backside. "Why don't you go into my room, I'll be there in a moment."

She nodded blankly, still breathing hard from the kiss, and slipped through the door to his room, starting to undress even before the door was closed. "In answer to your question," the necromancer grinned like a schoolboy, all too pleased with himself, "a few hours. More than I need."

"And what happens when it wears off?"

He shrugged. "What can she do? Complain that she acted like a slut? That I used foul magics to seduce her? Do you believe that anyone around here will think that she's anything but a whore I refused to pay?"

Shae resisted the urge to rip out his throat with her teeth. Beckoning him closer, she made her next statement a whisper. "Zeladi. If you ever try to do that to me, I will stick burning needles in your eyes, cut off your hands and rip out your tongue. What remains of you will be sold as a vessel for what men who have needs for other men to satisfy themselves upon. Are we clear?"

Smirking, Zeladi nodded. "Crystal. See you in the morning."


----------



## carborundum (Jun 27, 2007)

Brilliant! I love the atmosphere and the naughty characters - and Scuttlecove is the business too.

 /hits thread subscription button


----------



## Ipissimus (Jun 28, 2007)

Shae was the last to arrive outside the stables. She found her three new compatriots waiting for her already mounted and eager to set off. It had taken most of the night and some of the morning to choose proper attire. In the end, she'd settled for her tight leather pants tucked into soft boots, a corcet and lacy long-sleeved white tunic with red highlights completed the ensemble and her cloak warded off the morning drizzle. Strapped to her hip was a plain and functional rapier, though she had several other blades hidden about her person that she much preferred to the long blade.

Jacith spurred his horse next to hers as she loaded her mount. "Being late may be a woman's perogative, my dear, but this is a professional operation..."

"I'm not late," Shae retorted, "and you can shove that 'my dear' up your backside, Jacith." Mounting the horse with smooth and practiced grace she ignored the evil eye their 'fearless leader' was giving her. "Well, gentlemen, shall we move on?"

Nodding curtly, Jacith signaled the other two to move out with a wave of his hand.

They travelled north through the town, past the Arena, to exit the north gate. To their right, several bridges crossed the river and entered the slums where no-one in their right mind ventured willingly. The Arena had been closed due to the rain though several Monks of Dire hunger still patrolled and cared for the slaves. Other than them, however, the streets were deserted.

"We're being followed," Shae whispered.

"I see him," Jacith replied, "about thirty yards back, blue lips, tattered finery."

"Sticks out like a sore thumb," Dukar chuckled. "Blue lips, you say? He's a Sannish addict. What business would someone like Kedward Bone have with us?"

Jacith gave him a sharp look. "What makes you think he's involved?"

Dukar shrugged. "There's his tower over there. Everyone knows he uses the hoplessly addicted as patsys and minions and he's one of the few in Scuttlecove the Holy Triad allow a modicum of real power."

"Seventh Coil?" Shae asked the unspoken question.

"No," Zeladi shivered. "Kedward Bone has no need for shadowy networks, he practically controls the drug trade in the south seas."

"You've met the man?" Jacith pressed.

"Yes," the necromancer visually shivered, "and it's not an aquaintance I'd like to reknew. Friends, my stock in trade involves dark magic, unholy pacts and raising the dead. Kedward Bone counted my master as a friend and ally and yet our meetings with him were more harrowing than my time as a pirate. Trust me, he would balk at being lower than anyone else in any heirarchy, he is manifestly unsuited by temperment to be anything but dominant in any relationship you could concieve. Waiting upon the whims of hidden masters would be unthinkable."


----------



## wolff96 (Jun 28, 2007)

I'm really enjoying this story hour and the characterization so far.  It's dark and somewhat vile, I admit, but it's got such a great feel to it.

I'm going to have to keep following this one.


----------



## Rastfar (Jun 28, 2007)

I am enjoying the feel of the game thus far, and am curious to see how it plays out.  I have always wondered about the viability of a long-term 'evil' campaign.  I'm glad I got in on this from the start.

Curiously, Shae seems to be the central character thus far.  At least what we are given is her POV.  Is the author her player?

Thanks for writing this up.


----------



## Nyayesh (Jun 28, 2007)

carborundum said:
			
		

> /hits thread subscription button




How do you subscribe to threads?


----------



## carborundum (Jun 28, 2007)

Top right - thread tools


----------



## Ipissimus (Jun 29, 2007)

--Non-Story Post--

Thanks to all of those who've replied so far, glad you're enjoying the story so far.

As for a little background on the game, yes, Shae is my character. I'm giving the story from her point of view mostly, I'll probably have to switch to the other character's perspectives for some of what happens later as the mechanations start to heat up.

My group has talked alot about how we can make this party work while still remaining true to character but, quite honestly, we haven't found it hard to find motivations for not killing each other. Shae, for example, is a Chaotic Evil Rogue/Battle Dancer (at this point in the story) and yes, she's casually homicidal particularly against men (more on that in the story later). But this doesn't mean that she's dumb enough not to see advantage in having the others around.

Another factor's probably Jacith, since he holds the purse strings we can't really ignore his leadership. Even so, honestly, we've been surprised at how playing evil characters feels alot like playing good characters, just we don't have to worry about things like morals and conscience. We still kill things and take their stuff, it's just that we don't have to justify ourselves.

--end non-story post--


----------



## Ipissimus (Jun 29, 2007)

"So what's our move?" Dukar looked to jacith for guidance.

"Ignore him," Jacith shrugged, "fool like that will get himself killed without our help. Lets see if he follows us through the gate."

Outside Scuttlecove, the untamed jumgle quickly swallowed them up. Shae was forced to snatch a veil from her saddlebags to protect her face from clouds of stinging insects. The miniscule devils, freshly hatched under the shelter of the canopy, got so bad that Jacith called the party to a halt while he made some balm to drive the things away. Night fell quickly due in part to the jungle but also due to the mountain range in the west.

"We stop here," Jacith declaired as he dismounted in a small clearing by the side of the trail, "get a fire going quickly. I'm going to double back and see if our friend had the guts to follow us."

With that, he pulled his hood over his head and disappeared into the dense plantlife.

"I'll take care of the fire," Dukar offered, "you two get the girl's tent up."

"I have a name," Shae scowled as she slid off her horse.

"How nice for you."

They got all four tents up in short order despite Zeladi's complaining. "I swear," the necromancer vowed, "when we get to Lashess, I'm buying one of those extradimensional sleeping quarter spells."

"Quit yapping," Dukar snickered, "this sort of thing builds muscle, makes you stronger."

"I'll try to remember that when I'm lounging on a satin divan between courses delivered by unseen servants while you fight to sleep with the mosquetos and the rain and the rats..."

"Shhh!" Shae silenced them, looking out into the jungle. "You hear that?"

Dukar picked up his enormous flail and scanned the treeline.

The necromancer shrugged. "I don't hear anything."

"Quiet, fool!" Dukar hissed.

The Jungle rustled once before Jacith burst through the treeline, an unconscious man slung over his shoulder. "Dukar, I've got a job for you." With a great heave, their leader dropped the Sannish addict next to the fire. He had several cuts and bruises that had been hastily bandaged.

Dukar raised one eyebrow. "You want me to waste healing on this berk?"

"Yes," Jacith explained patiently, "so we can torture some information out of him."

The dark priest's eyes lit up. "My pleasure."

"No, not you. It's Shae's stock in trade."

Dukar glared but did as he was bade, falling to his knees and laying hands over the addict's wounds. "Dark Lord Hextor, heal this man so that he may know the pain of living once more."

The addict groaned as his wounds scabbed over, knitting together painfully and imperfectly.

Shae returned with some rope. "Dukar, hold him while I tie him up... hurt him a little but don't break anything."

Dukar flashed her a grateful grin as he flipped the addict over and shoved both arms far enough up his back to cause pain without breaking. Smiling with gratitude, Shae bound his arms and legs with practiced ease. With the priest's help, she flipped their victim over and straddled his stomach, his arms pinned under his own body.

"Hmmm, he's cute," Shae observed.

Dukar rolled his eyes, mumbling something about wenches. Zeladi, however, watched with eagerness from the other side of the campfire. Jacith was all business, hovering behind Shae with his arms folded. "I want to know why he's following us. Get on with it."

Shae looked down the addict and smiled. Gently, she reached out to stroke his cheek. "Wakey, wakey, time to get up."

"Alyssa?" The addict groaned, still half conscious. The name caused Shae to blink, pushing back memories. To cover her shock, she slapped him hard across the face.

"OW! What the..." He stopped when he saw Shae's face. "Am I dead? Are you an angel?"

Shae smiled, running her hands down his muscular chest. "What's your name?"

"Aaron," he said, blinking in the firelight, "Aaron Islaran."

"Islaran?" Jacith mused. "Of the noble house Islaran?"

"That's right... who... who are you? What's going on?"

Shae shushed him tenderly, massaging his upper right arm and shoulder. "Calm yourself, Aaron. We just want to ask you some questions. You will answer them truthfully and all will be well. Otherwise, it will go something like this."

With a quick twist, she dislocated his shoulder. They patiently waited out the screaming. "Now that we have established that I'm not an angel and that there are all sorts of nasty things I can do yo your body without killing you, let's see how we do on the first question. Who do you work for?"

"K-Kedward Bone! Kedward Bone sent me to..."

She interrupted him by popping the shoulder back in. Yet again, she had to wait out the screaming before continuing. "Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We've got all night. Now, why don't you tell me why Kedward Bone sent you?"

"H-he h-eard," Aaron gulped, "he heard the Baron had hired you to investigate what's going on at Haven. H-he wanted someone he trusted to watch you and report back on your movements, that's all, I swear! All I had to do was watch."

"Do we believe him?" Zeladi asked.

"i do," Shae smiled, looking down into Aaron's face, "the eyes don't lie. It's hard to lie with the eyes, it takes training or talent. Of course, if you discover that your subject can lie to you with their eyes, then the eyes become useless to you and it's far better to pluck them out."

Jacith stepped into Aaron's field of vision. "What do you know about Haven?"

"Kedward has interests there. A contact who knows how to obtain the extracts from certain plants he needs for his alchemists to formulate some of his products. But there's been trouble there recently and shipments have become intermittant. Still, he was reluctant to raise his hand, so when the Baron hired you he figured you might draw the perpetrators into the open."

"And what do you get out of it?"

"M-my sister," the addict admitted, "he promised to help me find my sister."

"Alyssa," Shae nodded sadly.

"You know her?" Dukar asked.

"Oh, yes. She was a Skindancer. She used to roll her johns up until she picked the wrong one. Turned out the lad was part of the Crimson Fleet, they don't take kindly to that sort of thing. They hung her from the Plaza of Hanging Ruin."

Aaron half sat up in sheer excitement. "You know who killed her? Please, please, tell me, I have to avenge her death lest her spirit rot in her grave!"

"By Hextor," Dukar growled, "kill him before we have to hear the rest of this tripe."

"Kedward Bone might not take too kindly to that," Zeladi interjected.

"Agreed," Jacith said, "he lives. And he's coming with us."

"Like hell!" Dukar swore. "What do we need with that dead weight?"

"We play straight with Kedward Bone as long as he plays straight with us," Jacith reasoned. "The last thing we need right now is a pissed off wizard drug lord on our asses. And Shae, you can get off him now."

She did so reluctantly with only the mildest of protests before retrieving her rope.

"May I have my weapons back?" Aaron requested.

"No," Jacith rebuked. "And you'll not be taking a turn on guard. You can use my tent but the bedroll is mine."

"He could bunk in with me," Shae stroked his back. He winced away from her. "Thank-you for the offer but I'll sleep on the ground."

Dukar grinned as the addict fled into the tent. "Once bitten, twice shy."

"Oh, come on," Shae slumped onto one of the boulders they'd rolled next to the fire, "i've done worse to paying customers. He'll come around."

_Besides,_ Shae thought, _he needs to know who killed his sister._


----------



## Bryon_Soulweaver (Jul 3, 2007)

Update?


----------



## Ipissimus (Jul 4, 2007)

The next morning found the unlikely group meandering along the winding trail through the jungle hills. The mud slowed them down to the point where riding was only slightly better than walking. Jacith picked out their path in front, often leaving the trail for better footing, followed closely by Dukar. Zeladi came next, the relatively vulnerable Necromancer insisting on being in the middle of the pack. Finally, Shae rode in the rearguard with Aaron's arms reluctantly wrapped around her waist.

His hesitancy made Shae smile. It hadn't even been her suggestion; Jacith had insisted that Shae's mount, Shae being the lightest of the four, could stand the extra weight. As much as she enjoyed his fear, she knew it was time to extend the olive branch and make peace.

"I'm sorry about last night," she apologized, "it wasn't anything personal. How's your shoulder?"

"Fine," he grunted. At least they were talking, it was an improvement.

"I was under orders," she slipped some false regret into her voice, "I'm a Skindancer, it's what they hired me for."

She felt his body tense against her back. _Ever predictible, _she thought, not letting her smile reach her face. The next question came on with the inevitability of a landslide.

"You knew my sister?"

"Alyssa Islarian, yes," Shae answered.

"And you know who killed her," he prompted.

"Yes, and I know why. Are you sure you want to know?"

"I have to know. I know she did things, horrible things, but... she's my sister."

_Distressingly noble,_ Shae sighed inwardly. "I met her at the academy. She was a wide-eyed innocent teenager who resented her rich parents... it wasn't a tune I was unfamiliar with. Still, I liked her," Shae lied smoothly, "she learnt quickly and she had an aptitude for the work. Still, she retained some of that sense of fair play, she never stiffed a friend. Scuttlecove isn't the sort of place that takes kindly to charity but she did the best she could. Then one day, she picked a rich-looking boy as a mark from the Rusty Shunt and coearced him into a dark alleyway at the behest of some muggers she was forcably associated with. She distracted the boy while they snuck up behind but they were a little too enthusiastic with their beating. He died. It turned out that the boy was the son of one of the Captains of the Crimson Fleet. He ordered his first mate to track down his son's killers. They visited the Rusty Shunt, fount out the boy'd left with Alyssa in toe, put two and two together and strung her up from the Plaza of Hanging Ruin along with the rest of the gang."


----------



## Bryon_Soulweaver (Jul 4, 2007)

*glares* _That_ is not an update, man. That's a cliffhanger.


----------



## Ipissimus (Jul 4, 2007)

--non story post--

The last four days have been hectic for me, which is why I haven't updated.

Am writing more now.

--end non-story post--


----------



## Ipissimus (Jul 4, 2007)

Aaron's hands clenched into fists. "Didn't you do anything to help her?"

"Nieve little man," Shae shook her head, "you don't interfere with the Crimson Fleet in Scuttlecove. Half of the pirates in port belong to their club, a quarter have ties to the Crimson Fleet and the last quarter wished they did. The Holy Triad doesn't care about justice, the Fleet paid them good gold for the use of the Plaza. And that's all that really matter in Scuttlecove: gold. The Skindancers lodged a formal protest at the death of one of our members then let the matter drop. It wasn't like she was entirely innocent in the whole affair anyway."

"How can you live like this?" He muttered. "Without justice or equality? Without law?"

Shae scowled. "Like any of us have a choice? I grew up in Scuttlecove as an orphan. No parents, reliant for everything on a pack of slave traders. When I reached the age of majority, I was traded to the Skindancer Academy for a favor. I was lucky, they gave me a chance to work off my contract and now I'm free. It's more than alot of them can say."

He sniffed. "What sort of work?"

"What sort of work is a pretty 8 year old girl good for?" Shae sneered.

It took a while for realization to dawn on Aaron's face. "That's monstrous!"

"Yes. But that's the way the world works. Everyone holds a monster in their hearts, it's just a matter of putting it to good use. Could you take the reins for a moment, Aaron? My arms are a little sore."

He took the reins impassively, too deep in throught about other things to protest. She leaned back against his body lightly and subtley, looking up at the canopy of leaves overhead. "You know, i don't think I've ever told anyone that before. Strange."

He shifted in the saddle, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Halt!" Jacith called from the head of the column. Shae cursed silently as they pulled up behind Zeladi. "What's wrong?"

"Haven," Jacith pointed out over the valley, "is on fire."

The five of them gathered atop the scarp where Jacith had stopped. Flickering flames licked over the jungle down below as black smoke obscured the town. Jacith took his eyeglass from his saddlebags and surveyed the scene. "They're still under attack, I can see archers along the treeline."

He handed the eyeglass to Dukar who quickly scanned the area. "Goblins. What are they doing this far down from the mountains?"

"We should go help," Aaron urged, "at least we could evacuate some of the civillians."

"Be quiet," Jacith dismissed him, "and be thankful for what freedoms I choose to give you. This whole area is riddled with smuggler's tunnels. The villagers are probably safer than we are. Still, we need to question any survivors. Thoughts, Dukar?"

"No way the five of us can drive off an army," he assessed, "and it's still a good hour or two's journey by horse in this sludge. But, if you insist on going in, I say we dismount and make our way to the south east corner we can bypass the archers. There's still fighting in the streets, if we keep to cover and use the confusion maybe we can force a retreat and buy the villagers some time."

"Ok, you heard Dukar," Jacith ordered, "Shae, you're with me, we'll scout ahead. Dukar and Zeladi, find a nice hollow and tether our horses, then follow. Dukar, give Aaron his weapons back but keep an eye on him. Right, move out."

#

Jacith and Shae moved swiftly through the jungle. Away from the road, the ground was more solid, packed with roots and boulders though the occasional pool had to be avoided. Still, they made better time. Finally, they crept toward one of the larger buildings on the eastern edge of the town. The township didn't have walls, which considering their current position might not have been wise, but allowed them immediate and unfettered access.

Two goblins muttered to each other in the back yard of the building ahead as they piled anything that could possibly be construed as loot near the back door.

"You know Goblin?" Shae whispered into her companion's ear.

He nodded, stringing his longbow. "Nothing important, just complaining. I can take one from here. Wait until the first one goes back inside then make a run for it."

Shae nodded. It wasn't long before the first Goblin growled an order and smacked the other, smaller, Goblin over the head before going back for more. She was running moments before it sprouted an arrow between the shoulder blades, falling with a clatter into the pile. It was too late to stop, so she drew a dagger from her belt as she ran, praying that the other Goblin hadn't heard.

Her prayers weren't answered. The first Goblin threw open the door with Shae still ten feet away, eyes wide with surprise as it drew in breath to shout. Thinking fast, Shae threw the dagger, scoring her mark directly between his eyebrows. The creature fell forward onto the stone steps with a low sigh, and twitched once before going still forever.


----------



## Ipissimus (Jul 6, 2007)

Shae took cover beside the doorway while Jacith moved up to her position just as the three other members of the party hit the treeline. Waving them over, Jacith motioned for them to keep low. Dukar clanked with every step but there were no calls of alarm, the noise of fighting from the town square most likely more immediate for the enemy.

"Dukar, ground floor," Jacith ordered, "take Shae and Aaron. Zeladi and I will take upstairs."

The cleric sneered at Shae. "I hope you can take orders."

"Mostly," Shae smiled pleasantly back.

Jacith entered the corridor first, followed by Dukar. Zeladi went next, following Jacith up a thin staircase to the next floor while Dukar watched out for enemies.

"You two," Dukar growled, "check the doors as we pass them. I'll keep watch."

Moving forward slowly, they fell into a pattern. Aaron would throw open the door, sword at the ready, then stepped back as Shae rushed through. The rooms were nothing, however, just a storage room, a broom closet and spartan bedroom. Three doors later and they reached a turn, the noise of more Goblins reaching their ears, the shouts punctuated by the crash of something heavy against wood.

The cleric shushed them both before motioning Shae forward. "Take a peek."

Nodding, they changed places. Shae peeked around quickly, ducking back before she could be seen. "At least five. Corridor goes five feet then opens out into a large room with a fireplace and stairwell, probably near the front door. There's also a door in the corridor to our left and another door opposite the corridor. Someone's tied to the chair, I can't see where the noises are coming from.

"I go first," Dukar stabbed his gauntleted finger into Shae's chest, "you and pretty-boy clean up."

"Would you like some salt with that chip on your shoulder?" Shae asked flippantly as they swapped places again.

He grinned maliciously, stroking his flail. "Wait until you can see what Shigail-moroth and I can do."

"And here I was thinking you were simply overcompensating for something."

Her backhanded insults failed to damage his focus, a murdrous zeal burning in his eyes. Turning the corner, he charged, the awesome weapon held double-handed over his right shoulder. Stepping out behind him a safe distance away, Shae was momentarily stunned at the effect the brute's weapon had on the first Goblin. Descending in a sharp arc, the cruelly hooked head of the flail whipped downward, smearing the Goblin into thick paste, spraying the room with dismembered limbs. The momentum of his charge, however, couldn't be stopped. A backhanded swipe of the flail's handle knocked a second goblin over and the dark priest simply trampled the creature into the floorboards, crushing it's small skull under his boot and spraying brains over the floor.

Moving in, Shae discovered a sixth goblin who had been standing out of sight from the corridor who was still staring in awe at the armoured juggernaught. It was a simple matter to snap it's fragile neck with her delicate hands, though her pause prevented Aaron from moving into the room.

Still, Dukar seemed unstoppable, dispatching two more goblins with a single sweeping blow, slamming their shattered bodies into the stone fireplace. His move, however, put his back to the last enemy. Both Shae and Aaron shouted a warning as the goblin hefted his spear, shrieking a primal battle cry borne of desperate fear. The spear, however, crunched against the thick armour plates of his back, blunting the soft metal head and snapping the haft in two.

Snorting with disgust, Shae stepped forward and ended the humanoid's life with a sharp blow to the head that cracked bone. Kneeling down, she checked the spearhead. "Lead?"

"The goblin tribes on the island are savage," Aaron explained, "they try to copy us to differing success. They know nothing of metalwork, so they have a tendancy to hammer anything metallic into an edge. Same with the patchwork leather or hide armour, practically useless."

"So what do we have here?" Dukar asked retorically as he approached the captive tied to the chair. The hostage was a gaunt middle-aged man with greying hair who wore white and red robes. The symbol of a cugdel  hung around his neck. His hands and feet were tied and he was gagged.

A chill ran down Shae's spine when she saw the look in Dukar's eyes. The dark priest was kill-drunk, covered in blood, he paused to lick his gauntlets clean before the aging devotee of St. Cuthbert. "Dukar, Jacith might want to question him."

He looked at her without really seeing her, though he was obviously aware his reality was somehow skewed. "Then it's too bad we didn't get here in time," he chuckled, bending over to retrieve one of the goblin's spears, "before the goblins tortured him to death."

With a single thrust, he stabbed the captive priest through the stomach just below the rib cage. The victim's scream turned into a gurgle as blood soaked through the gag from the inside. Dukar's eyes glazed over with pleasure as he twisted the haft this way and that, probing for different organs as he levered the wound wide open.

Aaron doubled over and retched, hands shaking. Shae watched as he reached into his beltpouch to retrieve a vial of blue liquid. He quickly downed the contents, slumping into the corner of the room as profound waves of bliss took his pain away.

When it was finally over, the devotee's corpse slumped forward in the chair, lifeless. "Oh," Dukar sighed happily, "that felt good."

Scowling at the waste, Shae turned away from him. Pausing, she lifted one hand into the air. "Shhh, both of you. Do you hear that?"

"What?" Dukar asked, still preoccupied with his bloodlust.

"The pounding," she whispered, "it's stopped."

A moment later, the other door that led deeper into the house burst open and the room was flooded with goblins.


----------



## Aholibamah (Jul 6, 2007)

Well written and very interesting--I've adapted this setting to my homebrew for an upcoming adventure with definitely GOOD characters, this is a cool contrast to see. Shae comes across very well btw, it's interesting to see one of these written from a pc point of view. I'll keep looking for updates.


----------



## Nightbreeze (Jul 7, 2007)

Really good, I'm waiting for more


----------



## Ipissimus (Jul 7, 2007)

Shae backed up against the wall, deflecting the hasty spear thrusts of the charging Goblins, in an attempt at preventing herself from becoming surounded. Dukar, still kill-happy, accepted the brunt of the goblin's charge with a great battle cry, striking with his flail in wide arcs. They ignored Aaron who almost appeared dead blissing out on Sannish.

One of the goblins scored Shae across the thigh, burning pain shooting through her nerves. She grit her teeth and concentrated on the three goblins in front of her while more pressed against them from behind, trying to poke their spears over their companion's heads to gouge at her flesh. A swift kick knocked one of them back into the others but the press of their small bodies held the warrior upright, leaving him with nothing more than a bloody nose. Her training kicked in and she fell back into the defensive, trying to buy some time for Dukar to inflict some real damage.

The priest wasn't fairing much better. While his strokes could fell a goblin in a single blow and he had the reach to overcome their advantage with their spears, the greenskins were agile and patient. The green tide surges back and fourth, avoiding his blows for the most part, though he killed several it wasn't enough. Suddenly one of the goblins hooked a cruel barb around her ankle, several of them grabbing the one spear yank and trip her up.

They swarmed over her, grabbing her arms and legs trying to pin her to the gound but she was too slippery for them, too quick. She felt panic and pain rise into her chest like burning bile. All she could see was limbs and snarling faces. She screamed when one of the goblins went for her face with it's teeth. "NO!"

The burning sensation shot through her arms before unleashing itself onto the world, a seering sheet of flames spouting from her outstretched fingertips.


----------



## Aholibamah (Jul 8, 2007)

Oh, no...poor Shae. (bites fingernails anxiously)

(BTW--is she remotely related to Shae from "A Song of Ice and Fire"?)


----------



## Cyincal Lurker (Jul 8, 2007)

"Evil is Good."



> Dukar raised one eyebrow. "You want me to waste healing on this berk?"
> "Yes," Jacith explained patiently, "so we can torture some information out of him."




*cackles*


Can't wait to see how things progress.


----------



## GrandArchon (Jul 8, 2007)

Aholibamah said:
			
		

> Oh, no...poor Shae. (bites fingernails anxiously)
> 
> (BTW--is she remotely related to Shae from "A Song of Ice and Fire"?)




You mean Tyrion's whore?


----------



## Nightbreeze (Jul 9, 2007)

GrandArchon said:
			
		

> You mean Tyrion's whore?




I thought about that, too. But hey, I like the name: it doesn't have to be related to that shae. (however the two share some...lines  )


----------



## Ipissimus (Jul 9, 2007)

--non-story post--

Actually, I've never read Song of Ice and Fire. Any similarity is purely coincidental, I swear.

More to follow...

--end non-story post--


----------



## Ipissimus (Jul 9, 2007)

When Shae finally plucked up the courage to open her eyes, what she found made her recoil in shock.piles of charred and burning Goblins littered the floor in a rough arc around her. Those that weren't dead were fleeing with Dukar hot on their heels, some were even on fire. Jacith marched into the room, swords at the ready, but the sight even gave him a moment of pause. Scanning the room, he noted the body of the devotee of St. Cuthbert, now burning yet held in place by the spear through it's stomach.

Dukar slammed the door the Goblins had fled through shut and put his back to it. "You didn't tell me the bitch was a Sorceress!" He snarled.

Shae blinked, looking up at the men blankly, still shocked at what she'd done. "I... I'm not!"

Zeladi surveyed the remains. "From the pattern of destruction, I'd have to say it looks like the effects of a Burning Hands spell. Perhaps not the most useful combat spell in a Mage's arsenal but certainly effective in tight corners. Is this the first time you've ever summoned fire from your fingertips?"

She nodded, still hardly comprehending.

"The gift can be unstable and sporadic at first," the Necromancer informed her, "but make no mistake, you do have the touch of Boccob upon you."

Shae snapped back to reality when she noticed Aaron reaching for a second vial of Sannish. Springing to her feet, she practically bowled Zeladi over in her rush to snatch the vial away.

"HEY!" Aaron reached for it. "That's mine!"

She grabbed his wrist with her left hand and twisted, pulling him down onto his stomach and pinning him there while she plucked the belt pouch away from him. "One a day of this  is more than enough to fry your brain. I could care less if your life is so painful you need to bliss out, just do it on someone else's time. Now stop whining like a little boy and pick up those swords."

He did as commanded but he still glared at her. "I need that."

_And that makes you weak,_ she thought. "You'll get it. But for as long as you're with us, it's one every night before we sleep. And I hold onto them. If you have a problem with that, I'll rip out your heart with my bare hands."

"That's not fair."

"Welcome to real life." She sneered, turning her back on the addict. Looking at Jacith's blades, she noticed the stains of fresh blood. "Have some fun upstairs too, did you?"

Everyone ducked as a sudden, yet distant, explosion reminding them that there was still a war going on outside.

"A few archers, nothing of note," Jacith replied, "the defenders are really giving the Goblins hell, they're holding out in the town hall but reinforcements just arrived from the forrest, the town's hip deep in greenskins. Any idea what the Goblins are doing here?"

"We heard some sort of pounding," Dukar said, "sounded to me like they were trying to break down a door."

"Ok," Jacith decided, "we're going after them. Dukar, we'll have words about the priest later, heal up Shae while I guard the door."

"The Goblins got him," Dukar lied, "I swear."

"I doubt any Goblin has the strength to shove a spear through a man and then through the back of a stout oaken chair. As I said, we'll discuss you taking me for a fool later."

Shae couldn't help but notice the dark priest's unease while he healed her wounds with a touch. Glancing at Jacith, she couldn't help but wonder how such a man could inspire such fear in a beast like Dukar.


----------



## Aholibamah (Jul 9, 2007)

Hm...most interesting developement here...(fair enough about the Shae thing--I guess it was just that she had started out faking being a whore and the Shae character is one. She's certainly an interesting character in her own right.)


----------



## Rastfar (Jul 10, 2007)

If I'm not mistaken I do believe that 'Shae' was the protagonist from Terry Brooks' first Shannara book........but it's been a while.  And that was out loooooooonnnng before Gearoge Martin's.  Though I did wonder about the parallels to the latter, myself.


----------



## Ipissimus (Jul 14, 2007)

The remaining Goblins died quickly as Jacith, Dukar and Shae systematically slaughtered the small warriors. Zeladi and Aaron secured the main room and kept lookout. Moving on, Dukar led the group down a narrow staircase down into the basement, the stink of Goblin easy to follow. Several barrels and crates had been thrown away from a concealed door in the northern wall made of sturdy wood bound in iron. A small ram lay discarded in front of it and the face of the door was marked where they had attempted to break through.

Jacith pounded the hilt of his sword against the door. "Friends? The goblins are dead, let us inside, quickly now!"

"Get lost!" A muffled voice answered. "How do I know you're not one of them?"

Stepping up, Shae put on her 'lost little girl' act. "Oh, please let us in sir, I beg of thee! I'm so frightened!"

"Well, ah... I can't, miss, I'm under orders..."

Shae started to cry, turning it on like a tap. "Please help us! Please! They're going to kill me, please!"

There was a long pause before the door opened a crack, revealing a freckled farm boy barely out of his teens wearing leather armour that didn't fit him very well and a rusty short sword. "Quick, get in here."

"Oh, thank-you, thank-you," Shae hugged him for a moment and rewarded his foolishness with a kiss on the cheek. Dukar and Zeladi exchanged a significant look but neither gave away her deception.

Once inside with the door safely barred, Jacith looked down the dark hallway. "Where does this lead?"

"The nest," the guard answered without thinking. "They let us use their tunnels for smuggling."

"Who does?" Zeladi asked.

"The Araena. Countryside's rife with tunnels, as well as a channel that leads to the Undersea. We do a brisk trade with the denziens below, them that don't mind bartering with surfacers of course. But then, those that don't truck with us will with the Araena, so it's a win/win."

"Can we get to the town hall from here?"

"Sure, just follow the corridor and turn left at the next intersection.

"Thanks," Jacith grunted, trying to hide his disgust with the nieve youngster.

"Hey, miss," the guard grinned awkwardly, "when this is all over, can I buy you a drink? I'll treat you real good, I promise."

Shae stroked his cheek. "That'd be lovely, I'm sure. It's the least I could do to think my hero."

They left the dazed guard quickly before the rest of them lost their lunch. Jacith lit a torch for them to see by, holding his blade in the other hand as he led them toward the sound of fighting.

"I can't believe that worked," Dukar growled once the guard was out of sight.

"Be thankful for the gullible fool," Zeladi sighed, "that door was far too well made for us to break down by ourselves."

"I thought he was nice," Aaron offered, still half-drugged from the Sannish. The other four ignored him.

Turning the corner, the group suddenly found themselves at spearpoint. A squad of guards led by a dward formed into twho lines across the room while others seemed to be piling debris in the other passageways, creating rough barricades from anything at hand. "halt," the dwarf ordered, "who are ye?"

"Highway patrol," Jacith answered, lowering his sword, "if you'll allow me to get it, I have a letter of mark from the Baron in my pocket."

The dwarf nodded. Jacith sheathed his sword to pull the letter out of the left hand pocket of his hardened leather trousers. Taking it, the dwarf looked the letter over before handing it back. "Looks genuine enough to me. What do I call you?"

"Jacith," the ranger answered, "and you?"

"Folks call me Rumblerut. Now, by Clangeddin's beard, what the blazes are you doing down here?"

"Taking shelter," Jacith scowled, "honestly, we weren't expecting such a wecome party."

Rumblerut grunted. "Neither were we. We give the Chief a tribute to keep his men out of the tunnels every month, for years. Next thing we know, our envoys come back missing everything below the neck."


----------



## Inez Hull (Aug 13, 2007)

Please sir, can I have some more?


----------



## Nightbreeze (Aug 17, 2007)

Seconded.


----------



## Aholibamah (Aug 18, 2007)

Glad you're posting again. I third that motion btw.


----------



## Darmanicus (Aug 21, 2007)

When will we see what Zeladi can do??????


----------



## cheshire_grin (Mar 7, 2008)

Darmanicus said:
			
		

> When will we see what Zeladi can do??????



Never, evidently.


----------



## Nightbreeze (Mar 12, 2008)

Well, bump


----------

