From behind doorway, Cardren hears the sound of fighting and then what sounded like one or two bodies hitting the floor. Coming through the door, squeezing by Zaranna, he is surprised to see a man in tattered clothes. ”Let’s get that rat first,” he says, pointing with his dagger at the closet rat.
He moves between the rat and Samantha. ”Stay behind me,” he tells her as he attempts to stab the rat.
◆ Stride
◆ Strike
◆ Raise shield
Unfortunately, the little beastie turned out to be more nimble than anticipated. Cardren missed entirely.
Round 1:
Samantha (Unconscious), Piper, Elyana (Unconscious), Fel, Rats, Alric, Shadei, Cardren, Zaranna
Piper - 10
Alric rushes forward with his shield raised high, moving in beside Caydren with his mace in the air. He sees Elyanna be taken down by a the swift bites of a rat, the other one striking against Fel now.
"Feldri, get behind us. Don't let them surround you." Alric shouted as he lifted his shield defensively before striking at the rat.
Seeing Alric completely crush the rat. Shadei moved in and attacked the other rat.
Alric's mace completely crushed the rat's skull.
Shadei managed a well-placed stab on the little beast.
Round 1:
Samantha (Unconscious), Piper, Elyana (Unconscious), Fel, Rats, Alric, Shadei, Cardren, Zaranna
Piper - 10
Rat 1 - 4
"Someone get a potion to the injured, quickly. We need to all be up and fighting." Alric shouts, keeping his shield up towards the dreaded Piper and his last rat cohort. Numbers were their advantage and if they were to survive, they would need to work together to keep one another up.
Zaranna moves to T16 (◆ Stride ◆ Stride).
Then she attacks the Piper.
(Guidance)
Zaranna missed her swing despite the magical assistance from Fel.
The Piper pulled his flute and started playing a ghostly tune as he danced away from the children.
The large rat fell over completely asleep.
Round 2:
Samantha (Unconscious), Piper, Elyana (Unconscious), Fel, Rat (Unconscious), Alric, Shadei, Cardren, Zaranna
Piper - 10
Rat 1 - 4
Shadei's eyes started to get heavy but she shook her head to get out of it. However, her vision was still a bit blurry.
The music begins to play and Alric could feel his eyes begin to drift slowly close. A stumble coming to his steps as he tried to fight off the effects of that ethereal tune.
The mace falls out of his hand as he falls over, sound asleep.
Fel eyelids grew heavy and she ended up falling asleep standing up.
Zaranna started to dose off, but she managed to force herself awake.
Shaking awake, the rat looked for other victims.
Round 2:
Samantha (0 HP, Unconscious), Piper, Elyana (0 HP, Unconscious), Fel (Unconscious), Rat, Alric (Unconscious), Shadei, Cardren, Zaranna
Piper - 10
Rat 1 - 4
Seeing Alric standing there sleeping, Shadei moved over to wake him up. "Alric, wake up. You can't let this bastard hold one over on us."
She turned and threw her dagger at the Piper.
The Elfs dagger sunk into the man's thigh. Blood started running down his leg.
Round 2:
Samantha (0 HP, Unconscious), Piper, Elyana (0 HP, Unconscious), Fel (Unconscious), Rat, Alric, Shadei, Cardren, Zaranna
Piper - 13
Rat 1 - 4
Alric's eyes open as he awaken, shaking his head for a moment before he gives a smile to Shadei.
"Thank you Shadei. Let's get this bastard." The boy grips the mace in his hand and charges in, lifting his shield again as he aims for the nefarious Piper. He misjudges his step though and, to avoid toppling over an ally, swings too wide.
He feels tired and his eyelids become heavy. The awareness of how taut his forearm muscles gripping the dagger are cuts through the compelling lullaby of the flute’s music. He fights the urge to flee by imaging his mother crying. Seeing that the rat is asleep, Cardren steps closer to Feldrimala and kneels. Nudging her with the shield, he says ”Wake up! We need you!”
◆
◆
◆
◆
Round 2:
Samantha (0 HP, Unconscious), Piper, Elyana (0 HP, Unconscious), Fel, Rat, Alric, Shadei, Cardren, Zaranna
Piper - 13
Rat 1 - 4
Zaranna moves to W15 (◆) and attacks the Piper with her morningstar twice (◆◆).
As Fel began her chanting, Zaranna moved over and bashed the Piper in the knee. Which caused him to collapse far enough down for her to cave in his skull.
Upon his body falling limp on the floor a pulse of dark energy blasted forth, bringing Samantha and Elyana back to consciousness, killing the rat, and paralyzing all of you. From the remains of the man arose a figure of pure shadow towered over all of you. A voice dripping with malice spoke, “You are strong, that is good. I will feast on your souls, but first, they will need to ripen.”
The being stretched forth a shadowy claw-like hand and a cold sensation burns itself on your right wrist. After scanning the room for a moment, its gaze falls upon Shadei and moved towards her. Its form became amorphous flowed into her eyes and mouth.
The Elfs skin darkened and her eyes glowed a sinister red. Cracking her neck and licking her lips she smiled and said, "Oh yes, this one will do nicely."
She walked over to Alric and lightly stroked her index finger under his chin. "Toodles."
Her form shimmered into nothingness.
The paralysis wears off and looking down at your wrists, you see a black mark there.
Zaranna isn't happy that the creature seemed to have survived somehow, or that Shadei was taken, but she is relieved that the thing is at least temporarily gone, and didn't hurt anyone else.
After recovering from the temporary paralysis, she searches the piper's former body and those of the two ratmen, hoping to find something else that might help get everyone home.
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As Zaranna touched the fallen form of the Piper, his body disintegrated into ash. Leaving behind only clothes and a strange hexagonal stone.
As Alric began to move, the Piper was struck down and his head was crushed into suddenly and violently. A terrible pulse of power emanated from his dead body though, this darkness making his whole form seize up. A being arose from the body, one that was made of pure shadow and spoke with a voice filled with hatred. Alric willed his body to run, to fight, to do anything but he couldn't make himself as the claw-like hand would reach out and burn upon his wrist. It watched the room like a cat watching a slew of trapped mice before moving towards the young elven girl.
With eyes wide with horror, he watched as the young girl was suddenly corrupted before his eyes. She drew closer towards him and the look of fear changed into one of pure, unadulterated anger. She stroked his chin and the veins in his head stood out with how hard he was trying to move his arm. She disappears into nothingness and his muscles are finally freed. Swinging hard enough that his body gets unbalanced, he trips for a moment and lands on his knees before breathing hard.
"She's gone. What was that? What happened?" Alric thought, looking down at the symbol that was now burned onto the inside of his wrist. A mark but a mark of what? Death? Prey? It was a gift from that monstrous thing and that meant it could not be good. Finally rising from his knees, he looked over at the others that had been forced unconscious and quickly approached them.
"Are you guys alright? I think...I think its gone, for now." Alric murmured, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that seemed to linger over him now.
Horrified by the amorphous form flowing into Shadei, Cardren can only stay focused on her despite the burning coming from his wrist. Suddenly the paralysis is gone, like an older brother releasing him while wrestling. Cardren turns around, looking for a surprise attack. He shakes his right wrist, as if trying to inhibit the pain. Looking to where Shadei disappeared he says, ”I-is it gone? What happens now?”
He feels the mark on his wrist, ”And what does this mean?” His lower lip trembles.
Zaranna shares the clothes with anyone who wants something besides pajamas, and examines the hexagonal stone.
Hey everyone, it is going to be okay. He won't be back anytime soon. We won. Someone check the door. You're right, we need to get home. ... And if he does come back eventually, it's our job to be ready.
Elyana awoke with a gasp as the pulse of power went out and cried out in pain as the brand appeared on her arm from the shadowy creature's power. Even worse she saw the shadowy figure plunge into Shadei through her mouth in horror only for both to disappear immediately afterwards.
Elyana looked around and realized she and everyone else were still alive and noticed when the Piper's body disintegrated into ash at Zaranna's touch. She heard as other began to panic and said, "I agree with Zaranna, what happens is we go home now. We can't do much else right now and I definitely don't want to stay here." Elyana raised her wrist and looked at the mark she said, "As for these I think they connect us to that...thing somehow. It probably lets it know where we are but I don't know what else it could do."
Elyana stood straighter and locked gazes with each of the other children for a moment. "We have something no one else has had and we need to get back quickly. I think we're the first to know what happens here, to come back with the knowledge. I'm sure that someone can use this to do something about the shadowy thing that marked us, we just have to find out who."
Elyana went back to where the younger kids were and said, "Come on, it's safe to leave now." She looked as they past, checking their right wrists to see if any of them were marked too. When she came back with the little kids Elyana stopped next to Alric and whispered, ”We’ll get Shei back someday Alric.”
After gathering the remaining children, and the still unconscious form of Kristoff, Zaranna put the hexagonal stone within the indentation of the mural. Glowing runes appeared on the stone and each one began twisting this way and that, eventually coming to a stop. The mural opened up into portal leading into the swamp just outside of town.
Stepping through the portal you see that it appears to just be breaking dawn. You're greeted by a search party that appears to be led by Alric's father. It was at this point that you discover you had been missing for over two days. Answering the obvious questions as best you could brought little respite from the horrors you had endured.
Kristoff eventually woke up after another day little worse for wear. Elyana however came down with Filth Fever due to the nasty rat bite inflicted upon her. She did recover after three days thanks to her mother and Old Mother Dima.
As days became weeks, things started to go back to normal.
Alric remained silent in his thoughts, bothered by the darkness that had taken over the well-meaning elven girl and used her body like a puppet. He only vaguely nodded at Zaranna and Elyana's statements that they had won and it was time to go home. It didn't feel quite like victory though as he eyed the dark mark that they all shared with one another.
"A warden's responsibility is to their people and to the world." Alric remembered his grandfather's wise words, letting a breath he didn't know he was holding onto. They had lost Shadei but who knows how many they may have saved otherwise? They knew what was happening here, they had seen the enemy in its darkest form. There was little to do now but to move forward. Elyana's whisper brought a small but sad smile to his face as he took a breath, gentle words escaping his lips. "What kind of warden will I be if I can't save everyone?" The question was directed towards her, hanging in the air as he looked over his still unconscious little brother. He stiffened up, refusing to let self-pity define him. "You're right, we will."
The portal was opened in the great mural and light shined in on their dark and terrible journey. It wasn't over though. That thing was still waiting to hunt them down. Back in the presence of his father and the welcoming arms of Swampwood, Alric would certainly be ready.
Before splitting everyone up, Zaranna took the string and the keys and made everyone a braided necklace with one of the keys on it.
This will help us remember to be strong, and that there is always a way out if we keep working to find it.
Elyana shifted back to meet Alric's gaze when he asked what kind of Warden this would make him and she said, "I think my father would say a wise one because you will have already learned the hardest lesson," while her voice was a bit deeper as she tried to mimic her father's tone she came across seriously, "that you can't save everyone." She smiled sadly and then said, "My mother would say you have already learned how to fail which is more important than learning how to succeed."
Once they got outside and found the search party Elyana felt a wash of relief. She thought she could get them home again but she hadn't been sure by any means. This solved the problem nicely but she was shocked to learn how long they had been gone. They arrived home safely but Elyana quickly fell ill due to being mauled so badly by the rat. Her mother had been able to heal her physical injuries so she did not scar but she hadn't detected the disease already in her blood.
The elven girl became incredibly ill for three days until her fever finally broke and she was left with a large fear of rats and a somewhat shaky constitution as a consequence. Then eight years passed...
Time passes as time does. The paths of life had separated and brought you all back together at various points over the last eighter, some more than others. On this day, however, Swampwood is in an incredibly festive mood. As one of your former abducted companions, Cardren's cousin Chet is getting married to a lovely young woman by the name of Lily. The ceremony is planned to happen at the magical hour of sunset.
Leading two mules laden with raw materials from harvesters and forgers into town, Cardren arrives three days before the wedding. The pack animals have bundles and sacks tied to them. His cloak is dusty from the walk. His soft-soled leather shoes are stained with mud. He sees an urchin and tells the girl that he’ll give her two coppers and some dried venison if she shows him the way to his cousin Chet’s house. He knows the way to the house. He simply wants to help a person needing assitance.
Cardren observes the changes to the town while keeping part of his attention focused on people. Out of habit, he pins back one side of his cloak to display his arms, hoping to discourage any bandits or thieves.
A tall, slender, woman in a hooded green cloak entered the town a few days before the wedding. She wore a white dress with a knee length skirt, knee high soft leather boots, and had her hood pulled forward to obscure her features. She had her pack on her back, a dagger at her left hip, and a long sheathe with an oddly curved blade. She moved with an unusual grace that was unique to those of elven blood.
Elyana made her way through town towards the inn observing what had changed. Maybe it was because of how rapidly the elven village had grown up but Elyana was surprised at how little had changed in town. She recognized many people from when she lived here but they seemed much older than she had expected. Elyana could only assume it was because they aged much quicker than she did.
When she reached the inn Elyana entered and approached the bartender. She stopped there and waited until she was acknowledged before she said, "I'd like to rent a room please."
Alric stood waiting at the fur dealer's stand, a number of fine pelts slung over his shoulder, waiting for Dorset to return with the coin for trade. Only two pelts, belonging to two majestic wolves, would remain when the deal was done. Furs for the newlyweds, a gift from the Ludwig family and hopefully a blessing from Aruuc himself. Time had passed since Alric was that young, scared, but determined boy within the clutches of the nefarious Piper. Stronger and leaner than he was before, Alric cut an imposing figure as one of the rangers that defended Swampwood from the dangers of the wilds.
His hair, once shortly cut and kept clean, had grown messy and wild but still had some of the boyish charm that it did years ago. Deep blue eyes had given way for shades of gray, giving him an almost older and sadder feel than he used to have. The blades on his sides made it obvious to the locals that he was a member of the Ludwig family; a dueling sword and a main-gauche for the off-hand. They were common weapons for a duelist and traditionally, nobles would've likely had been offended by supposed commoners using such tools. The skill the Ludwigs showed, however, kept such criticisms quiet.
Dressed in greens, browns, and other dark colors that were hard to differentiate thinks to the grime and dirt of so much time out in the forests and swamps, Alric would make his way back towards the inn not for a room but for a bath. His house was a terribly busy place and his mother, recognizing her son had become a man, had no patience doting on him while nephews and nieces run amok and his younger brothers, now in their teens, raised their own kind of hell. It was easier to head into town for a bath, even if it would be busier with the wedding going to begin soon.
Into the inn he would travel, knocking the mud off of his boots outside the door before he entered in properly. He pushed back the hood and gave a soft smile to Elizabeth, the new serving girl who gave him a curtsy as she made her way between the tables. As expected, the place was quite busy with guests arriving late for the festivities to occur at sundown. Alric was relatively relaxed; his family was scouring the lands around to try and ensure that nothing too dangerous would encroach such an auspicious day as a wedding.
"Welcome ma'am. A private room? I think we may have one or two open still. Eight pieces of silver." The bartender said after thinking for a moment. He had been raising the prices for the other guests but it was always good to treat an elf well. They could bring business back to your home for the next fifty years if you were lucky. "If you're fine with sharing a room, we have a common room with beds for just a silver piece a day." Letting the woman decide if the price was fair or not, his attention turned towards the man approaching the bar. A big smile spread across his face, enough to be seen through the mass of hair on his face that constituted as a beard. "Alric! I was wondering when I would see you!"
"It is good to see you too, Victor. Do you have a bath available? Mother has kicked me out of the house again." The ranger's voice was soft-spoken and his presence only seemed to come into being when the bartender had addressed him. Standing alongside Elyana, she would smell the scent of the forest upon him; pine trees and wet grass, fresh moss and newly turned soil. It was an earthy but not unpleasant smell. The bartender nodded and went to get one of his workers heating up a bath for the man before Alric turned to look at the stranger beside him.
She was a beautiful elven woman with flowing blonde hair and soft eyes. She bore the svelte frame that her people were known for but her presence could not be determined by just her heritage alone. There was something else to her, a grace that was not the angelic kind that he had seen in the fierce gnome and her heaven-sent companion. He had seen few others with such grace before, entities only made young by the soil they walked upon in the deepest and most sacred places of the forest. She was likely used to being scrutinized, elves always drew an eye for their mysterious beauty, but even with these strange tells there was something else. It was only when their eyes met that Alric would realize it and the slightest smile spread across his face.
"Is that you, Elyana?" Alric asked with only the slightest bit of incredulity to his voice. "I haven't seen you in about...what...three or so years now?" There was something quite different to her though and the nagging sensation just would not leave him. "Mae rhywbeth wedi newid. Beth ydyw?" The elven rolled off of his tongue skillfully. It seemed that he had finally cut his accent from most of the words now.
Normally Elyana would have found the price for a single room outrageous but given the wedding and the increased number of visitors it seemed fair. She pulled a money ouch from beneath her cloak and counted out six of the coins and paused before handing over the remaining two and asked in her lilting voice, "This of course includes three meals and use of the bathhouse of course..." While some might have misconstrued that as a question it was most certainly not one.
Once she had finished bargaining and paying for her room Elyana noticed that someone was staring at her face inside of her hood. She looked over at the man, resigned to need to fend off yet another unwanted suitor but when she met his eyes she realized how wrong she was.
Elyana's eyes lit up at the sight of Alric and she exclaimed in the elven tongue, "Alric! Mae mor dda eich gweld chi!" Elyana reached out to hug Alric, delighted to see him again, and after a moment stepped back. Shifting to common Elyana answered his question as she blushed a bit, "Yes, I came into my heritage. Every few generations my families nymph heritage shows through. When my magic manifested after we last saw each other I began to change somewhat. I've become something more like the fey ancestress in my mother's line." She smiled as she asked him, "How are you doing Alric?"
The hug was surprising to say the very least and Alric's face blushed at the closeness. An awkward arm reached around and squeezed her back for just a moment before she took a step back. Reaching forward, he brushed just a bit of dirt that had pulled itself from his own cloak and attached to hers.
Alric listened curiously at the development that had changed the elven girl into the strange beauty that she was now. Others within the room were watching the two of them and two potential suitors had grumbled as the rough and tumble ranger approached the woman. "That is amazing to hear. I have heard only good things from the elven settlement by the forest. I am certain you and yours has been very busy." Symeshara was not unknown to the rangers and for a time, they patrolled the roads there to ensure the newcomers to the settlement would be safe. The Cult of the Green was skilled with primal magic though and, after time, the Rangers of Swampwood ceased their protection when it was no longer needed.
"I have been good. Busy really. This is probably the longest I've been in town for months now. It has been quiet here, thankfully." He said shyly enough, running his hand through his hair. Victor returned from the back with a key for the elven seer, his grin widening as he watched the two of them talk. He cleared his throat, leaning in.
"Don't let the boy's humility fool you. You heard of the Blackscale Invasion that occurred about two years back? This young man defeated their chieftain, saved a lot of lives." A large blush began to spread across Alric's face as he looked away, lips pressed together. "Despite his status, poor boy hasn't really set foot in town. All the young ladies are waiting for him but you know he is likely looking for the right one. I'm sure-"
"We know one another Victor." Alric interrupted impatiently, the bartender taken aback for a moment. He gave a raised eyebrow and Alric's face turned as red as a ripe tomato as he shook his head. "No! I mean-no, we met a long time ago. What...eight years ago or so? Back when...you know." It was still a story talked about; that awful night with the Piper and the traumatized, beaten, but victorious children that were found a two days after their disappearance. Victor grew sullen for a moment, nodding.
"Oh, oh I see. My apologies miss, I was just having a bit of fun. Of course, meals will be ready yeah." The man departed them and for a moment, there was a lull in the conversation. Alric's mind drifted back to that awful night for just a second; the smell of blood, the cries of pain, the horror in Shadei's eyes as that thing took her. He cleared his throat, fighting the dark fog from his mind before smiling again.
"You know that Chet, Cardren's cousin, is supposed to be getting married today at sundown. I am sure he would love for you to be there and, well...honestly it'd be a nice distraction to keep others from pushing me about my own bachelorhood." Alric said with a wry smile. "Have you seen Zaranna? She has stayed here in Swampwood as well. Feldrimala tends to roam the land with Vei but sometimes they step through. I heard Cardren's mother was going to be here as well, maybe he'll be here too." Alric's voice honestly was excited. As terrible as that night was, there was something special about the ones he fought beside. In a way, they had become family and as they all went their own way, it was like he had lost family. His smile faltered after that though as his voice dropped to a whisper.
"Hey...I hate being the one to bring it up but...have you heard anything about Shadei? Anything at all?" He tried to hide the guilt and for his own credit, he had become quite good at hiding that one but that tinge showed in those grey-blue eyes of his. Lying was never Alric's forte.