Barad'Dun The Western Tower
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Barad'Dun The Western Tower


 
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 The Curse of Outpost 7

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Demie Zephyra
Whisper
edgar dernhelm
Strider
Hxctemplar
Phoxly
Kilanos
konradr
12 posters
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konradr

konradr


Posts : 3563
Join date : 2009-03-10
Age : 59
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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeSat Feb 20, 2010 5:34 pm

Strider, followed closely by Kilanos, Oddvar and Natooka holding up the lantern, ventured into the large room beyond the door.

It was a long, rectangular room, old and musty.

"Must have been some kid of Barracks." Natooka said quietly, raising the lantern so that its candlelight flickered over a row ofl rickety old bunkbeds made of wood which were all set on line against the left wall. There were no mattress's on the beds only cobwebs. Bat dung lay on the floor everywhere and the men had to be careful where they put their feet.

A few wooden chests were in the room, at the foot of the bunkbeds, but each had been smashed open and lay in ruin. Nothing in them but dust.

On the right side of the room was an old iron and wood weapon's rack. Empty. A wooden table with broken benches was beside that, and in the gloom of the far corner, was apparently another wooden rack of some sort.

The men looked about but were dissappointed.

Kilanos ventured towards the rack in the far corner.

"Natooka, some light please." He said.

The Monk rushed over and raised the lantern. The light flashed into the corner and revealed an old wine rack with several dark, cobwebbed covered bottles.

Kilanos eyes flickered in glee.

"Oh, I hope that is what I think it is." He said, reaching for one of the three remaining bottles. "I could use a drink."

Oddvar chuckled. "It will be vinegar by now bud."

"If the Gods can turn vinegar to wine, then so can I." He grabbed one bottle and shook it, empty. He tossed it into the corner where it shattered. He grabbed the next. It too was empty. He threw it against the stone wall. His glee had now faded. "One more." He grabbed the last bottle and shook it. No liquid inside. He was about to throw it down in disgust when he heard something. He held it up to his ear and shook it again. Yes, there was something inside swishing around in the bottle.

Kilanos uncorked the bottle with his teeth and peered inside. He then smashed the glass against the wall. In the broken glass lay a small, bound scroll of yellowing parchment.

He reached in and picked the scroll up and held it to the light. The scroll was bound by a gold and read string with a wax seal on it. The seal bore the image of none other than Arthanor, former Adunakhor of Barad'Dun. The same face that was stamped on the crimson colored, gold coins they all sought.

"We must take this to Konradr." Kilanos said. The other's agreed.

They turned towards the door, but the door was now blocked by several, squat, demonic bodies in rotting black, leather armor. One of whom was an archer, with a black bow, notched and ready to let fly with an obsidian bladed arrow. These four were Keovahl's and they hissed in glee at their trapped quarry.

"Oddvar." Strider said quietly as he slid his hand over Notte's leather grip. "Your's is bigger than mine."

"Yes, I would think so boy." Oddvar said, also sliding his hand over that very same weapon.

"But its how you use it that counts." Strider said and with that, the two men jumped into action in a flash of steel and anger.
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Mordy the Gnome

Mordy the Gnome


Posts : 107
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Age : 31
Location : Las Vegas

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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeFri Mar 05, 2010 4:07 am

( i think this goes here)

And out in the night came a boisterous roar
" I LIKE THE OCEAN! Get ready demonic four!
I give you a fight you ain't seen before!
Draw your breath, say farewell to this world you'll see never more!"

With a maniacal grin and feelings so bold,
The demons shuddered as their blood pumped cold.
Here in this hour, a a danger never foretold.
The hungry barbarian hunted for food like gold.

Savage and brash and feet so quick,
A challenge wants and a challenge he'll stick.
Persistence and will are traits of the trick,
Fodder and dishes for his own personal picnic.

Clash and clang the quartet will aim,
The subjective distraction they want to maim.
Yet this is feed to the raging man's game,
another type of foe he will learn to tame.

Jump, faint, hop, skip, roll and tuck!
Across the tendons, in the gut the hero struck.
Finding the afrits in need of killing a stroke of luck,
and an empty belly ready and willing for the foul muck.

"Fear not, you dark, malicious foe!
I show you how to ssstrrrranger rrrodeo!"
Atop the shoulders, the starving man went to and fro,
And blades cast into each other left to stow.

"Supper for tonight, I'll make of you!
Right in with broth and veggies brew!
From origins I care not, that no one knew,
You'll fit right in with my well deserved stew!"

"Your my meal, you dirty fiend!
I can sense you muscle tasty and lean!"
Bones he left, so slick, so clean.
His eyes so thrilled, and in the dark they gleamed.

And so the hunter will have another meal,
only this time, one he did not have to steal.
Getting away with small scrapes and gashes from evil steel,
The challenge to him was only so real.

Up he looks, gleeful and cheery.
A look met hopefully with smiles and not leering.
"Hi, I'm Mordock"
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konradr

konradr


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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeFri Mar 05, 2010 7:35 am

Epic poem, thank you for that Bardic Intermission Mordock, and now, on with the story.....
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konradr

konradr


Posts : 3563
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Location : Las Vegas/Henderson

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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeWed Mar 10, 2010 6:23 pm

"Ugh! so how am I gonna clean this off!?" Edgar said as he looked at the nasty stains on his blue, dragon embroidered robe.

Konradr, Templar and Demie stood a few feet apart from him. Demie held the lantern and its flickering light bathed the smooth walled chamber with an amber hue.

"Good Question." Demie said.

Templar shook the circular leather jug slung over his shoulder. "The canteen is pretty full still. Maybe we can use some of it to clean you up."

"Well," Konradr said, rubbing his whiskery chin. "I hate to run out of drinking water down here. We don't know where the next well is."

They stood thinking.

"I do have to pee." Konradr said. Edgar frowned.

"Why don't I just roll up my robe and tie it over my back. You'll just have to deal with the smell." He said.

"Shhhh!" Demie said. "I heard something."

A feint Rattling sound could be heard from somewhere in the tunnel. It was muted, but definately a rattling sound.

Demie turned about and held the lantern up. Nothing but smooth walls of the same amber colored stone could be seen. But then one of the walls moved! It didn't crumble or fall over, it slid and it flexed like an accordian to do so. The rattling sound was louder, followed by a hiss.

"Uh oh." Edgar said, "What kind of shit are we in now."

Templar stared at him. "I would laugh at that, if I wasn't scared shitless." He raised his blood smeared hammer. Edgar pulled his long, curved sword out.

Konradr pulled wasp sting from its scabbard and spun his round shield off his back and onto his left arm, holding it before him. The Red sun, and golden tower of Barad'Dun painted on his shield seem to glow in the candlelight.

"Demie, behind us please. Hold the light high."

Demie moved behind the three men, she held the lantern high above their heads so all could see down the tunnel. The moving wall had dissappeared, but the rattling was definately louder. She also pulled her bat wing shaped shield from where it had been slung across her back. She gripped the hilt of her own blue bladed sword tightly in the same hand that held the shield.

The rattling stopped. All was silent. The candlelight flickered on the walls, but most of the tunnel was bathed in blackness. All waited tensely, barely breathing.

Something flicked out of the darkness then was gone. It flicked again.

"What the hell...?" Konradr whispered.

"That looked like a, er, a...." Edgar stammered.

"Tounge." Templar said. It flicked out again, a small, forked tounge. It flapped a moment, then dissappeared again.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!! The terrible hissing hit them first, echoing off the walls, digging into their ears like a migraine headache. Then came the sudden thrust of its head. A huge, diamonde shape of red scales, Demon eyes and fanged mouth. The giant lunged at them with the speed of a lightning bolt.

"Snake!!!" Demie yelled.
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konradr

konradr


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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeThu Mar 11, 2010 8:20 pm

The obsidian bladed arrow hissed as it flew directly towards Natooka's surprised face. Kilanos casually pushed the lad aside and the arrow zipped by them to shatter somewhere against stone beyond them.

Meanwhile Strider and Oddvar moved as if in a choreographed dance. Both swung from left to right with great arcs of sharp steel. Twhuck! Twhack! Twhuck! Twhack! The dance of Steel and flesh followed by the crescendo of blood and gore splattering on stone walls.

When they had reached the door, it was over. Four sets of upper bodies lay heaped against the left wall of the room, neatly severed at the waist, blood draining into a pool on the cobbled floor, and four sets of spindly leg's lay sprawled about to the right.

Oddvar and strider smiled and shook hands.

"I definately clean that blade before you decide to kiss it again." Oddvar said with a chuckle.

"Right." Strider agreed.

"Good work you two. We'd better hurry and catch up with the others." Kilanos said, hurrying past them and out the door.

Natooka hurried along with the lantern. Crossing himself as he passed by the fresh corpses and his fellow warriors.

"Come on Bid Daddy." Strider said, sheathing Notte again.

"We're not going to search them for any valuables?" Oddvar asked, moving reluctantly.

"Think 10 chests of Red gold." Strider said, now breaking into a run after Kilanos and Natooka.

"Oh, yeah. Phew, 8 for me, and the rest for you guys and the royal army." He said with a chuckle as he too headed out the door.

Soon they were at the spot in the tunnel where they had parted company with Konradr's group. They continued on down the long, narrow, smooth tunnel that their companions had took.

Rushing headlong, it did not take them long to discover the same sudden drop off. There were sudden, surprised Yelps and then all was lost in darkness as Natooka dropped the lantern and all four fell to their backslides, screeching, and sliding down the long steep slope.

From the darkness below they could be heard hitting the ground hard.

"Badger Crap!" Oddvar yelled out. "Watch out for the...."

SPLOOCH! and strider moaned.

Oddvar chuckled.

BBBBBRRRRAAAAAARRRRRTTTTTLLLLLLEEEE!

"What was that?" Natooka asked.

"Sounded like a snake's rattling tail." Kilanos said. "A b-b-big one."

BBBBBRRRRRAAAARRRRRTTTTLLLLLEEEEE!

"Kid, get that lantern lit back up!" Oddvar said, "We got company down here."
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Smithy
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Smithy


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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeThu Mar 18, 2010 9:01 pm

“Are you sure this is going to work?” Smithy asked one of the Keovahl. It simply shrugged in response either not knowing or not caring. Smithy had wasted no time in reporting to the creatures the presence of the intruders. They assured him that anyone with the white headed human would not be at risk for a full day’s time from the Keovahl. But if anyone left his field of view, or if the time limit expired, then they were fair game as prey or slaves. A short while later Smithy heard the drawbridge moving. He slid further back into the tunnel so as not to be seen when the time came for the Keovahl to attack.

The Dark Fellowship hustled through the tunnel leading from the drawbridge and out of the oppressing heat. The chamber they now found themselves in was cooler and even had a breeze that gently whistled off the sharp rocks creating what sounded like distant screams from ages past. The wind was also affecting the torches the group carried, flicking the fire about, diminishing the light.

“Okay so we go from the bronze bridge over hell to the wailing waiting room?” asked Whisper aloud. She turned to the dwarf. “No wonder dwarves don’t get many visitors.”

“Aye lass, and that’s the way we like to keep it. If everybody could stand being underground and be stalwart enough to be unafraid of wondrous caves like these, we’d never be left alone to do our work.” Said Enick who was scanning the new large chamber.
He looked uneasy. Whisper looked at the rest of the party. They too were uneasy. Scanning the chamber with its four other exits. It was Dorak and “M” who triggered the fight.

“It was only four of them yet they drove us in here in a hurry.” Dorak said over his shoulder to “M”.

“We should have kept moving to one of the exits and kept the better chance than we have now.” Replied “M”.

As if he had called them, the Keovahl swarmed from the adjacent tunnels and attacked. “M” didn’t even bother pulling his beloved bow. Instead he held fast, sword held with an inverted grip for faster slashes. He didn’t have to wait long at all to begin slashing with methodical precision.
Dorak as well was keeping a good pile of diminutive demonic bodies around him. A buckler stun then a quick stab to finish.
Enick was sweeping back and forth bodily with his weapon. Maybe not killing, but the screams from being heavily maimed were definitely coming from his side.
Lago found a new use for his sloping forehead when a Keovahl knocked his weapon loose and jumped onto his chest. He simply grabbed the thing by the neck and bashed its face in with a head butt. He surprised himself with the morbid glee of his next action when he used that very creature as a sort of limp club, holding its legs and swinging hard.

Taco and the girls were the hardest hit. Within seconds of being surrounded the Keovahl had separated Stefana and had herded her away from Taco and Whisper. They tried the same with Whisper but she had taken up position at Tacos feet keeping them from climbing him and scoring a few kills as well. Taco on the other hand had given up his weapon voluntarily. Whisper snatched it up to keep it safe while Taco began flinging the creatures into the air because it was simply easier to do so.
Stefana did not fare so well in the fight however. Despite her agility as a thief, there were just too many Keovahl and she was overrun. She was able to let out one final scream before one of them covered her mouth with an armored arm. Taco whipped about immediately and started to run after her but stumbled over one of the dying demonic-like reptiles.

Taco had simply had enough.

Skin hardened to armor, the sounds of battle fading away to his heart beat pounding in his ears Taco lurched to his feet chanting. The Keovahl around him backed away for a moment fearing a ruse. They were amazed as he chanted and dipped his hands into the solid stone and smeared it onto his body like mud. He was half way covered when one of the Keovahl shot at him with an arrow. It bounced off the stone armor Taco now wore. Taco stopped chanting and smiled. There was nothing benevolent in that smile. Rage had completely consumed him now.

“You all die now!” Utter chaos followed that proclamation. Taco made a gesture with his hand and a giant claw erupted in front of him dragging Keovahl beneath the stone surface. Everybody fled the chamber. At least, they tried to. Dorak, “M”, Enick, and Lago all made it to the safety of one of the tunnels where they watched in stunned silence the grisly fate of many Keovahl. With each movement of Tacos hands more of the panicked creatures were swallowed into the ground until the chamber was silent except for the wind as before.

Enick grabbed Dorak by the tunic. “We, as a collective group shall not underestimate that troll ever again.” Dorak simply nodded his agreement.

“Someone might want to tell the little pilfer child.” Said “M” pointing to Whisper who was still in the chamber with Taco.
Whisper had thought nothing of Tacos mental state when she witnessed his magic. He made the Keovahl run and she had taken the opportunity to loot, just like any thief would. She was examining a nicely woven thin belt when she heard Tacos voice from behind. “Heh heh, c’mere little girl. You go too.”

Seeing Taco now, the expression of grinning rage mixed with hunger, hunched low and lumbering toward her, Whisper ran.
Taco took a swipe but whisper rolled and changed direction. Straight towards the tunnel the Dark Fellowship was in. The troupe broke and ran. Whisper suddenly changed direction again avoiding one of Taco’s stone claws. Something was snapping on her right side and when she looked she realized she still had the belt she had looted and was cracking it like a whip from her arms flailing as she ran. She gathered the free end up in her other hand and smiled as she quickly realized what she was armed with now. She had one shot at this and thankfully she had done something like it before. But this was a new game that she hadn’t played before and one she had to win. The game of ChokeaTroll.
Whisper bolted across the windy cavern headed straight for the opposite wall. Taco was only a foot or two behind her leaving a slight drool trail as he was now cursing this little meal that was evading him. Coming to the far side of the room Taco was taken completely by surprise when Whisper pulled away from him gaining distance. And never once would his ragemind have ever conceived the fact That Taco was now in trouble. Whisper ran straight to the wall, then straight up it. Three or four steps up the she threw her arms out, her head back, and leapt off the wall. Taco tried in vain to protect his face from this suddenly vicious little midair sprite but he was too late. The belt landed under his chin and Whisper landed on his back, and then she pulled with all her strength. The rhythmic thumping Taco had been hearing in his head quickly turned to a painful hammering forcing him to lose focus. He thrashed about, trying to free himself from the petite vice cutting off his airway and as he staggered around, the stone armor flaked off. Finally Taco’s vision blurred and he fell forward. Whisper let go of one end of the belt and lightly jumped off Taco’s back. This was the time the rest of the fellowship decided to return to see what had transpired. The scene they walked in on was Taco on one knee coughing and holding his neck while Whisper was verbally laying into him with her belt hand planted on a hip and her other hand was wagging a finger at Taco. Upon seeing this “M” and Enic both fell over laughing while Dorak walked up to Whisper.

“How in the world did you-?”

“Every animal needs a handler.” Whisper interrupted, displaying more confidence than she felt at the moment. “And where’s Stefana?”
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konradr

konradr


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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeFri Mar 19, 2010 4:55 pm

From one of the exits, A whistling could be heard. Fangorn strode in, Hammer resting across his back while he buckled up his tiny pants.

" Er, had to, a , you know." He mumbled.

The others stared at him in stunned silence.

Fangorn looked at the group, something was different.

"What happend while I was busy?" He asked.
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konradr

konradr


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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeSun Mar 21, 2010 4:24 pm

The Snake's tounged flicked at Demie, Templar and Konradr, but seem to shy away from Na'tooka's flickering lantern. Edgar stood behind Natooka, knowing the badger shit would be so tasty to this foul beast. The animal reared its head and hissed.

"Any ideas?" Templar asked nervously.

"Kill it or run like hell!" Natooka said. Templar, Demie and Konradr had readied their shields and drawn their weapons.

"To kill it we have to cut off its head." Konradr said. The three of them looked at the weapons they held, two short swords and a war hammer. Not really the type of weapons to cut off a big Snake head with.

"Mabye we can defang it." Demie said optimisticly. Suddenly the Snake lunged. All three pushed up their shields as the snake's snout bashed into them. They flew back like bowling pins, rolling on the ground and coming back to their feet, but now spread apart.

Edgar rushed screaming, blade held high. The snake lunged sideways and smashed edgar against the wall of the tunnel. His blade fell from his hand and he slid to the ground unconscious. The beast's flickering toung seem to delight in sliding over this odd body that tasted a little like badger, and then something else. It was the flickering golden flame that drew its attention away from poor edgar.

Natooka was standing alone, short blade in one hand, Lantern held out in the other. The candlelight danced in the snake's eyes as his arm trembled. The snake seemed fascinated by the light.

Demie rushed in and hacked with her blue blade of death, but it clanged off the Snake's left fang and that startled the beast out of his trance. It snapped its head to the left and Demie was flung against the tunnel wall. She slid down to her butt where she sat stunned for a moment before letting out a muted "Ow."

Templar rushed forward with his hammer and brought it down hard on the snake's nose. This caused the animal to spit. The fluid hit Templar's face and stung his eyes so badly he yelled in pain and staggered off, trying to clear them. The Snake was about to dig its fangs into Templar's back when Konradr jumped forward, shield bashing it in the mouth and stabbing in towards its left eye, just missing it.

The snake wiggled its head in pain then lunged at the old Norseman. Bashing him in return. Konradr flew back, stumbling as he tried to regain his balance. He tripped over something on the tunnel floor and landed hard on his back.

Again the snake stared at Natooka's flickering candle. Demie regained her feet and charged in again, thrusting her sword at the flesh around one of its fangs. The stab caused blood to flow and the pain made the snake shake its head violently, which knocked Demie into Templar and both ended up sprawled on the ground at the Natooka's feet.

The monk began to chant a shaky prayer as the snake again turned its demonic stare upon him. It hissed, and its tounge flicked in and out.

Konradr sat up quickly and saw that he had stumbled over the skeletal body of a some long lost warrior clad in dusty chainmail. As he picked himself up, he noticed what was held tight in the man's boney hand's and he smiled. "Thank you Odin."

It was a eight foot long spear. Still straight and true was its wooden shaft despite the years. Its blade was rusty, but still sharp and pointed. Konradr slid his shield to his back, and sheathed his sword. With his hands now free, he pulled up the spear and raced back towards the snake.

"In the name of Odin, and for the pleasure of Thor, I send you to Valhalla Demon beast!!!" The old man yelled as he charged, spear held tightly before him.

Suddenly the snake's head wriggled as if in agony, it snapped first to the left, banging the wall, then upwards, hitting its head against the ceiling and causing a mist of rubble to fall to the ground. It was in pain.

Konradr never waivered. He lunged upward and thrust the spear head into the base of the snake's throat, right where the jawline started and directly below the animal's brainpan. He pushed up hard. there was a hard crunch as bone broke. Blood sprayed down, blinding him and making the spear shaft slippery.

The Snake wiggled, flicked its tounge and hissed in pain and anger.

Demie and Templar rushed forward and each grabbed the spear and helped push. The shaft dug deeper, there was another crunch of bone and then a hard, deep thudding. The spear point had dug into rock!

The snake continued to wiggle, but its tounge dropped limply to the side. A long, slow, waning hiss escaped its mouth for the last time.

Breathing heavily, the three warriors stepped back. Konradr wiping snake blood from his eyes and grinning like a schoolboy.

"Well done," He said. "We did it together." He patted both his young initiate's on the shoulder.

"But what made it rear its head like that?" Natooka asked. "It seemed to be in pain, but no of us had gotten to it."

"Shhh," Demie said holding a hand up. "Listen."

They were quiet. Sounds came from the tunnel section behind the snake. Voices were speaking.
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konradr

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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeSun Mar 21, 2010 4:44 pm

The snake's rattler lay in a pool of blood on the dirt floor of the tunnel. The tail had suddenly stopped moving as well.

Oddvar chuckled.

"Hey, snake's good eating. Tastes just like chicken." He said.

"Everything tastes like chicken to you." Kilanos said.

"Wait a minute, c'mon. We cut the tail off, how does that kill a snake?" Strider asked.

Suddenly a voice could be heard through the tunnel.

"Who goes there?" It called out.

Oddvar stepped up onto the snake's limp tail and could see down to the far side of the tunnel along a narrow gap where its body did not reach the tunnel ceiling. He could see a flickering candle light, and the shadow of a man's head with a mane of white hair.

"It is I, who beat you so bad at 3 dragon ante so bad once, you had to fetch water from the village well, butt naked." He chuckled at the childhood memory. "It was winter time and your little jewels jingled all the way."

"Oddvar." groaned the other man.

"Hey bro!" Oddvar continued. "You guys are the smaller, skinny bunch. You'll have to crawl over this snake's body and come to us."

"Alright, hang tight, we got wake up Edgar."

Soon the group managed to crawl their way over the now dead but still slick, snake body and squeeze beyond it to rejoin their comrades.

Strider looked at Edgar, Edgar looked at strider. "Badger poop?" One said. "Yep." the other replied.

Kilanos handed Konradr the scroll he had found. The shepherd looked at the visage of Arhtanor on the seal, then gingerly pulled it off and unrolled the paper. He read.

"Its directions to the chamber where the gold is." The faces of all brightened.

Konradr grimaced.

"What?" Oddvar asked.

"It's in that direction." He pointed to the tunnel that was clogged by the snake's body.

"Look's like we go back, the skinny group and the thick group." Konradr said, poking Oddvar's good sized Norse gut.

Oddvar groaned.

"Let's go. I feel we don't have that much more time down here." Konradr said, and he squeezed back into the gap between the tunnel wall and the snake's body and began to crawl back to the other side.

One by one the other's followed suit. Oddvar bringing up the rear.
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konradr

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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeSun Mar 21, 2010 5:05 pm

"Where's Stefana?" Whisper said again. She looked at Taco.

Taco shrugged his giant shoulders. "Taco not know." Fangorn had been off taking a dump, and M, Dorak and Enick were silent.

Taco pushed Lago on the shoulder. "You know?" Lago was carrying the group's only torch and it fell on the ground and blew out.

"Look what you did!" Dorak said. "Get that torch lit back up."

But suddenly all were aware of a feint, golden red glow.

"Where is that coming from?" Fangorn asked. He, Enick and M followed it while Lago struggled to light a match. His orc hands were clumsy, so Dorak did it and relit the torch, which he held onto and raised high.

There was a corner of the chamber that had been torn down into rubble. But at the very top was a gap, and through this gap came the glow.

"I can fit." M said. "As can the dwarves." He squeezed in, followed by both Fangorn and Enick.

The rest waited quietly. Except for Whisper.

"Where is Stefana?" She looked at Lago. Lago also shrugged his shoulders as Taco had done. He was an Orc and had been lost in bloodlust when the fight began. He hadn't noticed what had happend to her.

There was a shout from beyond the gap. A cheer. Soon Fangorn, Enick and M came crawling back out. They each carried a small wooden chest. The wood was not so old, and the iron locks were not rusted. One of the chest's however, had been broken into already. They laid the three chests down and kicked open the one with the cracked lid.

Inside were the coins of Arthanor and his Royal Army payroll. They were made of the famous Red Gold of Elumbra, and they glowed like the amber coals of a campfire.

Each face lit up with a golden gleam.

"Where's stefana!" Whisper yelled loudly, breaking the gold trance.

Suddenly there was a distant scream from one of the tunnels. A woman's scream. Stefana's scream.

"The Keovahl's have her." Dorak said.

"We must go rescue her." Whisper said.

Dorak shook his head. "No. She took her chances like the rest of us. We must get this gold out of here before they come back."

Whisper pulled out her tiny blade. "To hell with you and your gold." She said. And she left, heading into the dark tunnel where she had heard the distant scream.

The others looked at one another.

"We don't go?" Taco asked Lago. Lago had the gleam of Gold lust in his Orc eyes.

"We rich. We don't go. We take gold." Lago said.

Taco picked up one of the Chests of gold. The others smiled.

"Yes, Taco, let's get the rest of the gold and go." Dorak said.

Taco smiled. "This enough." he then spun around and ran for the tunnel that whisper had taken.

A red arrow sang its way towards his back. Taco spun around.

THUNK!!!

The arrow embedded deeply into the chest of gold.

"Hah! You terrible archer!" Taco laughed. "Miss again."

With that Taco ran off.

M went to nock another of his arrows in anger, but Dorak stopped him.

"Let him go. We must hurry to get the gold out."


Further down the tunnel. Taco stopped and looked down at the arrow sticking out of the chest of gold. He tried to pull the chest away from his body, but at first it wouldn't budge. finally with great effort he pulled it free and winced in pain when he did it.

"Damn." he said as he saw a small trickle of blood from the center of his chest where his large troll heart was.

The arrow had completely went through the wooden chest, its content of gold coins, and stuck about an inch into the Troll's thick skin.

"He pretty good archer. Bastard Elf." Taco said.

He heard another scream up ahead. This time it was Whisper.

Taco ran on, carrying his chest of gold in one hand, and pulling his sword free with the other.

"Taco come little girl!" He ran with great strides, sometimes bashing his head into the ceiling of the tunnel, but not stopping. His blood began to boil.
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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeMon Mar 22, 2010 10:53 pm

alright here we go hope its not to long


taco was running through the tunnel as fast as his green colored legs would take him he was almost into a berserk rage when he heard a melodie sweet as a mermaids pie it came from a side passage and his brain was to inticed to keep going down the path. he took the left and he ventured into a deep cell he saw a beautiful maiden playing a harp of gold he approched slowly in a deep trance he was to stupified to resist and he lumberd closer and closer failing to notice the giant gate close behind him as he marched closer he set down the chest and said
"Taco thinks you perrty"'
the maiden just giggled and started to walk towards him then out of no where a palidin in silver armor and gold trim tackles the maiden and screams a frightning battle cry. Tacos eyes have just betrayed him for he was in a deep cave colored blood red and he was standing on skulls but the palidin was still there fighting a gholish creature dresed in a tangled black robe whipping a whip topped with silver blades the palidin was blocking with a solid shield with a black stallion painted on the shild the palidin charges with sparks of fire behind him and shield bashes the evil sucubuss the thing falls to its back and in turn the palidin runs his sword through the foul beings chest. in a jerking movment the wicked succubusses skull and spine detaches from the body and uses its foul wings to get through a air vent in the cealing the palidin removes his silver sword from the body it is still gleaming in what seems pure darnkess the palidin turns to you
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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeTue Mar 23, 2010 6:19 am

The scream is what snapped Taco's small, but sharp, Troll brain back to reality. It was Whisper. He growled, picked up the chest of gold and hurtled himself into the gate that had sealed him in this odd chamber.

The first hit dented the iron bars and splintered wood. The second shoulder bash, dented the metal outward like the petals of a flower. The third sent him flying through twisted metal and shattered wood. He landed hard on the tunnel floor, his shoulder bleeding from the effort.

As his eyes refocused to the gloom, something dangled in front of them on a tiny, silver light.

"Huh?" Taco mused, rubbing his eyes and then looking harder.

Two tiny, black, beady eyes looked back at him. They looked out from a tiny head with two pincers, set on a large hairy ball of a body with eight spindly legs moving along a thread of silk. The spider was all of two inches in size.

"Aaaaaaawwwwwwww!!!!!" The troll screamed as he flung himself back against the wall swatting blindly at the very air in front of him.

Another scream echoed from some distant part of the tunnel. It was Whisper again, and she sounded more desperate.

Taco's bottom lip began to quiver as he tried to suck up the courage to fight his mortal fear. He threw a rock at the spider. When the rock passed, the spider was gone. Taco let out a breath of relief. Then the spider, clinging to its silk thread, descended again from the dark ceiling.

It hung there staring at Taco. Taco stared back, still afraid to move from the wall. The insect began to swing itself, to and fro, each time getting closer and closer to the Troll.

Taco's fingers felt around on the ground desperately trying to find his sword.

The spider swung closer, making Taco gringe and try to bury his face inside his chest.

Finally his fingers found the hilt of his sword. He pulled it up and when the spider swung close again, Taco took a swing with the sword.

The thread was cut, and the spider was gone. Again Taco felt relief. He held up the shiny blade of his sword as if he would kiss it, but then the spider crawled around from the backside of the blade and sat on the crossguard staring at him.

"EEEEEEEEEWWWWWW!!!!" He screamed, dropping the sword to the ground. It clattered on the ground, but the spider had already leapt free and began walking across the stone towards Taco's legs.

It stood just before him, staring as he cringed feebly against the tunnel's cold, stone wall.

Suddenly footsteps could be heard running nearby. Neither the spider, nor Taco moved, they stared at eachother in a stare duel. Then a tiny, running foot squashed the spider and sped on by.

Taco now stared at a milky, hairy blob that had once been his mortal enemy. He smiled, wiping the sweat from his brow. Looking up, he could just make out the shape of Whisper as she ran down another of the many tunnel's.

"Little Girl!" Taco yelled out.

"Not now Taco, come on!" She yelled in reply. "Follow me, quick!"

Taco picked up his chest of gold, and his sword and laughed again at the milky, gooing splotch left on the ground. Then he heard a skittering of footsteps coming towards him.

He looked up to see the biggest, ugliest, hairiest spider he'd ever seen in his life.

"Fuck me!" He yelled and ran off after Whisper screaming.
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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeTue Mar 23, 2010 7:31 am

Whisper found herself in a cold dark chamber. She stopped to catch her breath, but had to roll head over heels to avoid being squashed by Taco's big feet as he came charging in after her. The troll, trying to dodge her, stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Did you come here to step on me or help me?!" The girl yelled, her voice echoing off the walls.

Taco laughed.

"Sorry, Taco looking for the other little girl, the quiet one who hide behind my legs when fighting."

The huge spider stepped partially into the chamber from the tunnel they had just left.

"Aaaaaaawwwww!" Taco yelled and as hard as it was, he attempted to hide his entire body behind whisper's.

Whisper was to mad to feel scared anymore. "Who's hiding behind who, now?"

"What we do?" Taco asked, trying not to look up at the spider.

Suddenly there was the loud TWHANG! TWHANG! THWANG! of a bow that was nocked and loosed in rapid fire. Three iron bladed arrows with yellow fletchings, flew straight at the beast. One hit an eye, the other into it's head, and the third burrowed into its hairy hide. The spider screeched and spun about dissappearing in a hiss back down the tunnel.

Taco stood and again gathered his sword, but the chest he slid under the loose flaps of the leather and fur tabard he wore. It made him look pregnant and whisper giggled.

"What?" Taco whispered, but didn't look away from the shadows from which the arrows had come.

"How many months Taco?" She said.

Taco's brow furled in thought. "What? What little girl talking about."

Another arrow shot out and this one thudded into Taco's bulging tabard and hit wood.

"She's talking about that." A voice said from the shadows.

"Why everyone shooting arrows at Taco?" The giant asked, his head begining to steam with anger.

"Whoa, calm down big fella." Another voice said with a chuckle.

"Alright you two knock it off." came a third voice, but this one Taco recognized.

"White shepherd!" Taco blurted out.

Konradr stepped from the shadows, followed by Kilanos, with his bow ready to loose another deadly arrow, then Oddvar, Strider, Templar, Natooka, Demie and finally Edgar.

"Whisper!" Demie yelled out, so stunned to see her little sister here of all places. "What the...."

"It's a long storey Sis." Whisper said. "You'll just have to read about later in Idle Muses."

For a moment both girls look at eachother, first with a little anger and then with tears. They run to one another and hug tightly.

"I'm going to kick your butt when this is over." Demie said.

"Might be a little harder than you think now, Sis." Whisper said with a smile. "I have a troll bodyguard."

"So, let's see what your hiding their Taco." Konradr said.

The troll tightend his grip on the sword he still held ready in his other hand.

Konradr's men slowly armed themselves and fanned out around the Troll. Kilanos took aim with his bow. Oddvar hefted his two hander and smiled.

Konradr raised an arm.

"Are we going to break our oath and cross blades Taco?" He asked calmly.

"Oath is with you only." Taco said.

"These are my people, Taco. They have sworn loyalty to me and my cause. To fight them, is to fight me as well."

Taco's head furled in thought again, and steam began to rise in the cool Cavern air. He then sheathed his blade. "No blood."

Oddvar handed Strider his own sword and began to stretch and crack his knuckles. "I guess we'll have to settle this the greek way." He announced.

"What you mean?" Taco asked.

"He means to wrestle for it. Winner gets that chest you carrying." Konradr said. "Yes, we know what it is."

Taco smiled. "Okay." He pulled the chest out and sat it down on the ground. Then he and Oddvar faced off, bent over, hands ready, legs bent like springs. They circled one another carefully.

Everyone was silent and grimm, that is until the laughter came.

It was a squealing, strange laughter, echoing throughout the chamber, and was followed by a voice rambling on and on in a weird way.

"My gold, my coin, my red coin. No one can take it, no one can have it, only me." and this was followed by more laughter.

A figure emerged wearing a black hooded cloak that hid his face from view. The figure, a man from the sound of his voice, wandered through the group not even noticing them. In his hands he rubbed something continuously. It was one of the Red Gold coins of Arthanor.

"Who are you?" Konradr asked, but the strange man shuffled past him without saying. He kept mumbling over and over about his coin. finally Templar grabbed the fellow and with a flick of silver, a blade came out from the robes and pressed against the boy's throat. Templar gulped and let go, holding his hands high. The hood fell away from the man's head and revealed a wild eyed, black haired man with a wild wooly, black beard.

"By the Gods!" Konradr exclaimed. "It's Heretic!"

Heretic spun around at the sound of his name, but he still seemed oblivious to what was going on or who was around him.

"No, my coin, mine!" He blurted out.

"Yes, yes, it is yours, no one will take it from you." Demie said calmly.

Heretic sheathed his blade and began to rub his coin again. A strange gleam in his eyes as he did it.

"Who is he?" Natooka asked. "And what has happend to him?"

"He is Heretic." Konradr began. "He was once the Marshal of Barad'Dun and a fellow Officer. He fought with Surt throughout the siege of our city during the great war."

Konradr stepped before Heretic, but the man did not seem to recognize him.

"One day, they say, he seemed to go Mad and stepped down from his office and vanished from the city."

"You mean he's been wandering down here in this mine all that time?" Templar asked.

"I can't say, he seems completely out of his mind. I don't know what's happend to him." Konradr said. "But it seems to have something to do with the gold."

Heretic stayed still, eyeing the group nervously while he rubbed his coin and continued to chant. "mine, all mine."
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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeTue Mar 23, 2010 8:55 pm

while heretic was standing in the middle playing with his coin taco hatched a plan in his "small but sharp brain" Taco mudders to himself
thats mine he just dont know it yet as taco was about to grab the chest the palidin walks through the side of the cave looking clueless using his sword as a light he walks as if not noticing everyone then looks up and sees where he is. he looks all childish and tries to muster a question and all that comes out is i... lost . konradrs notices a scribe emblem on his left shoulders guard he speaks no more waiting for a
answer to his broken question
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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeWed Apr 21, 2010 7:52 am

While arrows flew and jokes were had in the tunnels above, Stefana was dragged deeper into the underground. The stone had gone from chopped and worked to a more natural and smooth cave network. Here and there there were torches or small fires lit next to bedragled surface dwellers who were working at some task or another. Each wore a set of heavy blackened steel manacles that was then attached to a nearby wall or the floor. One woman looked up from the leather scraps she was stitching together for a young girl who clung half naked to her, head buried in her mothers shoulder. The young girl was about Stefana's age. As Stefana's scared gaze met the woman’s, Stefana could see the hope melt away in the older woman’s eyes a little more. Other frightening sights were had as Stefana was dragged on, fighting against her bindings. A young boy in a loin cloth with small cuts all over his body was trying to defend himself with a stick against a group of young Keovahl who were armed with knives. The boy was staggering from the blood loss but fought on not knowing it was futile. Revulsion rolled up from Stefana’s stomach threatening her to vomit. Terror gripped at her even more tightly as she was lifted and roughly placed atop a large stone slab. As the crude iron shackles were being snapped into place despite her muffled pleas and struggling a harsh voice rang out from the nearby darkness.

“Wait! Release her now and give her to me!”

Shouted Smithy as he emerged from a small poorly made tent. Behind him for a brief moment in the tent a Keovahl could be seen biting on a coin. When none of the creatures moved to set Stefana free Smithy roared the command again.

“I said RELEASE HER NOW!! She will not be part of your Idle Muses.” When he took a menacing step forward toward Stefana the paint glowed brighter. The effect of the paint and the harsh command was enough to startle the Keovahl into motion. They quickly freed Stefana and she ran to Smithy.

“Oh gods thankyouthankyouthankyou. I don’t think I would have survived if-“ Smithy grabbed her chin.

“I honestly don’t care what would have happened to you. It’s what you’re going to do now that has any interest for me.” Smithy lifted the faceplate of his helm. “You my dear are going to go back to the entrance your little troupe made, wait for them there and tell them that the red gold they are seeking is cursed.” He let go of her chin and handed her back her rainbow sword. Stefana looked down at her sword, then to the many exits, then back to Smithy.

“I don’t know the way back out, let alone to the entrance.” She said.

Smithy lowered the faceplate down, pulled Tic and Toc, and started toward one of the tunnels. “This way. And don’t fall behind. That gold cannot make it back to Barad’ Dun.”

“Why? I mean you said it’s cursed, but what kind of curse is it?” Asked Stefana.

“The kind of curse that whatever you use the gold for will not benefit you.” Replied Smithy.

“Huh?”

“Say I used the gold to buy a house or pay to have someone killed. Well once I moved in the house would burn down or get robbed, and the assassin would get a better deal and come after me instead. Imagine the chaos that would befall Barad’ Dun if the gold became widespread. The city would tear itself apart.” Explained Smithy as the two of them negotiated the tunnels back to the surface.

They traveled in silence for while through the twisting tunnels, giving Stefana time to consider what she had been told so briefly about the curse that when they reached the bronze bridge her question to Smithy stopped him in his tracks. “So what did you try to use the gold for?”

Smithy gripped his weapons tighter trying to force the memory away and was ready to verbally tear her head off but when he turned and saw the sincerity in her expression it simply became easier to tell the truth.
“I was- I wanted to buy back the power to my family’s name. Instead all I did was remind people what House Nostarios had originally done to make it fall.” He lowered the bridge and then pointed across with his scimitar. “I trust you know the way out from here?”

“Yes I do but before I go I wanna get something straight. You found the gold, spent it and had your intention backfire on you, then collected it back by whatever means and have been keeping vigilant watch over it so no one would make the same mistake you did?”

“Yeah, so?”

“So why the evil mysterious hermit routine?”

“You have absolutely no idea who I am. Would you rather I simply ask people to stay away rather than scare them off? Which of the two do you think is more effective? Honestly. Besides, I do find some entertainment value in it. Look as enlightening as this might turn out to be you really need to go. Now.” Smithy left her at the bridge and headed back into the darkness of the tunnels.
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konradr

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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeWed Apr 21, 2010 5:11 pm

They all stood as they had. Oddvar and Taco about to wrestle for the chest of gold.

The Paladdin, face hidden behind a steel faceplate, was thinking how he could grab that chest and run off with it while the others were busy. What a stupid waste of time, wrestling over a fortune when the tunnels were swarming with rodents.

Heretic began to eye the chest too. He rubbed his solemn coin and stared at the squat wooden shape on the floor. His eyes began to gleam with greed.

It was the Arrow that brought everyone back to their senses. A black arrow that whined into the chamber and stuck hard into the dirt floor between Taco and Oddvar. The Arrow had a yellow ribbon attached to its haft.

"I come to talk." Came a rasping, reptilian speech in the common tounge. Moments later, a Keovahl archer stepped out of the gloom of one tunnel. He wore a ragged yellow tabard over his black leather armor. It was a Herald's Tabard.

"I am dogar, herald of my king Aruskhar" The Keovahl spoke through slobbering lips. He smiled and laughed slightly. "Who is the one, known as the shepherd."

Konradr stepped forward, but Oddvar stepped in front of him, holding his buckler up.

"Be careful Brother." Oddvar said, scanning the other darkend tunnels leading into the chamber.

"I am he." Konradr spoke, "Shepherd of Barad'Dun."

The herald bowed, but did not take its eyes off them. It was a wary one, this Keovahl Herald.

"I bring you a message from my King. Would you hear it?" Dogar spoke.

"Yes. I would." Konradr patted Oddvar on the shoulder and the big man moved over slightly, but did not drop his guard either.

"We know that other party, the one with the human, dwarves and Orc, have the gold you seek. All of it except what the Troll has gotten away with." The Keovahl smiled a fanged, slobbery smile. "You may keep that one, but the rest stays here with us. Our army is even now surrounding those poor bastards. They will meet their doom soon."

"I will not go to their aid." Konradr said.

"My King is giving you a chance to go back to the surface. After we have finished off the other group, we will come for you if you are still in the mines." The smile was gone now. The wild bloodlust of the Keovahl burned in the Herald's eyes. "We are many. You may kill lots of us, but we will overrun you."

"So you are giving us this chest and saying leave in peace?" Konradr asked.

"Yessssssssss." The final s came out in a hiss with a flick of a forked tounge from the Keovahl.

The Herald began to back slowly towards his tunnel. Many gleaming white eyes could be seen in that tunnel's darkness. In fact all but one of the tunnels' seem to have many reptilian eyes peering from their shadows.

"No negotiations shepherd." Dogar said as he backed away. "The way out is that way, the northern tunnel." He pointed to the only tunnel that seemed clear of hidden keovahl.

Dogar faded into the darkness of the tunnel he had originally come from.

"I will say this, you will still have to fight to see Barad'Dun again, but it is not us waiting for you." The Reptile laughed with another slobbering hiss and the laugh echoed thorughout the chamber.

The staring multitude of eyes all dissappeared as well in a flurry of scratching little footsteps.

Konradr looked at his people.

"So what would you have us do. Do we go to the others aid, do we try for more of the gold, or do we take what we have, share it..." He looked at Taco sternly "And get out of here now?"

Everyone was quiet. Each in their own thoughts. It was Heretic and the Paladdin who shook things up. Both rushed for the chest of gold sitting in the center of the chamber. They collided with one another and then both reached for their sword hilts. Taco's massive hands grabbed both by the neck and slammed their heads against one another and they fell to the ground, unconscious.

A voice echoed from the northern tunnel, the tunnel the Herald has told them was the way out. It was a woman's voice.

"Wwwwwwhhhiisssppeeerrrr!"

Whisper's eyes lit up. "It's Stefana!" and with that she ran to and dissappeared into that tunnel.

"Where are you going?" Demie yelled and ran off as well. Templar looked at the chest of gold, then at Konradr. Konradr nodded and Templar ran off after demie.

"We'll settle the issue of the chest once we're out of the mines." Konradr said to Taco. Taco nodded his agreement. "Would you carry these two?" He pointed to the two would be thieves laying on the ground at his feet. Taco picked both up and heaved them over his shoulders.

"Oddvar, you and Edgar carry the chest." The two of them grabbed it and grunted as they lifted.

"Let's go. Quickly, before the girls find some trouble." Konradr said. "Kilanos, you and Strider keep an eye behind us. I don't really trust those little..."

"Rat bastards." Kilanos said, nocking his bow again.

"Exactly. Let's go gentlemen." And with that they all left the chamber heading into the northern tunnel, following the echoing voice of Stefana.
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PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeFri Apr 30, 2010 7:44 am

Old, rusted iron wheels screeched and rattled as they spun along an iron rail track laid a hundred years earlier when these old mines were a busy hive of industrious Dwarves.

Dorak winced at the noise as they all pushed the heavy wooden mine cart along the track.

"That racket will wake the dead." He said. "Are you sure this track leads out Enick?"

The old Dwarve smiled as sweat poured down his craggy, white bearded face. "Yes, the entrance might be blocked up but we can clear it."

They all pushed, except for M who, bow nocked and ready with an arrow, kept flitting back and forth checking to their front and to their rear.

Lagos was the big muscle now, with Taco having left. He had loaded the remaining nine chests of gold onto the mine cart. The last row of three stood above the rim and rattled constantly threatening to fall off.

"Wish we had that damn Troll now!" Fangorn cursed as he pushed.

The rail tracks had been laid on a bed of gravel following a ledge of solid rock that led slowly, gently, upward. To the right of the track was a rough hewn solid rock wall. To the left was a wide chasm lost in darkness. How far down it went and what was at the bottom was anyone's guess.

Here and there were old cut's in the rock, small crevices or clefts with sandy bottoms inside, like caves carved for sleeping or for holding stuff. M peered into each one carefully as he moved along, the sole guard.

Lantern's hung from the side of the mine cart, dangling to and fro with the movement and casting a dancing golden candle light onto the walls.

Psssss, Psssss, Psssss, Pssssss, Pssssss came the sounds, silent to all but M. The song of arrows flying through the dead, stale air.

"Down!" He yelled. The others dropped to the ground. The mine cart rolled a little forward, then stopped. M ducked behind it just a hail of black arrows appeared out of the darkness of the Chasm. Several thunked into the mine's old wooden hide. More flew across the track and shattered against the rock wall.

A hundred hissing laugh's echoed throughout the chamber.

Dorak, Lagos, Enick and Fangorn all scampered up behind the Mine cart.

"Keovahl's!" Dorak said. "There must be another track on the otherside of the Chasm."

Another hail of arrows zipped out of the darkness. Some impaling onto the mine cart or the wooden chests. A few stuck into the gravel while others snapped against the rock.

"How much further Enick?" Fangorn asked.

"I don't remember." Enick said, breathing hard. "Its been so long."

"We have to keep moving before they trap us." Dorak said. The began to push the cart but this time it was harder as all of them clung to the right side of it and pushed the sides or the wheels rather than the back.

Another storm of black arrows roared in. Some splintering against the cart's old iron wheels. The pushed harder and the cart began to pick up speed. The momentum caused two of the chests to rattle and slide dangerously over the edge of the cart.

Hissing laughter echoed through the tunnel again, but this time it seemed to come from behind them.

"Their on this side now!" Dorak said. "Move this thing!"

They all began to push harder and faster. The cart began to move quicker but it also trembled on its aged timbers. The squeal of the wheels drowned out the wild laughter of the Keovahls.

Suddenly the two loose chests fell off and tumbled down the gravel a slight ways. They did not bust open.

"Damn!" Dorak cried out. Everyone stopped and looked back, but no one made a move for the chests.

"Down!" M called again. They flattened out just as another hail of arrows flew their way, but this time from behind them.

M let fly with one and then another of his red arrows. They flew into the darkness but each one landed with a thud and a hissing cry of pain. He smiled knowing he had claimed at least two for the underworld.

The echoes of laughter were suddenly replaced by the hissing yells of a reptilian battle cry and the sounds of metal weapons rattling against shields and armor. A charge was coming up the track.

"Turn this cart to the side!" Dorak yelled. Lagos put his big shoulders against the cart and pushed it backwards while Fangorn and Enick levered the steering rod which angled the two front wheels. Slowly the cart rolled back and to the right. Lagos nearly tripped over the two chests laying in the gravel, but the cart cleared them and then turning sharply, was jammed against the rock wall.

A dozen or more beady glowing eyes could be seen rushing at them from the darkness.

"To arms!" Dorak yelled. Pulling his sword and buckler out. Lagos grabbed his great Orc chopper blade and unslung his square wooden shield from his back. Enick swung his pick and Fangorn lifted his knee breaking hammer.

M let fly two more arrows that made two unseen bodies flopped onto the gravel and trip up a few of those following.

The wood elf looked to his quiver and counted only eleven more arrows. His hand reached for the hilt of his sword and as he began to draw it, he noticed a crevice in the rock on this side of the cart barricade. It was a long, deep narrow cleft in the rock with a sandy bottom. Just wide enough for him to fit in.

He looked back down the tunnel. The candle light from the lanterns on the cart sides showed a mass of armed Keovahl's charging towards them. He looked at his comrades and calculated their chances. His eyesight was better than theirs in the dim light and he knew they were doomed.

A row of Keovahl's hit the cart and attempted to climb onto it. Fangorn's hammer split one's head open and it fell off into the chasm like an empty sack of sand. Lago's chopped one's head off and shield bashed another in the teeth three times, making its rat like face a mass of bloody pulp.

Dorak skewered one with a thrust of his blade and kicked the writhing little beast back against the next wave of Keovahl's. Enick was busy picking at a Keovahl who tried to crawl under the cart to their side of it. He finally landed a shot into its hand and it howled in pain.

M looked at the two chest laying in the gravel. He grabbed one and dragged it towards the cleft in the rock. He pushed it in, it barely fit. He set it up on its end and wedged it tightly. Spinning to go back for the second one he saw two small, squat shadows suddenly leap onto the mine cart and jump over Dorak.

With a whisper first one arrow was nocked and then sent flying, followed by a deadly second. Each arrow found its mark and a Keovahl landed dead at his feet. M looked at his quiver again, nine arrows left.

More and more Keovahl's shrieked as they charged in from the dark tunnel. A wall of leather clad, short, stocky bodies with fanged mouths formed on the opposite side of the cart. scratching at it as they attempted to climb over. A black spear suddenly thrust out from the otherside and nicked Lagos across the scalp. The Orc yelled out in pain and anger and grabbing the spear haft, he yanked it upwards. The Keovahl spearman was lifted off his feet and Lagos threw him and his spear over the side into the black depths of the Chasm.

M grabbed the last chest and dragged it the cleft in the rock. He heaved it up above the one he had already set there. He took one last look as Dorak, Fangorn, Enick and Lagos fought desperately to hold back the oncoming tide of Keovahl's. Quickly he scrambled over the chest into the rock clift and then pulled the chest up, like the other, wedging into the rock, forming a wall, invisible, or so he hoped, from outside.

He breathed heavily and tried to rest against the rock as he listened to the fight that raged over the mine cart.
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The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeFri Apr 30, 2010 5:40 pm

She was sitting on a rock, crying. When the other's reached her. Whisper was the first and tried to console the thief.

"Stefana! are you okay?" Whisper said while she stroked Stefana's golden hair and gave her a gentle hug. Of course old habits die hard and her little finger's felt the older girl's pouch and pockets before patting her back.

"Were you...?"

"No!" Stefana said, and then she laughed at the thought. "No, well, almost, but no."

The others came rushing into the room and surrounded the two.

"Hello all." Stefana said. "I am Stefanopolus Androgenous, you can call me Stefana for short."

"Interesting. You are from the Hadash." Oddvar said with his usual chuckles. "I know most of the girls there, but you, I have not met, only heard of."

"What business did you have with the dark fellowship?" Konradr asked.

"I was their...."

"Thief." Strider said as he stepped up and bowed to the lady. "I've heard of you."

Stefana's eyes twinkled with recognition. "And I you."

Though smiling, her cheeks were still streaked with tears.

"Your friend, Smithy saved me." She told them. All looked at one another, none seemed to know the name.

"The man on the lizard." Konradr said.

"With Red Armor, cute." Stefana continued. "He seems to have some sway with these rodents down here." Her face grimaced at the thought of the brutes.

She spied the chest of gold that Oddvar and Edgar were carrying.

"You'll have to leave that." The thief said pointing at the Gold.

"The Keovahl's said we could keep that one." Templar spoke up.

"That gold is cursed!" Stefana said, standing and pointing at it. "Smithy told me. It was hoarded down here by Adunakhor Arthanor because it deranged his mind! If brought to the city, it will cause chaos."

"Why does it have such a curse on it?" Natooka asked. "Maybe we can bless it and cleanse it."

Stefana shook her head. "I am a thief, I wanted that gold more than anything, but its true. Arthanor killed the Elves that brought the gold to him. Their blood drenched the gold red! The last elf, as he died, cursed the gold. It will bring madness and ruin to anyone of Barad'Dun who possesses it."

Konradr ran his fingers through his mane of white hair. "That would explain what has happend to our former Marshall, Heretic."

They all nodded in agreement. Each began to stare at the wooden chest.

"Bury it." Konradr said. "Now, before we are cursed by it."

Taco began to get agitated, which was the last thing Konradr needed, an agitated Troll.

"I'll see that you get a contract with the Royal Army." He said. Taco's brain began to steam as he thought but the sound of the axes digging into the ground made him grimace again.

"And a seat on the council of the city." Konradr said, with a smile. "You can steal the city of funds and make yourself rich like all politicians."

Everyone stopped and stared at him.

"Only kidding good people of Barad'Dun." He smiled, not quite the gleaming, sparkling smile of Surt their Adunakhor, but friendly enough. They stopped staring at him and Konradr winked at Taco. The Troll smiled. "Okay shepherd, since we blood brothers."

Stefana watched as the chest was lowered into the pit and dirt was shoveled over it. Still tears fell from her eyes.

"Why are you still crying?" Demie asked, stepping next to Whisper and putting an arm around her little sister.

"This place is terrible. We have to leave." She said.

"Yes, we've been given a truce by the Keovahl's as long as we leave now." Konradr said.

"They have families in slavery, digging in the mines. Its terrible." She said.

"Families?" Konradr asked.

"Women, children, old men all chained together digging."

Konradr's face began to harden in anger. "Those bastards."

"They raid the caravan's." Kilanos said. "Without the Royal Army manning the outposts in the mountains, they have no protection."

All stood quietly, waiting for Konradr to move or say something. It was Strider who spoke first.

"They are attacking the Dark Fellowship as we speak." He said. "They will not have left too many guards on the captives."

Konradr looked at the young face of the Golden Shadow. "Spoken like a warrior." Konradr said. He looked to the faces of his group. Kilanos nodded, Templar nodded and stood proudly, chest pushed out. Oddvar smiled, Taco grinned, Demie and whisper nodded and Stefana wiped her tears away and nodded as well. Natooka pulled a mace from under his monk's cloaks. Edgar grinned like a boy in a candy store.

"Stefana, can you lead us to the captives?" Konradr asked.

"I can." She said.

"Taco!" Konradr said. "Wake those two. They can fight as well. To hell with the gold, let's go save some of our fellow citizens, eh!"

They all cheered.

Taco threw the two bodies down hard to the ground. They grunted. Taco kicked them awake.

"Get up!" He yelled. "We fight!"

The two staggered up. Kilanos grabbed Heretic by the shoulders and Oddvar grabbed the Paladdin by his pauldron's.

"Let's go while the Keovahl's are busy!"

Stefana led the way, and the others followed in a quick jog.
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The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeSun May 02, 2010 7:14 am

Lagos fought like a demon. He was possessed of Orc bloodlust, and despite his huge belly from a life of wasted indulgence in the City, he still fought with the ferocity of his race. Dead Keovahl piled up in front of the mine cart, while others found their death in the chasm beside it.

They could not get around the mine cart as it blocked the trail, so they clambered on it screeching in hate and battle madness. Lagos hued left and right with his great Orc chopper blade. It glistened in the dim light with wet, sticky red blood of Keovahl's. Many of the little reptilean rats slipped in the gore of their comrades as they tried to scramble up he wooden walls of the mine cart.

With his spiked, square shield, Lagos hammered heads, hands and tounge flicking faces as they rushed over the cart's top to get at him. He yelled an Orc battle cry and howled back at the Keovahl's in stilted demonspeech.

"Go back to your mother's you wretched rat droppings!" He yelled as he chopped the arms from a squat Keovahl who lunged for his head with a broadsword.

"Better yet, go to the Underworld and serve the dark lord for eternity!"

Lagos arms and face was cut and bleeding from many small blade nicks, but yet he fought on without a care.

Dorak, Fangorn and Enick had to move back to let the Orc have free reign. They waited for him to tire so that they could get back into the fight.

A chest from the top of the cart suddenly flew at Lagos, who side slipped it, letting it fly beyond him to crash onto the gravel behind. Two Keovahl had kicked it hoping it would knock the Orc's teeth out, but instead it was they who grabbed by Lagos and thrown, kicking and screaming, out into the chasm.

The chest hit the ground hard and the wood shattered open. The gold coins in this chest had been packed in small leather pouches.

Dorak, Fangorn and Enick stared at the bags of gold sitting on the gravel. They looked at eachother, then at Lagos fighting desperately over the rim of the cart.

The cart began to shake and roll back and forth on its wheels. The Keovahl were on the otherside trying to roll it out of the way. If that happend it would be over, they would be overrun.

Dorak moved first. He grabbed several pouches and threw them into his pockets. Fangorn and Enick followed his example.

The Cart groaned and began to rock back and forth, first a little and then more. Lagos grabbed at its sides and tried to hold it in place.

"It's time to go." Dorak said quietly to the two dwarves.

"What about Lagos and M?" Enick asked.

"Look around." Fangorn said. "M is gone, with two whole chests! I don't know how he managed but he left us to die!"

Enick looked about and saw that it was true, M wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"If we don't leave now..." The cart moaned as the wheels rolled towards the edge of the chasm. Lagos cursed loudly.

"Ok, ok, I don't care about the Orc. Follow me." Enick said and he began to run as fast as he could on his old, dwarven legs.

Dorak and Fangorn sprinted off as well without a second look back at the desperate fight over the mine cart.

"I need help!" Lagos cried out. He managed a quick look back for his comrades, but they were gone. He cursed them in his native tounge. Suddenly a spear shot from the otherside of the mine cart and jabbed the poor Orc in one of his eyes. Lagos shook his head violently and the spear popped away, taking the eye with it. In his pain, his grip on the cart loosened and the Keovahl's heaved at it from their side. The cart, with its remaining chests of gold, rolled off the ledge and plunged away into the darkness of the chasm. No one would ever see those gold coins again.

They were on him like a swarm of insects. Lagos threw some off and punched at others. But their blades sank into his flesh. Five arrows hissed out of the darkness and pounded into his chest and shoulders.

A spear thrust hit him in the thigh and fell to his knees. Keovahl's pummeled him with angry fists and one bit him on the neck, causing blood to geyser out. Lagos screamed one last curse before a Keovahl axe, one of Dwarven manufacture, clove his head in two.

His body fell to the ground and it took at least ten Keovahl's to roll it off the track and into the abyss of the chasm.

They rushed on, hoping to catch up to and kill the other intruders.

None saw the cleft in the rock with its barricade of dark chests and the shallow breathing of a lone, greedy wood elf with a black heart and a loaded bow.
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The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeSun May 02, 2010 7:43 am

The lone keovahl guard at the entrance to the tunnel being worked on by the surface dweller captives, was both bored and angry that he was left here instead of seeking his blood needs against the intruders.

He cursed silently how unfair it was, and then he died. A yellow bladed arrow stuck deeply into his forehead with a distinct THUNNK! His body bowed and then fell like a stone. The clatter of his weapon against the wall made the other guards stir from their rest by a cooking pot steaming over an open fire.

"Guruk!" An older one, with much leather armor and thick gray beard said as he stepped into the tunnel.

THUNK! He too met the same fate and fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out his bleeding mouth.

Five others, now roused from their cooking pot, rushed out, grabbing swords and spears, only to be hacked to pieces by men who had come with utter hatred in their hearts. Strider, with Notte a blinding blur, cut several down while Edgar claimed one for himself, skewered completely through by his sharp, Shuratai blade.

Oddvar rolled to the ground and kicked one in its groin, before silencing its scream of agony with a solid thrust of his big sword.

A Keovahl rushed out with an iron helmet on its scraggly head, only to have Templar's hammer smash the iron down and crush the thing's skull. The body was limp before it hit the ground.

Several little Keovahl children were mutilating the body of a dead boy with their tiny daggers when Natooka stepped over and began popping their heads open with his mace. The last two ran off into the darkness leaving behind rat droppings in their wake. They cried and hissed as they ran.

Two more guards tried to run, but Taco grabbed each and slammed them against eachother several times until they were squashed into one lump of dead mush.

Demie ran to the nearest captive, a woman with a naked little girl at her side, only to be stopped as a rare vision stepped in front of her. It was a Keovahl woman warrior, dressed like the men in black, rotting armor and carrying a wickedly bent sword. Demie raised her own sword in a guard and the two circled around eachother. The Keovahl hissed and her sword flew out towards Demie's shield side shoulder. Demie let it come in, then slammed her own shield into the blade, knocking it askew. With a flick of the wrist, Demie's own sword spun about and hacked deep into the female's armored side. The Keovahl screamed in shock. Demie then spun around, and thrust the sword as deep as she could into the female's mid section. The keovahl hissed as she slid to the ground drenched in her own blood.

"Cut them loose! Hurry." Konradr said and each member of the group began to hack and smash iron manacles or chains so that they could free the poor human souls they had come to rescue. There were five women, three children still alive and two old men. They wore scraps for clothes or none at all, revealing bodies so thin the bones were showing through.

A light suddenly flashed from the other tunnel entrance.

Kilanos nocked his bow and pointed it at the light.

"Stay your arrow, archer." Came the voice. A shadow emerged. It was Smithy. "Damn Shepherd, you've certainly upset the apple cart now." His skin glowed blue as he stepped closer. He saw his friend Taco and smiled.

"At least your on the right side now my friend."

His eyes quickly surveyed the carnage.

"The truce is broken. We need to leave now! Come on, Follow me, I'll lead you out." He turned and began to jog. The others held back, not moving. Smithy looked back. "Come on, NOW!"

Konradr nodded. "I trust this man." was all he needed to say. They each grabbed a captive and hustled out following Smithy's lead.

Strider stopped a moment to listen, Keovahl survivors were rushing the opposite way screaming a loud, Demonic howl. They must reach the outside before the Keovahl reached them. He hurried on, bringing up the rear guard with Kilanos at his side, bow nocked and ready.
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The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeWed May 05, 2010 7:27 am

It was a small opening, but the light of day shone brightly into the cramped tunnel as Dorak, Enick and Fangorn made their way towards it.

"This was and old escape tunnel. Long forgotten by all. Save I." Enick said as he clambered over boulders strewn along the unused passage.

The light from the small opening blinded them as they stepped to the edge.

As vision returned they could see this opening lead to a small winding trail far East of the Outpost entrance and down near the valley. The very valley Konradr's group had crossed to reach the mountain.

"There are two ways to continue from here." Enick said. "One is out this opening and down through the valley til you reach the Southern Road. That will take you to the city in two days."

He pointed to the direction he was talking about.

"Which is the other way?" Dorak asked.

Enick pointed to the dark gloom of the tunnel they had been following.

"This passage actually leads under the Tok pass. It would take you to my village at the bottom of the pass. It is a narrow, jumbled, dark route. It would take three days to make it." Enick shrugged. "No water, no food, no light and the chance, maybe, that the Keovahl have found the tunnel and patrol it."

"Well, lets take our chances in the valley." Dorak said. The Dwarves nodded in agreement. "Lead the way guide."

Enick scrambled through the narrow opening and stretched his legs outside.

"Ah, I may be a Dwarf, but it feels damn good to have the sun on my face again." He took a few strides enjoying the warm sunlight.

Dorak started to squeeze through the crack when Fangorn grabbed his arm. He looked down as the Dwarf began to shake his head for him not to go.

"What?" Dorak said quietly.

"I don't know, something's not right." Fangorn said with a grimace.

"Hurry up you two" Enick said. "The day's awasting and...." Suddenly the warm golden sunlight was gone and Enick found himself in a large shadow. "What the..." He turned around slowly, and screamed.

A lizard hissed. A large black lizard, with a saddle strapped on its back. Enick stumbled back just as the lizard spat at him. The mucous green liquid hit his leg and smoke rose from his flesh and the skin was eaten away by the acid.

Enick turned and ran as best he could with the pain in his leg.

"Help!" He cried.

Chevo, the Lizard gave chase. Enick dodged one way, and Chevo followed, lunging at him with snapping jaws. Every now and then he would spit acid mucous at the dwarf.

Enick dodged underneath a mound of boulder's but Chevo's strong claws dug him out. Again Enick started to run. Another shot of smoking mucous caught the dwarf in the other leg and he fell in screaming agony.

Chevo stomped down on the writhing Dwarf and then bit him in two. The screams ended in a gurgle. The lizard shook the body and tore it into small pieces. Finally the lizard snorted up a huge mass of flem and vomited all over what was left of his prey and his belongings. Enicks body, his armor, his weapons and his bags of gold, all melted into a sludge of bloody, smoking, goo.

Dorak looked to Fangorn.

"I guess we take the other route." He said.

"Whats an extra day. We'll still reach Barad'Dun eventually with enough gold to last us years." Fangorn said and he started to laugh.

Chevo's head spun around.

"Let's go!" Dorak yelled and the two of them scrambled away back into the darkness of the unused tunnel.

A glob of mucous splattered in through the opening, but the two were already gone, heading on their long, underground journey, back to Barad'Dun.
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The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeWed May 05, 2010 8:09 am

Another group soon escaped to the surface as well. Smithy led them out into daylight amid the ruins of Outpost 7.

They laughed as the warm sunlight cleansed their spirits and freed them from the gloom of those terrible mines. Konradr, Natooka, Edgar, Templar, Demie, Stefana, Whisper, Heretic, Oddvar, Kilanos, Strider and a huge mountain troll all stepped happily out into the daylight and breathed in the cool, fall air. Ten former captives followed them out, squinting painfully in the rays of the sun. They were thin, ragged and pale, having spent months down below in the clutches of the Keovahl. The paladdin was no where to be seen. He did not want to end his adventures in the mines and had slipped away to continue them alone.

Smithy suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Will the Keovahl attack us out here?" Templar asked as he walked up behind him.

"No, my boy." Smithy said grimly, as he pulled his bow from his back. "But they will."

Templar and the others looked up as hundreds of Talath Gaya horsemen flooded through the old, tumbled down walls of the Tok Pass gate, lead by Tajimoki.

Taco grumbled. "Him again."

"You know them?" Konradr asked.

"Met once, in passing." The Troll said, spitting to the ground in distaste.

More of the tribesmen were on foot, running along the old walls, or amidgst the rocks of the western side of the mountain. The outpost was surrounded.

"You've changed companions Troll!" Tajimoki said in heavily accented common tounge. "I hope they are as good as your last friends. You see." He said waving his sword around in every direction. "I have brought more friends too!" Tajimoki laughed. A thousand tribesmen laughed too and the laughter echoed throughout the pass.

A yellow arrow sang a song of desperation, flying towards Tajimoki's armoured chest. But as before, Tajimoki seemed to lead a charmed life, he twisted sideways and the arrow skimmed by and was then caught by another mounted warrior behind him. The laughter stopped.

"Shit." Was all Kilanos could say as his shot missed.

"Nice try." Smithy said, nocking one of his own arrows.

"Don't waste arrows on that one." Taco said. "He can hear their song calling his name."

Tajimoki held his sword high and yelled loudly "ARRAKZI!!!!"

His men followed screaming their battle cry "ARRAKZI, ARRAKZI, ARRAKZI!!!" And on they came. Horses pounding through the dust and debri of the old fort. Archers in the rocks and old wall tops, nocking their tiny black horse bows.

Konradr peered around quickly. There was a square of tumbled rocks that still provided a wall of sorts that they could defend.

"There!" He yelled. "To arms and move there. Form Shield wall!"

Arrows began to fly at them and the hooves of the horses created a thunderous cascade, but they had heard him, and all ran for the tiny square of stone.

"Get behind us!" Oddvar yelled at the terrified captives. "Stay to the back." He threw down his backpack, rope and other hindrances and unsheathed 'Mine is bigger than yours'.

The party scrambled amid the broken walls and threw away anything they didn't need to fight with. Shields were thrust out front and weapons drawn.

The ground began to shake as the horsemen neared. A cloud of black arrows eclipsed the sunlight in a deadly shadow and reigned down upon them.

Heretic stood, looking at his one gold coin he had cherished for so long, the one that had nearly drove him mad and made him wander the hills in greed.

"We need you Heretic." Konradr said. "Heretic! Soldier of Barad'Dun! We need you!"

Heretic looked up into Konradr's calm but determined face. He looked at the scared but steady faces of the Royal Army initiates standing, waiting for the charge of the Horsemen. He looked at TAco, who eyes began to burn with bloodlust.

"We need you." Konradr said again.

Heretic looked at his gold coin, then dropped it to the ground and buried it under his foot. He yelled and grabbed several large stones and stood behind the line waiting.

"Come on you Bastards!!!" He yelled.

"Stand fast! We came here together, and if it comes to it, we'll die here together, but nobody runs, everyone FIGHTS!!!" Konradr said.

"Praise be to Barathor!" Templar screamed, beating his hammer hard against the stone.

Their shields clicked as each braced for the impact.

On they came, the Horsemen in their conical steel helmets, fur trimmed leather armor, and spears leveled at the tiny wall of shields before them.
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The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeFri May 28, 2010 7:49 am

It was quiet around the fire. Only the crackling of the flames as they danced on the wood broke the sitllness.

The old man, still sitting on one side of the fire, his face covered by a brown wool hooded cloak, had stopped speaking. Only the tip of his white beard and the glow of his green eyes could be seen from within the shadows of his hood.

The children all sat in a horseshoe, quiet, eyes wide, eager for the rest of the story. Behind them, sitting in folding chairs, were their mother and father. Both wore fine clothes and had a girth that bespoke of a well to do merchant's life. Neither were old, or arrogant. Other people had gathered to listen to the old man's tale, and they too were still as they waited for him to continue.

"You're not going to stop there, are you?" The merchant asked quietly.

"Forgive me kind people." The old man said, his voice now a bit garbled. He put a hand to his throat. "But my throat is so dry. This is a long story and we are almost at its end."

He pulled out an old battered copper mug that he had been hiding within his cloak.

"Perhaps I could struggle through to the end, if I knew I could fill this old cup with a warm brew to help this tired old throat. Eh?" He held the mug up and shook it.

The merchant looked at his wife and rolled his eyes. The kids looked pleadingly to their father. They wanted to hear the rest of the story.

A young lass, thimble bodied in a white woolen cloak, left the side of her young soldier boyfriend who wore the khaki and red of the Royal Army, and dropped a coin into the mug.

"Thank you my dear." The cup pointed to the merchant.

"Papa." A young, golden haired girl with big brown eyes said looking back from her spot in front of the horseshoe of children. "I want to hear the rest."

The merchant grimaced then reached into his heavy leather pouch that hung very low off his belt. "Oh very well."

The children cheered.

The merchant rose and dropped a few coins into the old man's mug. The man looked inside and shook the mug so that the coin's jingled.

"That will buy a nice pint of Ale, but would you not let a man top it off with a full head of foam?"

The merchant grimaced again, then dropped another coin in the mug.

"Ahhhh, Thank you sir, you're a kind one you are."

The merchant sat back, a little miffed but his wife rubbed his arm and smiled to let him know he had done a good deed.

"Now, let me see." Said the old man, rubbing his gnarled fingers through his white pointy beard. "Where did I leave off?"

A chunky boy sitting in the front, nearest the fire, wearing a green tunic with fine embroidery spoke up with eagerness in his voice and wide eyed with excitement.

"The charge of the Horsemen!" He stammered. "They were coming after the Adventurers from Barad'Dun, spears leveled."

"Aye!" The old man said with gusto, pointing at the chubby kid. "That is exactly what was going on. The adventurer's had banded together to form shield wall. They stood behind a wall of crumbled stone. The wall was not continuous though, it was more of a mish mash of boulder's waist high. But it served them well. The Horsemen could not charge in one great mass. They had to break up the line and go through the maze of stones, but on they came, Closer and closer, yelling their war cry as they came.........."
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The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeWed Jun 30, 2010 7:16 pm

All stood together, shields held to the front if they had them, weapons held ready. From left to right it was Templar, Demie, Whisper, Edgar, Strider, Oddvar, Konradr, Taco, Stefana, Heretic, Natooka and Kilanos.

The sun suddenly became dark. Templar looked up, a cloud of arrows descended on them from behind.

"Arrows!" he shouted.

Everyone through their shields up if they had them. Taco didn't move, he held his arms out in rage and yelled. Heretic, Natooka and Kilanos jumped under those out spread arms as the rain of deadly black arrows fell.

Many shattered against the stone. Demie's door shield covered her and Whisper. Edgar dodged like a Master Shuratai, but several arrows burrowed through his blue silk dragon's robe and he fell to his knees. Templar tried to dodge under Demie's shield, but he too took a hit from an arrow in the right calf.

Konradr held up his large Viking round shield, and Oddvar his small buckler.

"Looks like I'm fucked brother." Oddvar said with a grim smile, yet no arrow touched his great Girth. Konradr, on the other hand, had two burrow into his right shoulder. He bit his lips in pain but did not cry out. "You always did have the luck of the Gods." He said finally through gritted teeth.

A dozen arrows dug into Taco's hard hide, from arm to arm, and across his back. He looked like a porcupine, but he did not flinch. In rage, he rushed out at the onrushing horsemen.

His first great swing was at Tajimoki, but of course, that wiley old warrior bent low and the sword flew across where his chest would have been, and missed. Tajimoki's horse jumped the stone wall and kept on going.

The next horseman decided to simply ride down the great Troll and crush him, but his horse balked and slammed into Taco fiercely. Taco grabbed the beast and held him aloft. He shook it violently til the rider fell crashing to the ground, where Heretic was able to crush the life out his skull with his stones. He then smiled and grabbed a thick bladed scimitar held in the man's belt.

Taco now used the horse as a club and swinging it left and right while it neighed in fear, he battered down a row of horesmen.

A spear rolled to Templar's feet and he smiled as he grabbed it and standing gingerly behind Demie's shield, he began spearing horsemen off their mounts.

Oddvar lunged out with Mine is Bigger than Yours and took out the legs of an onrushing Horse. The Rider flew off head over hills to be despatched by a groaning Edgar who could not rise from the ground, but could still slice and dice with his shuratai sword.

Strider and Notte became as one, a whirlewind of steel and blonde locks. He jumped onto the backside of a horse as the rider attempted to whirl about to attack Taco, and cut the man in two. Then doing a somersault, he landed on the next horse and took this man's head off. He landed on the ground beside the great Troll, as a Horseman lunged his rushing spear at him. Taco threw the Horse he was carrying at that man and both horse and rider were bowled over.

Natooka found himself crushing the heads of those horsemen knocked down by Taco's rage.

Stefana and Heretic fought back to back.

"This is kind of, a turn on." Stefana said, winking at Heretic.

Kilanos and smithy dodged left and right, letting fly with their arrows as fast as they could draw. Several Horsemen were punched from their rides.

But it was not enough.

Several Horsemen simply crashed into Taco and he was knocked backwards, stumbling to his knees in rage. They struck at him with scimitar and axe and he swiveled his shield left and right faster than any man could have believed. Steel sparked as it was deflected. One blade struck home in the mighty Troll's right shoulder. He yelled, picking that man up and using him to batter two other horsemen off their mounts.

A javelin caught Kilanos in the left thigh and he fell to his knees, trying desperatly to draw another arrow.

Smithy's dragon skin armor deflected all blows and when he ran out of arrows, he drew TiK and Tok and ran headlong into a throng of Horesmen, slashing at legs of men and horse alike.

A pair of Horsemen struck at Templar, Demie and Whisper. Templar was able to parry the spear of one and stab the horse hard in the chest, causing to buck and drop its rider. Whisper rushed over and slit that man's throat. The other horseman's spear punched under Demie's shield and speared her in the ankle. She dropped to the ground but attempted to fight on. Whisper lept onto the back of the horse and stabbed the man up and down his spine until he fell. The horse bucked an whisper was thrown high. She landed with a CRUMP on a pile of rubble and lay motionless. Demie, gritting her teeth in pain, crawled to her side.

Templar picked up Demie's shield and tried to protect both of them.

The first charge broke away, leaving many dead. However Tajimoki was already forming his second wave, and even larger number of horsemen. He formed them into three solid blocks, each to hit from a different angle.

"Arrakzi!!!!" He shouted and the horsemen charged. Their hooves thundering on the stone as they came.

Worse yet. A hundred or more dismounted horsemen could be heard running towards them from behind and above them. These men had crept up through the rocks and ruins behind them during the fight and were now rushing down at them.

"Circle up!" Konradr said, while breaking off the arrow shafts that were lodged in his shoulder. They hobbled, crawled or were dragged to one another and formed circle.

The horsemen running down from above suddenly appeared on either side. They wore their steel breastplates, and leather armor as well as the Talath Gaya cone shaped steel helmets with black horsehair plumes dangling behind. They carried round bucklers with spikes on them, and held axes, hammers, long swords and scimitars.

Konradr's group braced against one another.

Stefana looked at Heretic and kissed him. "Just in case we can't do it later." She said.

Demie sat on her knees holding her shield up in front of her and Templar as best she could. Whisper huddled behind it too, eyes glazed over in a daze, with blood dripping from her head. "I wish Nightmare were here." Demie whispered as she readied her sword.

Natooka said a quiet prayer. "Save that for the dead." Smithy said, gritting his teeth and swinging Tik and Tok around in readiness.

The men charging down the moutainside crested the broken walls, then, went around them and kept going.

They were running as hard as they could and did not stop.

"What the..." Oddvar said.

"Hell?" Kilanos finished, gritting his teeth in pain as he hobbled around on his wounded thigh.

Tajimoki was just as stunned as his desperate quarry were. His dismounted men weren't attacking, they were running away, running for their horses. He screamed at them but to no avail.

"BARAD'DUUUUUUUUUN!!!!" Came a voice that shouted loudly from above. It was quickly followed by a thousand more voices that echoed throughout the mountain pass.

"BARAD'DUUUUUUNNNNN!!!!!" and then they came. Rushing from the hillsides, from below the pass, from the opposite side, from behind the Ruins. Men in the khaki and red tabard's of the Royal Army of Barad'Dun! Men in the red, black, and gold of the Black Lions! Men in the Torn gray of the War Wolves! Mercenaires of all manner, shopkeepers, blacksmith's and farmers of the Adunakhor's Militia! They charged howling like devil's in want of blood.

A flight of golden arrows blotted out the sun as they led the way, raging down on the fleeing horsemen, killing several.

Surt led the way, leading his army on. Lord Anga knubbs was there, running like a clinking tank in his steel plate armor. Hairy Sasquatch, with his kilt flashing them in the breeze, was running like the mad scot he was, waving his mighty red sword. Rilith was there, Caretaker was there, the Bouncer, Barrikade led a wave of Black lions with his mighty black shield. Many friends, old and new, were there in the ranks rushing down to the rescue.

Demie smiled. Her Nightmare was there, bare chested as always, painted in blue warpaint and rushing with his sword and shield ready.

Tajimoki gritted his teeth and looked at his knot of horsemen. Finally he shook his head in despair. He looked at the circle of his wounded, prey and smiled.

"Not today, but we will be back." Tajimoke said in the common tounge. "We will be back!" He then raised his weapon and shield and gave a harsh order to his horsemen.

The mounted ones shouted, wheeled about and with a strong kick of their spurs, the horses galloped off heading down the pass back towards the Talath Gaya.

The dismounted men never made it back to their horses. The army of Barad'Dun was upon them like maddened wolves and tore them to pieces. None were spared.

Surt soon approached Konradr's group. He smiled at them and the smile twinkled like a shooting star.

"Well, well well, what have we here." He said.

"Your majesty." Konradr said and he began to take a knee, but Surt rushed over and hugged him.

"None of that now. Are you alright." He looked at the two arrowheads stuck in the old man's shoulder.

"Nothing a surgeon can not fix." Konradr smiled.

"Nor a tanker of ale." Oddvar said, chuckling from the side.

"But..." Konradr hesitated. "How...How did you know...?"

"Come now, how long do you think old Gonor could keep a secret from me?" Surt said with a smile.

"Are you angry with us?" Konradr said.

"No, I was waiting til spring to attack here in the mountains, but hell, nows a good a time as any." He looked at the ruins of the outpost. "This places doesn't look as run down as I thought it would. We can rebuild it."

"You can thank me for that." Smithy said stepping up before the Adunakhor. The two men looked at eachother for a long moment, no expression then...

"Smithy! You're back." Surt said and the two men laughed and embraced. "How were your travels?"

"Interesting." Firalis Nostarios, aka Smithy, said. "But if I told you all the details, I'd have to kill you." He said, quite seriously.

"That's ok, I'm glad you're back. We are in need of a Marshall." Surt continued. "Would you consider it?"

"I'm your man." Smithy said. "But I must ask a favor."

"Name it."

"These Keovahls that are living in the mines. I owe them. I know the Royal Army could eventually clear them out after alot of spilled blood on both sides..." Smithy seemed a bit hesitant to say the rest.

"Ask what you may." Surt said.

"I would like to do the negotiating. I think I can get them to move peacefully with maybe a bribe of red Gold." He grinned.

"Red gold eh?" Surt said. "Thats what all this was about in the first place. Adunakhor Arthanor's lost payroll of cursed gold."

"You knew?" Konradr asked stunned.

"Of course. I'm the King, I know everything. You should have asked me old one." Surt smiled again. "Go and take your wounded to the Medicus, Konradr, we'll talk more later."

Konradr bowed. "Yes, thank you your majesty." and he went back to gather his group.

"Smithy, go and negotiate. I'll give you three days. Is that enough?"

"One will do." Smithy said grinning. "Gold is a strong negotiater." The two men shook hands.

"Good luck Marshall, see you in the city." Surt said as Smithy left.

Heretic sheepishly walked over to the King, nudged on by Stefana.

"I'm sorry." Heretic said. "I wish to rejoin the Royal Army."

"My friend, you never left." Surt said with a smile and he hugged Heretic. "You will be a Sentinel. Now go help the others find the medic and some food and ale."

Konradr came over to Surt once more, this time leading a huge Troll that bristled with arrow shafts.

"Adunakhor, this is Taco, leader of the Black Lions." Konradr said. "He wishes to fight alongside the Army."

Surt held out his hand and Taco's huge mitt engulfed it in a might handshake.

"Of course! You're men fight wonderfully." He stared at the arrows. "Don't those hurt?"

Taco looked at the bristle of arrow shafts stuck on top his shoulders and back and grunted. "Yeah!"

The Army began to assemble and Surt left to organize them.

Konradr approached his weary troop.

"You all fought with Courage and loyalty." He said, grimacing at his wounds. "I would soldier with you anywhere, any time on any battlefield or any adventure. Thank you." and he bowed to them.

Templar was first, rushing forward on his wounded leg and hugging the old man. Demie, and whisper followed, then the rest, even the great giant mountain troll who simply hugged everyone within his arms reach.

Oddvar was the last holdout.

"Get over here bro." Konradr said.

"We didn't get the gold." Oddvar grunted.

"But we got eachother." Konradr said.

"That's lame." Oddvar said. Then he chuckled and moved over to add his great girth to the group hug.

"Barad'Dun!" Konradr shouted.

"Barad'Dun!!" The group shouted in return.

"BARAD'DUUUUUUUNNN!!!" Yelled the Army and it echoed throughout the pass, throughout the mountains, and throughout the Realm.



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The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitimeWed Jun 30, 2010 7:23 pm

From his hidden crevice in the rock wall of the dark tunnel. M finally breathed a sigh of relief. He loaded the last of the gold coins into two leather pouches and hefted them over his shoulder.

He had no torch, but his Elven eyes could see easy enough in the dark and the tunnel was now empty. He stepped out, gingerly and looked both ways.

Suddenly from far ahead, a blue glow appeared. It slowly came his way. A scraping could be heard against the stone wall of the tunnel. Each made a distinct sound. One said "Tick" and other sounded like "Tock."

Then there was a laugh, a man's laugh, a serious laugh.

M's bow was now arrowless. So he strung it over his shoulder and slowly drew his blood sword from its black scabbard. Its silver blade dazzled the darkness.

The crazy laughing echoed throughout the tunnel, and M's palms began to sweat as the blue light slowly approached with more of the same scraping, 'Tick, Tock' 'Tick, Tock' 'Tick....

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The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Curse of Outpost 7   The Curse of Outpost 7 - Page 4 I_icon_minitime

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