Post by K Man on Jul 22, 2004 9:36:27 GMT -5
Hero, Newt, Garor, Caelith and Callian - You have been working throughout the day, fighting both fatigue from lack of rest and sheer fear of the coming night. As you watch the last few shovelfuls of dirt removed from the hole and tossed into the piles with the others, you look to the skies.
It's nearly dark...
You didn't realize that so much time had passed in between trying to get the Duke to raise moral and helping where ever you could...but you now see that dusk is nearly upon you.
The other workers in the keep sense it too for the noise that was commonplace during the day is silenced to little more than the occasional huff of those working hard.
You look over the plans...the arrows line the walls for the archers, those that can fight with a sword and shield have one, all others have managed to find a weapon of some kind but most importantly...the tunnel is complete. You lean over and glance down the hole. At best guess, you have a little more than two feet to dig through to break through the hillside when the army approaches and brings the war to the Freehold. It is also shorn along its side with timbers from the keep, shoddy construction, but it only has to last a short time so that some may escape the fate that surely awaits them.
It shouldn't take much longer to get through, especially when the diggers realize what the other options are.
You usher those unable to fight with a few select personnel into the tunnel and communicate exactly what your command will be to resume the digging. The children quietly and effeciently move into the hole, their dirty faces betraying feelings of fear coursing through their body. Even those assigned to ensure their safety and those of the others allowed to first exit the tunnel seem to shake with fear. Swords rattle in scabbards and shields shudder against meager armor...the faith of the wielder also faltering.
You have no time for this though, you and the others move to the upper wall of the keep and watch, with held breath as the last of the sunlight fades from the sky. The dark figures among the tree stir with anticipation, blending into the night of the forest like a blanket of darkness and death. You hear their snarls and growls of rage echoing across the fields driving fear into those within the keep like a stake through their heart.
The sun itself seems to not want to see the fate of Boon's Freehold as it completely ducks behind the barrier of the horizon.
And it is with that, the darkness comes forth like a tidal wave...
You had no idea there would be so many...but they come screaming across the field with gnashing teeth and bloodied weapons. Orcs, Goblins, Kobolds, Ghouls, Zombies...you begin to lose count of how many different creatures are charging across the field at your precious keep.
They carry ladders, ropes and grappling hooks...a battering ram, all items designed to allow the darkness to flow over the walls into the interior of the keep...
...consuming all within in the name of 'The Master'...
{Alright, they are coming across the fields. You have two free rounds before I roll initiative as you are the defenders are awaiting this attack. Anything else anyone would like to do?}
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Krysta, Sehanine, Girud, Balin, Galdren and Romar - Several guards make a noisy entrance into your area, apparenly intent on bringing the new recruits to the digging pits as Mordrock has spoken of.
Within seconds, a group of eight orcs, all heavily armed with various weapons of tortuous design, open the doors to your cells and usher you down the hallway, deeper into this prison of death and labor.
As the women are escorted out, Mordrock quickly reaches out and brushes his hand against Sehanine. The goblin says nothing, only holding back a slight snivel of his tears followed by winking innuendo. Mordrock knows you will make it through the day and when this night falls...he will see you freed.
The orc guards slaps Mordrock's cage with his sword, frightening the small creature away from the bars.
"When we find your key, you dig like others till you die!!"
The guards snarl at Mordrock like sharks unable to catch their prey. Moving along, the guards push you at a forced march down the hall to the next room and you can see it is very similar to your own...hauntingly so actually. A group of cells lines the South wall and another group of guards is removing a group of workers from that cell. You see three younger men and a man and woman being taken from their cells to dig.
You also see Yuri...he lies in his cage, unconscious and a young woman leans over his shaking body, applying a cold cloth to his forehead. You have no time to check on your friend for the guards nearly push you over as they move you further into the caverns.
There is little to no light in these caves as all the guards have the ability to see, and rather prefer the darkness. There is only a torch at the entrance to every room and at every intersection so the the workers can work effectively.
You pass two doors, each sealed tightly. The area that Mordrock spoke of where your belongings may be. You pass an open area where you can see numerous Orcs, Kobolds and Goblins playing games, eating and generally being monsters. You are lead to the right, past a hallway that you cannot see the end of, and another that seem to be nothing but dirt.
You are led to an intersection and the orcs force you to seperate areas. {Girud to A, Balin and Krysta to B, Sehanine to D, Galdren to E} Once there, working in the dim light of a single torch near the entrance, you are told to dig with only your hands and fill the sacks with dirt. The guard moves and stands near the doorway and begins to banter with other guards in their native tongue.
The stench of the room immediately hits you. It is the smell of rotting flesh and decay...then you remember Mordrock's words.
"Dig till you die, then they bring you back...
The room you are in has several of the undead digging slowly and methodically with their hands. They fill the sacks and stumble with them to the entrance, dropping them and returning to the pit to dig more. They are woman, children and men...all dead with the wounds that took their life still open and festering as they would have in life.
It is here that you are supposed to spend the day...digging in the hard earth with your hands...
{I wanted to give a chance for anyone to interject something.}
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yuri - Your head swims with pain and it seems as though you boil from within. You're only vaguely aware of your surroundings. Familar voices, a cold cloth wiped on your forehead...the smell of blood nearby.
The blood rushes to your nose like fresh flowers or recently baked bread. It fills you with a sense of power and hunger...hunger like you've never felt before.
Then the smell is gone...and so is the cloth.
You shake and shudder, your body slowly going through the painful process of stopping your heart and coagulating the blood in your veins. You feel the cold cloth and most importantly...smell the blood again...
__________________________________________________________________________________________
It's nearly dark...
You didn't realize that so much time had passed in between trying to get the Duke to raise moral and helping where ever you could...but you now see that dusk is nearly upon you.
The other workers in the keep sense it too for the noise that was commonplace during the day is silenced to little more than the occasional huff of those working hard.
You look over the plans...the arrows line the walls for the archers, those that can fight with a sword and shield have one, all others have managed to find a weapon of some kind but most importantly...the tunnel is complete. You lean over and glance down the hole. At best guess, you have a little more than two feet to dig through to break through the hillside when the army approaches and brings the war to the Freehold. It is also shorn along its side with timbers from the keep, shoddy construction, but it only has to last a short time so that some may escape the fate that surely awaits them.
It shouldn't take much longer to get through, especially when the diggers realize what the other options are.
You usher those unable to fight with a few select personnel into the tunnel and communicate exactly what your command will be to resume the digging. The children quietly and effeciently move into the hole, their dirty faces betraying feelings of fear coursing through their body. Even those assigned to ensure their safety and those of the others allowed to first exit the tunnel seem to shake with fear. Swords rattle in scabbards and shields shudder against meager armor...the faith of the wielder also faltering.
You have no time for this though, you and the others move to the upper wall of the keep and watch, with held breath as the last of the sunlight fades from the sky. The dark figures among the tree stir with anticipation, blending into the night of the forest like a blanket of darkness and death. You hear their snarls and growls of rage echoing across the fields driving fear into those within the keep like a stake through their heart.
The sun itself seems to not want to see the fate of Boon's Freehold as it completely ducks behind the barrier of the horizon.
And it is with that, the darkness comes forth like a tidal wave...
You had no idea there would be so many...but they come screaming across the field with gnashing teeth and bloodied weapons. Orcs, Goblins, Kobolds, Ghouls, Zombies...you begin to lose count of how many different creatures are charging across the field at your precious keep.
They carry ladders, ropes and grappling hooks...a battering ram, all items designed to allow the darkness to flow over the walls into the interior of the keep...
...consuming all within in the name of 'The Master'...
{Alright, they are coming across the fields. You have two free rounds before I roll initiative as you are the defenders are awaiting this attack. Anything else anyone would like to do?}
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Krysta, Sehanine, Girud, Balin, Galdren and Romar - Several guards make a noisy entrance into your area, apparenly intent on bringing the new recruits to the digging pits as Mordrock has spoken of.
Within seconds, a group of eight orcs, all heavily armed with various weapons of tortuous design, open the doors to your cells and usher you down the hallway, deeper into this prison of death and labor.
As the women are escorted out, Mordrock quickly reaches out and brushes his hand against Sehanine. The goblin says nothing, only holding back a slight snivel of his tears followed by winking innuendo. Mordrock knows you will make it through the day and when this night falls...he will see you freed.
The orc guards slaps Mordrock's cage with his sword, frightening the small creature away from the bars.
"When we find your key, you dig like others till you die!!"
The guards snarl at Mordrock like sharks unable to catch their prey. Moving along, the guards push you at a forced march down the hall to the next room and you can see it is very similar to your own...hauntingly so actually. A group of cells lines the South wall and another group of guards is removing a group of workers from that cell. You see three younger men and a man and woman being taken from their cells to dig.
You also see Yuri...he lies in his cage, unconscious and a young woman leans over his shaking body, applying a cold cloth to his forehead. You have no time to check on your friend for the guards nearly push you over as they move you further into the caverns.
There is little to no light in these caves as all the guards have the ability to see, and rather prefer the darkness. There is only a torch at the entrance to every room and at every intersection so the the workers can work effectively.
You pass two doors, each sealed tightly. The area that Mordrock spoke of where your belongings may be. You pass an open area where you can see numerous Orcs, Kobolds and Goblins playing games, eating and generally being monsters. You are lead to the right, past a hallway that you cannot see the end of, and another that seem to be nothing but dirt.
You are led to an intersection and the orcs force you to seperate areas. {Girud to A, Balin and Krysta to B, Sehanine to D, Galdren to E} Once there, working in the dim light of a single torch near the entrance, you are told to dig with only your hands and fill the sacks with dirt. The guard moves and stands near the doorway and begins to banter with other guards in their native tongue.
The stench of the room immediately hits you. It is the smell of rotting flesh and decay...then you remember Mordrock's words.
"Dig till you die, then they bring you back...
The room you are in has several of the undead digging slowly and methodically with their hands. They fill the sacks and stumble with them to the entrance, dropping them and returning to the pit to dig more. They are woman, children and men...all dead with the wounds that took their life still open and festering as they would have in life.
It is here that you are supposed to spend the day...digging in the hard earth with your hands...
{I wanted to give a chance for anyone to interject something.}
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yuri - Your head swims with pain and it seems as though you boil from within. You're only vaguely aware of your surroundings. Familar voices, a cold cloth wiped on your forehead...the smell of blood nearby.
The blood rushes to your nose like fresh flowers or recently baked bread. It fills you with a sense of power and hunger...hunger like you've never felt before.
Then the smell is gone...and so is the cloth.
You shake and shudder, your body slowly going through the painful process of stopping your heart and coagulating the blood in your veins. You feel the cold cloth and most importantly...smell the blood again...
__________________________________________________________________________________________
