Agnaran's Agony RP

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As the skeletons surrounding him turned to dust, Sestrum shifted his attention to the horde pounding at his left side. He'd heard the orders - stay with the wagons - with his own addendum - or die trying. From the corner of an eye, he thought he saw the fall of an Ice Maiden and smiled grimly. "Quis roto inter, adveho inter," he muttered silently.

 

"RRRAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!" screamed Dentarg, as fought off yet other skeleton's attacks. Looking in Sestrum's and the wagon's general direction, he could see several skeletons approaching them.

"Oh I have just about had my fill of the walking Dead" he said as he tightened his grip on his hammers, and made haste for the wagons.

 

Herna placed her legs far apart as she stood a top the coach, her left hand gripping the side of the roof of the coach. A top the coach, despite the obvious hazards that accompanied positioning herself up there, she knew this would be one of the few places where she would be unmolested by the undead. Herna lifted her divine symbol in her free right hand, which began to darken as dread energy began to manifest around it. Suddenly the energy flew out from the amulet striking those undead near her. Five skeletons turned on their fellow members of the undead.

The gates of Utavas where coming up quickly, the front guard of Warrior Maidens had likely already entered the city, as Herna lifted her left hand from the side of the coach's roof. She held her divine symbol tightly as she began to reciting incantations, her left hand moving intricately. One could see pure energy began to manifest itself into a strange spear. It's strange, almost corporeal form was an icy blue color with a black energy that seemed to, at times, run through it. The spear's head consisted two spear blades or four edges, shaped like right triangles, with the long side against the shaft of the spear. Of the four trangle shaped sides, two holes existed in each edge, right triangles as well. The hole furthest back, had its short side against the shaft and the longest side towards butt of the spear. The second whole was, again, similar to a right triangle, with its longest side facing the shaft and the shortest facing the butt of the spear. Of forward facing edges of the spear blades themselves where jagged.

Upon appearing this spear dove into the ranks of the undead and begin to do battle with the undead, unaffected by the attacks of the undead.

Herna could now see the glyphs protecting the gate of Utavas from the undead. It would only be a moment of time before she would be in the city.

 

Ralsion did his best to keep up with the rear end of the wagon train. The rear guard had fallen to the onslaught of undead and the rear most supply wagon had fallen to the undead shortly after that. The magic that had been supplied to Ralsion by the sorcerer Lorenzal had worn off, the famous mercenary returned from being over 11 feet tall to his normal height. Ralsion was happy with his decision to instruct the young nobleman to catch a ride one of the wagons several minutes ago.

Amuset, the great sun god, had almost finished with his journey across the sky, only the last bits of the solar disk were visible. Ralsion was well aware of the dangers of this for he had always been told that bodaks, who where said to be often found in the company of the servants of Agnama, where held at bay by the sunlight.

With the onset of night, the protection ironically provided by Illorun, the undead struck at the rear with renewed vigor. Ralsion's remaining companions where 2 winter wolves and one half-dead Warrior Maiden's chainmail was covered in blood. There was about fifty feet until the wall, Ralsion realized, from where he stood. He slowed his pace, the wagons could not maintain a breakneck speed as the relief column poured into the city. The undead in front of him seemed to be be following the lead of a ghast who stood at the forefront of the undead masses. The space created between the undead at the rear of the train had been created by the fall of the rear guard and the undead had almost lost all ability to flank do to the close proximity to the town walls. Ralsion pulled a potion from his belt and quaffed it before undead could come upon him, knowing full well he'd end up dead trying to fight the undead in a wounded condition. A volley of bolts screamed overhead as Ralsion tossed the potion bottle to the ground. The town militia attempted to provide what little protection they could, but the skill of the crossbow men limited the range in which they could fire their crossbows with any hope of success. The undead, unconserned with the crossbow fire charged at the four creatures desperately trying to hold the rear of the wagon train. Ralsion turned to the last trick up his sleeve as his moved backwards, shield raised. A small brass urn hung from his belt, to which he pulled the stopper off.

"Run!", shouted Ralsion.

Smoke began to pour forth from the bottle at a rapid pace and within seconds nothing could be seen in a fifty foot spread. The smoke envoloped Ralsion as he ran towards the city. He hoped this would confuse the undead, because unless they could smell him, they'd have no idea where he was. Ralsion fumbled with the stopper as he ran, getting the stopper in place and ending the steady stream of smoke. The city gates where right in front of him, the two winter wolves had already returned to the city, but he did not see the Warrior Maiden, her wounds must have slowed her down. She was lost to the undead, Ralsion knew it and even if she wasn't, the danger of going out to find her was too great and attempting to help her back would have slowed him down so that it was very unlikely either would have made it back. A casualty that can't be avoided, thought Ralsion, Like the others to come. The soldiers manning the gate where already in the process of pulling it such, she was lost now.

The relief forces where relief forces no longer, they where the defenders of Utavas now.

 

One of the last to enter the city before the great gates slammed shut, Alixnan saw the dawning horror in the eyes of the priestess. Hopelessness and horror, along with a hint of anger. He had a feeling that, given the nature of the attackers, she would not be given a clean death.

He turned away from the gate towards the fortifications themselves, and while the walls were strong and well fortified the men and women manning them were not. They had a feel of despair about them as well.

"This" he muttered to himself "Will end badly. Very badly."
Seeing an Ice Maiden glaring at him he suspected she had heard, and decided to move on.

 

The city stretched out before the nearly arrived conscripts in Utavas. The buildings where made of wood, as the whole of Utavas as largely made of wood, and like most other buildings in Western Waern where built up rather then out. The roofs were thatched and more then a few had tell tale signs informing onlookers that they had caught fire.

Straight out from the gatehouse, standing at the other end of the city stood the temple to Illorun, a tall building made of white stone. Numerous spires climbed skyward as if to impale the sun, capped in a tall pointed roof of mithral. Before the temple, in what seemed to be a sort of common area, stood a steel lined pit over which was placed a broad stone walkway pointing at the temple and another stone walkway which ran parallel to the temple and crossed middle of the other stone walkway. About half way towards the center of the pit, the stone walkways raised themselves up. In the center of the raised walkway stood a mithral rose about four feet high and three feet in diameter. There was another rose on each of the four points at the ends of the walk ways. There wasn't a soul in Waern who didn't know what this was. This was the focal point of the bloodiest religion in all of Waern. This was where young maidens met the end of their mortal life to satisfy Illorun's vainity and dreadful temper at the ceremonial daggers of the presiding Ice Maidens.

Coming down the avenue from the temple to the gatehouse where a host of Ice Maidens dressed in their white ceremonial robes with black trim. The lead priestess's honey blond hair was exquisitely braided atop her head. Behind her two preistesses where carrying a strange globe dancing with blue-green energy on a padded cushion with handles to be carried with one priestess holding it behind her and the other holding it before her.

Herna walked forward to greet the priestesses coming from the temple, achieving a good deal of distance between herself and the conscripts and her fellow Ice Maidens.

"You're Herna of the Winter Wind I assume." said the lead priestess with honey blond hair whose brown eyes where almost as cold as Herna's.

"Yes sister, I am her. I am right in thinking you are Matriarch Ausja?"

The brown eyed Ice Maiden nodded.

"Is Iselda Bluethorn with you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"The Sacred One, Lady Astrilia Snowdiamond, has sent word instructing us to present some of the sacred fount of coldfire within our temple for Iselda to be bathed in."

Herna cocked her head, even her normally cold demeanor this seemed strange.

"Coldfire? Does Illorun now wish to kill the girl?"

"I believe this is a test of faith. We are to present this orb to her and then take her back to the temple for the ceremony itself to begin. When we return to the temple, while we wait for Iselda to be prepared, I shall instruct you about exactly what is taking place here."

 

Dentarg remained quiet, their customs were strange, and his being in a city made him feel uneasy, but causing a scene would be a rather bad move too say the least, he grit is teeth as he remained silent.

 

Herna beckoned for her sisters to join her. The two Ice Maidens carrying the orb moved before Iselda and Matriarch Ausja presented the orb to Iselda. With that the followers of Illorun, save for Rusknar, headed back to the temple. Almost instantly after the Ice Maidens moved away from the new recruits, a middle aged man in splint mail, with a bushy dark brown mustache and a five o'clock shadow appeared, flanked by to members of the city guard, wearing studded leather, steel skull caps and spears. From his actions, it was most likely the case that this man had no intentions of interacting with the Ice Maidens and that was probably a wise decision to make.

"I am Ullis Sharpstone and I am the captain of the city guard. From here on out, I'll be the one in charge of you... unless the Ice Maidens have need of you again. Anyway, It's not my duty to find you food, water or lodging. Being the time it is, I won't mind in you quarter yourself in the homes in the city... just don't raise enough of a stink that I get drawn into it. It you've got the money or simply don't enjoy threatening others to get a place to sleep, there're a couple of inns around that can still give you lodging.
"Now as for what's going on... well what does it look like? We're being attacked by undead and we've got the task of using our small number to keep an almost endless horde of walking dead from coming over that wall. Well I'll let you settle in real quick, but if you hear any horns, you'd better come running... and don't even think about getting lost in this city. If I have to press you back into service, you'll regret it."

Ullis Sharpstone, stood, eyes ever watching, while the new recruits began to mill around.

Cortia tugged on bottom of Ralsion's tunic that was accessible through the chainmail.

"We should probably head to a tavern and find out what's really going on."

"That's what I was thinking myself. I an old acquaintance of mine recommended the Wooden Sword Tavern should I ever find myself in part of Waern. We'll find it on the north side of this town. The bartender is a woman named Ellesa Wildheart, supposedly one of those types more at home amongst the woods and plains then in the city, but she's got a good recommendation all the same."

"Well hopefully there's people in it. I don't to taverns for the drinks, that's for sure."

Ralsion looked at those around him.

"I'm heading out for a tavern. Come with me if you wish. In times like this, I like the company all the fellows in arms I can get."

Lorenzal nodded at Ralsion in acknowledgment.

"I have my doubts about their ability to furnish a fine Corlunan red wine, but then I doubt, outside of the lord's keep, that I shall find a vintage to my liking."

Rusknar curled his nose.

"I find it unbearable enough as it is to be around those who aren't frost folk for my people's debt to Illorun. I have no desire to be around you when I don't have to."

"As you wish." responded Ralsion.

Ralsion began to head to the northern portion of the city with those who wished to join him at the Wooden Sword Tavern in tow.

 

"Aaah the tavern, a city's one redeeming factor" Dentarg said. "Always a good source of entertainment, good food, good ale, and always a good fight or two!"

 

"I'll come with you" Alixnan said "I think I need food and a drink after that run. Also it would be a good way to gage the mode of the city"

 

The trip to the tavern took longer then expected, for Utavas, despite being a rustic city, was the largest city in this region of Loskgrod and Ralsion didn't have the exact location of the bar, not to mention the noticeably trafficked streets made it for difficulty asking for directions.

The inside of the tavern was lit by several hooded lanterns, with its dark tinted windows letting in little lights. There where only four patrons in the tavern at the time of arrival, three older men and one strange looking tiefling with ram horns. The the tiefling was on the opposite end of the bar of the two old men, facing a corner, her back turned to everyone in the bar. The barkeep, a woman, was cleaning a drinking mug, her back to the door.

Ralsion moved to the bar, "Ellesa Wildheart?"

"That'd be me... do I know you?"

"No, but we have mutual friend who recommended your tavern should I ever make my way to this part of the woods."

"An adventurer are you? Well whose this mutual friend of ours?"

"Yeldric the Crow."

"Ah. How's old Yeldric doing? I haven't seen him in ages."

"In trouble with the law, last time I hired myself out to him. Smuggling in Maranhold is no small thing."

Ellesa nodded.

"So what's your name stranger."

"Ralsion Graywood."

"Oh! Well, this might not be the bar Yeldric recommended to you. Business has gotten pretty bad lately, and I'm not just talking the effects the undead are having."

Ellesa discreetly pointed a thumb over that the tiefling in the corner.

"I'd kick her out, but I wouldn't stand a change against her and even the city guard won't take up problems where she's involved. Even someone like you'd probably be out matched. Her great, great grandfather was suppose to be a powerful demon general to one of the demon lords...," Ellesa's voice became barely audible, "They say she calls demons to do her bidding."

Ralsion nodded, "She's one to avoid then."

Ellesa's returned to a normal volume, "Well, you and your companions should make yourself at home for the time being. I've only got two girls and a bus boy here right now so service might not be the fastest thing."

 

Dentarg plomps himself down at the bar and throws down a bag of gold pieces.

"a tankard of your finest ale, an' keep it coming."

 

Ellesa nodded and soon produced a tankard of ale for Dentarg.

"Now I've got nothing against you half-orcs, but as I always tell them when I bring them ale, there's no brawling in this bar. Had one that didn't heed the rules this summer... I'm still paying off the damages done, but I'm sure you won't be a problem."

 

Dentarg scoffed, but shortly after nodded in agreeance, before he took a huge mouthful of ale.

"A fight can be an enjoyable thing indeed, but I'll not risk the end to a supply of good ale."