Story / Report Log of QVMZ
This is the story / combat log of the GhostlyGame 2. Not necessarily an excellent work of art, but rather a glorified report sheet. Still though, you might enjoy it...
Reading the place and character descriptions in the character lot helps with picturing the images, but it isn't necessary.
Story gets much better as you continue.
---
Quaelyn, Vaineras, Marcelle and Zagraine journeyed into the forest of Veklorean after they were done with the ruined temple. They were given the mission by Dunvar Corp., the mercenary company, to capture one of the fortresses in the forest, which was the Great Oak Outpost.
It was after dusk, when they approached near the roots of the great tree, trying hard to not be seen by the eyes of the forest, the lookout of the great oak...
They could see the entrance of the hollow from afar, unguarded by the looks. On the left of it there was the stairwell and also leftwards but a little closer to them, there was the burrowed hole, looking like a grave from that distance.
Zagraine stopped.
Zagraine: "The things we will have to do once we begin, ... may not be nice."
Quaelyn: "I've already made my mind about it. They said there won't be bystanders around, outposts are meant to be filled with able people, or worse..."
Zagraine: "Let's hope you are right."
Silence...
Vaineras: "We should check the dungeons first."
No one disagreed.
They moved carefully and sneaked into the dungeon via the small old staircase. Iron bar gate wasn't locked at all, but it made noise when they opened it. The icy mist made it harder to see inside, but nothing reacted to the noises yet.
The place was a long corridor that descended down by a set of three step stairs after every two cells on both sides. Then after the third set of cells, it reached to a circle room with several cells in the circle wall.
Noises of twigs and leaves could be heard each second. Then a figurine appeared at the entrance of the circle room. The four mercenaries didn't notice the figurine yet, as it was dark, albeit the gleaming mist. Vaineras found a torch in a wall sconce and lit it up. They were busy checking the cells for someone, or something. They didn't want to call out and alert someone, or something.
Finally they noticed it...
Darkwood Dryad: "This place is guarded."
Her voice was nothing more than the pitch of a croaked whisper, her eyes looked firm and suspicious. Seeing the armed alien mercenaries, she sensed the threat.
And the threat was within reason. Only seconds passed until Quaelyn and Zagraine nodded to each other and charged towards the darkwood dryad.
The corridor wasn't that long, albeit expecting threating demeanor, the darkwood dryad was astonished by the sudden movement.
Jumping through the small staircases, boots of the two mercenaries pounded the wet stone ground. With a determined and accurate strike of the great ice blade, Zagraine struck the dryad down on her left shoulder. A shrill scream echoed in the basement as the blade cut through the dryad with a soft hiss. But that was shortly interrupted by a bash of hammer on her head. Wooden and vine embodiment, the corrupt protector of dying nature lied motionless on the ground. A green misty light, a gaseous structure, arose up from the now empty husk lying on the gorund, swirled and dissipated with a low and ghostly voice and with the smell of rotten grass and tainted soil. A bright green sap oozed from the corpse of the darkwood dryad.
Vaineras looked a little appalled, but got over it in mere seconds. Marcelle put the arrow back in his quiver.
Vaineras: "Others must have heard the voice. We'd better be vary."
Quaelyn nodded to Zagraine with a curt smile, indicating the appreciation of a good work. Then they left the dungeons after a search for any living presence in the circle chamber. There wasn't any. There were no signs of previous imprisonment either. The place looked old and unused, maybe it hadn't come to that point. But what was the dryad protecting here? They didn't bother with that though.
---
Treading carefully, they went outside. From where they stood, the entrance of the tree hollow was blocked by the body of the spiral stairwell and a curved tree root on the surface with three feet long diameter in its middle. They could still see the shine of the blue light coming from inside the hollow and they could hear the distant voice of a woman.
Quaelyn and Zagraine took the front once again. Crouched and moving as silent as possible, over the dirt ground, coated with sprawling tufts of grass, that is partially sweeped from twigs and leaves a day ago or two. The forest itself was noisy at near night time, but the screaam from back then was shrill enough to alert anyone nearby, they thought. But no one so far seemed alerted.
Quaelyn: *whispers* "Is it better to lure them outside or to barge in? We don't know how many of them could be there."
They all gave questioning looks to each other.
Zagraine: *whispers* "Ones upstairs could hear them outside, then we couldn't get out of here alive. We must go in, I think."
Vaineras: *whispers* "Do we spy first, see their numbers or do we go in?"
Zagraine: *whispers* "I think we go in and take them out as quick as possible."
Marcelle: *whispers* "Well then, we shouldn't lose anymore time."
They jumped over the root one by one and hid behind the spiral saircase.
Inside The Hollow: (A few minutes ago)
Blue lights of the ice crystals on the sconces of the tree trunk wall was shining dimly, it's the icy vapor that made the bright blur effect. Inside the place was cold.
Two rectangle oak tables were put side by side with five chairs around it, on the sides of the hollow there were three small woolen beds with untidy sheets and a runic circle with a two feet diameter, etched with cyanide letters.
A counter stood at the upper right side, where stood the dishes and leftovers of cooked hunts. Beside it, there were weapon racks. A double ended spear and a faded green colored mace were hanging on the racks.
Iwelyn, a slim lady, stood behind the counter, washing the metal dish plates with a soaked rug inside a bowl of water, looking exasperated as she did so.
The other two was sitting on the table set in the middle, face to face, Valache on the left hand side. Playing a game of cards and loudly communicating. The oaken elemental, Umber stood motionless in its runic circle.
A faint shriek echoed. A few birds flew off of their branches and Marvelyne dropped the hand of cards on the table. Grabbing her mace, she went outside and strolled a little, questioningly. Then she heard a somewhat similar sound from a tree animal, or a bird, she wasn't sure. But she calmed down and went inside once again. Hanged the mace on her belt this time, instead of the racks and picked up her hand of cards from the desk.
Valache: "Don't worry I didn't peak at them. Five of snakes! Your turn."
The ragged pile of cards had another one piece placed on top a few seconds later.
Zagraine: *whispers* "On my mark, we move in."
After a brief lookout, he gave the signal, then Quaelyn was first to move in. Zagraine and then Vaineras followed her right away. Marcelle took a vantage point at the entrance and readied his bow.
Marvelyne unsheathed her mace as she stood up, knocking down her chair backwards. Valache, the pale woman with the black hair, snuck behind the table to grab her spear from the weapon rack. Iwelyn dropped the dishes and found her daggers. They were all caught with their hands tied, except Marvelyne.
Marvelyne: *grunting* "I knew there was something wrong."
She came face to face with Quaelyn and Zagraine as she appeared at the entrance. But in that moment, Umber, the oaken sap golem charged onto Quaelyn, sensing their threat, hoping to take her down with a swing, only to be crushed under the precise strike of the white steel hammer of hers. Marvelyne was agast at that moment.
Zagraine took the opportunity to strike the lady in furs down with a reckless but powerful swing with an arc that spans from his right shoulder to her right knee. She tried to move away from the range of the attack but too many furniture were in the way. She swung her mace upwards out of reflex and it was on the brink of getting in the way of the blow when it happened. The blade struck down. A cry went out. She was in the middle of the now broken table with a large, pulsing diagonal wound, gushing out all the blood she has. Iwelyn cried her twin's name in desperation as she saw her mortally wounded. Gasping for breath, Marvelyne held onto life, swearing as she was drowning in her blood.
Zagraine almost fell down alongside her with the might of the blow and the weight of the blade. His sword almost slipped out of his gloves and once he regained his balance, gave his back to the carved and hollowed inner body of the tree.
Marvelyne was up, barely... Taking support by the edge of the fallen chair... Blood trickled and streamed out of her body and her mouth. Like a zombie, she looked empty but fierce. She charged upon Quaelyn whilst holding her stomach, her interials together with his left hand. Her mace glowed a faded green in the cyanide light. She was whimpering like a beaten dog, swearing as she did so.
And she swung her mace with a lunge, trying to not move so much.
Quaelyn removed her hammer just in time from the sticky resin embodiment that lied in its own pool. Then she easily countered the blow from her left with the pole of her hammer, leaving her opponent staggered. Vaineras took the opportunity to end her suffering, but she made him a clear sign of refusal by hitting him with a chair she grabbed from the ground. Vaineras backed away with fury.
Marcelle's white steel tipped birch arrow struck Marvelyne's left forearm.
Iwelyn stabbed the tree when Zagraine reflexively rolled leftwards and let himself out of the hollow, the place was not that large for a crowded fight.
Valache went past Iwelyn and got outside, immediately bee lining for Marcelle as she knew that the archer must be taken care of. She thrusted the spear straight to Marcelle's heart after a quick sprint. Alerted by this, Marcelle leapt sideways, taking opportunity of her one slow movement. Then he grabbed the spear pole and kicked her leg. She stumbled and he had time to make a distance and unite with Zagraine.
Iwelyn headed for Vaineras, since he was close by, but she made a fool of herself with a swipe that only cut the air, Vaineras didn't even notice this as he was busy concentrating on the ferocious looking Marvelyne, who then charged once again, but Vaineras, expecting this, easily leaped backwards, next to the way out.
Turning his attention to the other side, he saw the opportunity of a pale woman, immobilized for a few seconds only... and he took it. Marvelyne shouted 'Valache!' and gurgled as she vomited blood. It worked, Valache turned her back but she couldn't avoid the cross attack of the dual blades...Her face and chest was eviscerated. This might have been Vaineras' most gruesome work. She shrieked with pain.
Quaelyn swung her hammer at Iwelyn and hit the tree trunk, crushing the thinned wall and enlarging the entrance to the hollow. Iwelyn, luckily for her, crouched past Quaelyn at this time and went outside. Then a lot of things happened at once.
Marcelle shot another arrow at Marvelyne, it hit her stomach and she coughed up blood again, with a fainter cry of pain and with a dizzier head. But she still held on somehow. As Vaineras joined Marcelle, Valache was on the ground, shocked. Quaelyn moved towards her and wanted to bash her down, but found the spear in her left knee. She couldn't comprehend how Valache acted so sudden. She dropped her hammer and pulled the spear out before Valache could hold onto it and sever Quaelyn's leg. Zagraine thrusted the blade at Iwelyn but she moved aside easily.
They were all outside now, and ones that are upstairs have probably heard it already.
Quaelyn cried and limped with pain. Turned her back and swung her hammer at the approaching Marvelyne as she heard her getting close. But the hammer only scared Marvelyne and made her stop.
Marcelle shot an arrow at Valache, who was still sitting in her own pool of blood, but with an inhumanly speed she threw herself onto the ground and rolled to her left, whilst holding onto her spear, as the arrow whizzed past where her head was only a moment before.
Vaineras thought Iwelyn was close enough and made a swipe that almost hit Zagraine. Needless to say he looked back at Vaineras with a mild terror on his face.
Valache, lying on the ground, doused in earth and blood, stabbed her spear in the nearest living thing, which was Vaineras. As he did see that coming, he had time to avoid the attempt but the attack itself was almost instantaneous. The black stone tipped spear sliced Vaineras' belt and the side of his upper thigh.
This was the time for all of them to breathe, finally, it seemed. They all stopped for one second. Then the silence broke with the execution of Marvelyne by Zagraine, at the entrance. Her body fell onto the ground as the driven ice blade was removed with bright red blood all over it, clouded under the unending icy vapor of the blade.
Iwelyn's breath was loud and shaking. The brown color in her eyes faded as one part of her soul flew away from her. Marvelyne was on the ground, there were no more blood in her body to gush out. Zagraine looked unphased by this.
Sorrow turned into anger. She charged onto Zagraine, swung her Chayah daggers wildly as her tears fallen down and her whole body shoke continously. Zagraine avoided this attempt, but even he looked shocked now.
At this moment, everything happened instantaneously.
Valache this time attacked Quaelyn, but she managed to hold the spear. Quaelyn tried to direct the spear towards Iwelyn and stab her, but Valache pulled back with fear. Zagraine swung the blade at the crazed Iwelyn but even though she evaded that, she took a arrow to her chest, severing the right side of her heart and ripping a hole in her left lung. She coughed up blood.
Vaineras moved in on her but she had the time to step back and tried to land a perfect counter attack on Vaineras, which was luckily countered with an almost perfect backwards leap by Vaineras. Blood oozed from the corner of her mouth. She looked at them all with a bloodlust brewing inside her.
Marcelle shot another arrow. This time straight at her forehead. Iwelyn fallen sideways onto the ground with a surprised and empty look on her face.
Vaineras tried to finish the pale woman, sitting on the floor, but she made a low kick and knocked him over. To her surprise, this was the last thing she had done in her life, as the hammer bashed the blooded face of hers down.
The grounds silenced. But nothing could be heard from the platform twelve meters above.
Zagraine: "I need to catch some breath."
Vaineras: "We need to patch these up."
Quaelyn: "They already heard us but they won't come down. Right?"
Zagraine: "We need to rest for a while."
Quaelyn: "It's an outpost. They must've already sent a message hawk or something. Better there be no reinforcements."
Zagraine: "We can't barge into their vantage point like this. We'll die on the stairs."
Marcelle was gathering his arrows back at that time and Vaineras was patching up his wound, with a sloppy but practical work.
Vaineras: "We should take shelter in the hollow."
Marcelle: "Chances are we will be hunted like elks once we get into their line of sight anyways, they must have crossbows lying around."
Zagraine: "Marcelle and I will take the watch then. You tend to your wounds."
---
Reading the place and character descriptions in the character lot helps with picturing the images, but it isn't necessary.
Story gets much better as you continue.
---
Quaelyn, Vaineras, Marcelle and Zagraine journeyed into the forest of Veklorean after they were done with the ruined temple. They were given the mission by Dunvar Corp., the mercenary company, to capture one of the fortresses in the forest, which was the Great Oak Outpost.
It was after dusk, when they approached near the roots of the great tree, trying hard to not be seen by the eyes of the forest, the lookout of the great oak...
They could see the entrance of the hollow from afar, unguarded by the looks. On the left of it there was the stairwell and also leftwards but a little closer to them, there was the burrowed hole, looking like a grave from that distance.
Zagraine stopped.
Zagraine: "The things we will have to do once we begin, ... may not be nice."
Quaelyn: "I've already made my mind about it. They said there won't be bystanders around, outposts are meant to be filled with able people, or worse..."
Zagraine: "Let's hope you are right."
Silence...
Vaineras: "We should check the dungeons first."
No one disagreed.
They moved carefully and sneaked into the dungeon via the small old staircase. Iron bar gate wasn't locked at all, but it made noise when they opened it. The icy mist made it harder to see inside, but nothing reacted to the noises yet.
The place was a long corridor that descended down by a set of three step stairs after every two cells on both sides. Then after the third set of cells, it reached to a circle room with several cells in the circle wall.
Noises of twigs and leaves could be heard each second. Then a figurine appeared at the entrance of the circle room. The four mercenaries didn't notice the figurine yet, as it was dark, albeit the gleaming mist. Vaineras found a torch in a wall sconce and lit it up. They were busy checking the cells for someone, or something. They didn't want to call out and alert someone, or something.
Finally they noticed it...
Darkwood Dryad: "This place is guarded."
Her voice was nothing more than the pitch of a croaked whisper, her eyes looked firm and suspicious. Seeing the armed alien mercenaries, she sensed the threat.
And the threat was within reason. Only seconds passed until Quaelyn and Zagraine nodded to each other and charged towards the darkwood dryad.
The corridor wasn't that long, albeit expecting threating demeanor, the darkwood dryad was astonished by the sudden movement.
Jumping through the small staircases, boots of the two mercenaries pounded the wet stone ground. With a determined and accurate strike of the great ice blade, Zagraine struck the dryad down on her left shoulder. A shrill scream echoed in the basement as the blade cut through the dryad with a soft hiss. But that was shortly interrupted by a bash of hammer on her head. Wooden and vine embodiment, the corrupt protector of dying nature lied motionless on the ground. A green misty light, a gaseous structure, arose up from the now empty husk lying on the gorund, swirled and dissipated with a low and ghostly voice and with the smell of rotten grass and tainted soil. A bright green sap oozed from the corpse of the darkwood dryad.
Vaineras looked a little appalled, but got over it in mere seconds. Marcelle put the arrow back in his quiver.
Vaineras: "Others must have heard the voice. We'd better be vary."
Quaelyn nodded to Zagraine with a curt smile, indicating the appreciation of a good work. Then they left the dungeons after a search for any living presence in the circle chamber. There wasn't any. There were no signs of previous imprisonment either. The place looked old and unused, maybe it hadn't come to that point. But what was the dryad protecting here? They didn't bother with that though.
---
Treading carefully, they went outside. From where they stood, the entrance of the tree hollow was blocked by the body of the spiral stairwell and a curved tree root on the surface with three feet long diameter in its middle. They could still see the shine of the blue light coming from inside the hollow and they could hear the distant voice of a woman.
Quaelyn and Zagraine took the front once again. Crouched and moving as silent as possible, over the dirt ground, coated with sprawling tufts of grass, that is partially sweeped from twigs and leaves a day ago or two. The forest itself was noisy at near night time, but the screaam from back then was shrill enough to alert anyone nearby, they thought. But no one so far seemed alerted.
Quaelyn: *whispers* "Is it better to lure them outside or to barge in? We don't know how many of them could be there."
They all gave questioning looks to each other.
Zagraine: *whispers* "Ones upstairs could hear them outside, then we couldn't get out of here alive. We must go in, I think."
Vaineras: *whispers* "Do we spy first, see their numbers or do we go in?"
Zagraine: *whispers* "I think we go in and take them out as quick as possible."
Marcelle: *whispers* "Well then, we shouldn't lose anymore time."
They jumped over the root one by one and hid behind the spiral saircase.
Inside The Hollow: (A few minutes ago)
Blue lights of the ice crystals on the sconces of the tree trunk wall was shining dimly, it's the icy vapor that made the bright blur effect. Inside the place was cold.
Two rectangle oak tables were put side by side with five chairs around it, on the sides of the hollow there were three small woolen beds with untidy sheets and a runic circle with a two feet diameter, etched with cyanide letters.
A counter stood at the upper right side, where stood the dishes and leftovers of cooked hunts. Beside it, there were weapon racks. A double ended spear and a faded green colored mace were hanging on the racks.
Iwelyn, a slim lady, stood behind the counter, washing the metal dish plates with a soaked rug inside a bowl of water, looking exasperated as she did so.
The other two was sitting on the table set in the middle, face to face, Valache on the left hand side. Playing a game of cards and loudly communicating. The oaken elemental, Umber stood motionless in its runic circle.
A faint shriek echoed. A few birds flew off of their branches and Marvelyne dropped the hand of cards on the table. Grabbing her mace, she went outside and strolled a little, questioningly. Then she heard a somewhat similar sound from a tree animal, or a bird, she wasn't sure. But she calmed down and went inside once again. Hanged the mace on her belt this time, instead of the racks and picked up her hand of cards from the desk.
Valache: "Don't worry I didn't peak at them. Five of snakes! Your turn."
The ragged pile of cards had another one piece placed on top a few seconds later.
Zagraine: *whispers* "On my mark, we move in."
After a brief lookout, he gave the signal, then Quaelyn was first to move in. Zagraine and then Vaineras followed her right away. Marcelle took a vantage point at the entrance and readied his bow.
Marvelyne unsheathed her mace as she stood up, knocking down her chair backwards. Valache, the pale woman with the black hair, snuck behind the table to grab her spear from the weapon rack. Iwelyn dropped the dishes and found her daggers. They were all caught with their hands tied, except Marvelyne.
Marvelyne: *grunting* "I knew there was something wrong."
She came face to face with Quaelyn and Zagraine as she appeared at the entrance. But in that moment, Umber, the oaken sap golem charged onto Quaelyn, sensing their threat, hoping to take her down with a swing, only to be crushed under the precise strike of the white steel hammer of hers. Marvelyne was agast at that moment.
Zagraine took the opportunity to strike the lady in furs down with a reckless but powerful swing with an arc that spans from his right shoulder to her right knee. She tried to move away from the range of the attack but too many furniture were in the way. She swung her mace upwards out of reflex and it was on the brink of getting in the way of the blow when it happened. The blade struck down. A cry went out. She was in the middle of the now broken table with a large, pulsing diagonal wound, gushing out all the blood she has. Iwelyn cried her twin's name in desperation as she saw her mortally wounded. Gasping for breath, Marvelyne held onto life, swearing as she was drowning in her blood.
Zagraine almost fell down alongside her with the might of the blow and the weight of the blade. His sword almost slipped out of his gloves and once he regained his balance, gave his back to the carved and hollowed inner body of the tree.
Marvelyne was up, barely... Taking support by the edge of the fallen chair... Blood trickled and streamed out of her body and her mouth. Like a zombie, she looked empty but fierce. She charged upon Quaelyn whilst holding her stomach, her interials together with his left hand. Her mace glowed a faded green in the cyanide light. She was whimpering like a beaten dog, swearing as she did so.
And she swung her mace with a lunge, trying to not move so much.
Quaelyn removed her hammer just in time from the sticky resin embodiment that lied in its own pool. Then she easily countered the blow from her left with the pole of her hammer, leaving her opponent staggered. Vaineras took the opportunity to end her suffering, but she made him a clear sign of refusal by hitting him with a chair she grabbed from the ground. Vaineras backed away with fury.
Marcelle's white steel tipped birch arrow struck Marvelyne's left forearm.
Iwelyn stabbed the tree when Zagraine reflexively rolled leftwards and let himself out of the hollow, the place was not that large for a crowded fight.
Valache went past Iwelyn and got outside, immediately bee lining for Marcelle as she knew that the archer must be taken care of. She thrusted the spear straight to Marcelle's heart after a quick sprint. Alerted by this, Marcelle leapt sideways, taking opportunity of her one slow movement. Then he grabbed the spear pole and kicked her leg. She stumbled and he had time to make a distance and unite with Zagraine.
Iwelyn headed for Vaineras, since he was close by, but she made a fool of herself with a swipe that only cut the air, Vaineras didn't even notice this as he was busy concentrating on the ferocious looking Marvelyne, who then charged once again, but Vaineras, expecting this, easily leaped backwards, next to the way out.
Turning his attention to the other side, he saw the opportunity of a pale woman, immobilized for a few seconds only... and he took it. Marvelyne shouted 'Valache!' and gurgled as she vomited blood. It worked, Valache turned her back but she couldn't avoid the cross attack of the dual blades...Her face and chest was eviscerated. This might have been Vaineras' most gruesome work. She shrieked with pain.
Quaelyn swung her hammer at Iwelyn and hit the tree trunk, crushing the thinned wall and enlarging the entrance to the hollow. Iwelyn, luckily for her, crouched past Quaelyn at this time and went outside. Then a lot of things happened at once.
Marcelle shot another arrow at Marvelyne, it hit her stomach and she coughed up blood again, with a fainter cry of pain and with a dizzier head. But she still held on somehow. As Vaineras joined Marcelle, Valache was on the ground, shocked. Quaelyn moved towards her and wanted to bash her down, but found the spear in her left knee. She couldn't comprehend how Valache acted so sudden. She dropped her hammer and pulled the spear out before Valache could hold onto it and sever Quaelyn's leg. Zagraine thrusted the blade at Iwelyn but she moved aside easily.
They were all outside now, and ones that are upstairs have probably heard it already.
Quaelyn cried and limped with pain. Turned her back and swung her hammer at the approaching Marvelyne as she heard her getting close. But the hammer only scared Marvelyne and made her stop.
Marcelle shot an arrow at Valache, who was still sitting in her own pool of blood, but with an inhumanly speed she threw herself onto the ground and rolled to her left, whilst holding onto her spear, as the arrow whizzed past where her head was only a moment before.
Vaineras thought Iwelyn was close enough and made a swipe that almost hit Zagraine. Needless to say he looked back at Vaineras with a mild terror on his face.
Valache, lying on the ground, doused in earth and blood, stabbed her spear in the nearest living thing, which was Vaineras. As he did see that coming, he had time to avoid the attempt but the attack itself was almost instantaneous. The black stone tipped spear sliced Vaineras' belt and the side of his upper thigh.
This was the time for all of them to breathe, finally, it seemed. They all stopped for one second. Then the silence broke with the execution of Marvelyne by Zagraine, at the entrance. Her body fell onto the ground as the driven ice blade was removed with bright red blood all over it, clouded under the unending icy vapor of the blade.
Iwelyn's breath was loud and shaking. The brown color in her eyes faded as one part of her soul flew away from her. Marvelyne was on the ground, there were no more blood in her body to gush out. Zagraine looked unphased by this.
Sorrow turned into anger. She charged onto Zagraine, swung her Chayah daggers wildly as her tears fallen down and her whole body shoke continously. Zagraine avoided this attempt, but even he looked shocked now.
At this moment, everything happened instantaneously.
Valache this time attacked Quaelyn, but she managed to hold the spear. Quaelyn tried to direct the spear towards Iwelyn and stab her, but Valache pulled back with fear. Zagraine swung the blade at the crazed Iwelyn but even though she evaded that, she took a arrow to her chest, severing the right side of her heart and ripping a hole in her left lung. She coughed up blood.
Vaineras moved in on her but she had the time to step back and tried to land a perfect counter attack on Vaineras, which was luckily countered with an almost perfect backwards leap by Vaineras. Blood oozed from the corner of her mouth. She looked at them all with a bloodlust brewing inside her.
Marcelle shot another arrow. This time straight at her forehead. Iwelyn fallen sideways onto the ground with a surprised and empty look on her face.
Vaineras tried to finish the pale woman, sitting on the floor, but she made a low kick and knocked him over. To her surprise, this was the last thing she had done in her life, as the hammer bashed the blooded face of hers down.
The grounds silenced. But nothing could be heard from the platform twelve meters above.
Zagraine: "I need to catch some breath."
Vaineras: "We need to patch these up."
Quaelyn: "They already heard us but they won't come down. Right?"
Zagraine: "We need to rest for a while."
Quaelyn: "It's an outpost. They must've already sent a message hawk or something. Better there be no reinforcements."
Zagraine: "We can't barge into their vantage point like this. We'll die on the stairs."
Marcelle was gathering his arrows back at that time and Vaineras was patching up his wound, with a sloppy but practical work.
Vaineras: "We should take shelter in the hollow."
Marcelle: "Chances are we will be hunted like elks once we get into their line of sight anyways, they must have crossbows lying around."
Zagraine: "Marcelle and I will take the watch then. You tend to your wounds."
---
After a nice rest and patching up, the mercenary group started climbing the stairs. Thanks to the great platform that stands twelve meters up above and thick tree crowns that end right above the large cylindrical floor two inches thick, voice travelled harder upstairs and line of sight wasn't a matter of subject, since the lookout was designed to watch the skies and the treetops... But the struggle must have been heard, they thought. And it was heard as well, faintly, but heard nonetheless, but their rather long rest may have tricked the ones upstairs.
Vaineras and Quaelyn treated their legs with some potion and patched the holes in their armor and clothing with some scrap materials that they brought along. So they were fine, climbing the endless stairs that lead to the lookout.
Quaelyn was on the lead. Marcelle was on the left of Zagraine and Vaineras was behind the two. None of them have had a cold feet after the last battle, they were eager to earn their wage after what they've been through so far... The risk was there but rolling the dice seemed reasonable enough and worth the try for them.
The stairwell was made of curved staircases that spanned the quarters of the tree perimeter. And at each end there was a meter long halt. Wood was thick and well supported with diagonal wooden girders underneath. It hardly ever creaked when stepped on it. Looking at their left made them queasy, especially for Marcelle who was close to the edge of the stairs that had barely any trustworthy barriers on them. Their weapons were ready for any ambush, as they were only two quarters away from the summit.
Almost half an hour ago:
Mellanie, a sickly looking woman in her late thirties was sitting on her chair, at the little half circle extension of the platform looking towards west. The sun was about to meet the horizon amidst the fractioned clouds that are blackened because of the lack of light, which made the sky look like the dirty petri dish of the gods above.
All the birds rose to the sky in haste, but the screech from downstairs wasn't audible for any of them. She stood up, holding her bow, and looked down twelve meters below. From that angle only the entrance of the prison was visible, the rest lied under the big platform. Looking to her right, she saw Piquerand heading downstairs to take a better look.
The young blonde boy only saw Marvelyne at the entrance yard, but she went inside after a while. Piquerand only stood two minutes there, waiting for a movement, but seeing no signs of abnormality, he went upstairs. If only he stood there a minute longer, things would've been different.
"What is it?" asked Rindel, the white haired woman in white velvet spring clothes, when she saw the blonde boy coming upstairs.
"Nothing..."
Three stairways led up to the raised balcony, where their beds and belongings, a small kitchen counter with a stone oven embedded in, some chairs and a study desk was. The wooden roof was almost lost in the leaves and branches of the tree. The balcony itself was well attached to where the branches separated. Currently, Ywendell, the woman in her fourty, was cleaning dishes.
Rest of the platform was empty, besides some supply and ration crates and barrels. A tanning rack, a butcher's table and a tool rack, all of them stationed at the opposide side of the stairwell.
A few minutes later...
Ywendell was sweeping the dead leaves and twigs off of the platform with a broom when she heard the voice of a woman, which she somewhat recognized as Marvelyne. Leaning down from the fencing, she couldn't see anything but the dungeon entrance, but she was sure she heard a shout. Mellanie was strolling around the tree and Piquerand and Rindel was upstairs.
"Come here, Mel." she called the oblivious, sickly looking lady who is a year younger than Ywendell. Lost in her thick clothes, Mellaine looked curiously at the woman leaning down from the fencing. Then she walked towards her.
"Stop and listen here." she demanded. Mellanie did so, then whispered nervously. "What is it?", but got silenced with a hush. When the silence settled in, ignoring the sound of every other creature in the forest continuously making the same noises, they could hear the struggle downstairs, faintly.
Piquerand left his chair as he noticed the two. He nudged Rindel who was lying on her bed, drowsily. "Get your crossbow."
She frowned and got up. By this time, Piquerand already climbed down the stairs to the platform. A tingling jolt of adrenaline flowed in her body, she grabbed the quiver belt of bolts and her crossbow from the racks and headed downstairs.
Without saying a word, Piquerand leaned down the barriers, all ears. Stood completely still and focused for half a minute. Then he heard a shriek. He stood up, angry and unsure. Waited everyone to express opinions.
Rindel caught up with them, her crossbow drawn but not loaded.
"Was that Valache?" asked Mellanie, slightly panicking. "Sounded like her."
Piquerand looked uneasy. "Yes."
"We should help them." said Rindel, even though she, at her heart, didn't bear the will to do so.
"No." decided Piquerand. "Those were our ground units." He looked at the other three women's faces, and sighed. "We don't know their numbers. We have to take a stand here, hunt them down one by one if they climb the stairs."
"I'm sorry for our loss." added he afterwards.
"Don't say that yet." said Rindel, then walked away to the archer pod that faces west. Sat on the chair, watching the stairs.
Vaineras and Quaelyn treated their legs with some potion and patched the holes in their armor and clothing with some scrap materials that they brought along. So they were fine, climbing the endless stairs that lead to the lookout.
Quaelyn was on the lead. Marcelle was on the left of Zagraine and Vaineras was behind the two. None of them have had a cold feet after the last battle, they were eager to earn their wage after what they've been through so far... The risk was there but rolling the dice seemed reasonable enough and worth the try for them.
The stairwell was made of curved staircases that spanned the quarters of the tree perimeter. And at each end there was a meter long halt. Wood was thick and well supported with diagonal wooden girders underneath. It hardly ever creaked when stepped on it. Looking at their left made them queasy, especially for Marcelle who was close to the edge of the stairs that had barely any trustworthy barriers on them. Their weapons were ready for any ambush, as they were only two quarters away from the summit.
Almost half an hour ago:
Mellanie, a sickly looking woman in her late thirties was sitting on her chair, at the little half circle extension of the platform looking towards west. The sun was about to meet the horizon amidst the fractioned clouds that are blackened because of the lack of light, which made the sky look like the dirty petri dish of the gods above.
All the birds rose to the sky in haste, but the screech from downstairs wasn't audible for any of them. She stood up, holding her bow, and looked down twelve meters below. From that angle only the entrance of the prison was visible, the rest lied under the big platform. Looking to her right, she saw Piquerand heading downstairs to take a better look.
The young blonde boy only saw Marvelyne at the entrance yard, but she went inside after a while. Piquerand only stood two minutes there, waiting for a movement, but seeing no signs of abnormality, he went upstairs. If only he stood there a minute longer, things would've been different.
"What is it?" asked Rindel, the white haired woman in white velvet spring clothes, when she saw the blonde boy coming upstairs.
"Nothing..."
Three stairways led up to the raised balcony, where their beds and belongings, a small kitchen counter with a stone oven embedded in, some chairs and a study desk was. The wooden roof was almost lost in the leaves and branches of the tree. The balcony itself was well attached to where the branches separated. Currently, Ywendell, the woman in her fourty, was cleaning dishes.
Rest of the platform was empty, besides some supply and ration crates and barrels. A tanning rack, a butcher's table and a tool rack, all of them stationed at the opposide side of the stairwell.
A few minutes later...
Ywendell was sweeping the dead leaves and twigs off of the platform with a broom when she heard the voice of a woman, which she somewhat recognized as Marvelyne. Leaning down from the fencing, she couldn't see anything but the dungeon entrance, but she was sure she heard a shout. Mellanie was strolling around the tree and Piquerand and Rindel was upstairs.
"Come here, Mel." she called the oblivious, sickly looking lady who is a year younger than Ywendell. Lost in her thick clothes, Mellaine looked curiously at the woman leaning down from the fencing. Then she walked towards her.
"Stop and listen here." she demanded. Mellanie did so, then whispered nervously. "What is it?", but got silenced with a hush. When the silence settled in, ignoring the sound of every other creature in the forest continuously making the same noises, they could hear the struggle downstairs, faintly.
Piquerand left his chair as he noticed the two. He nudged Rindel who was lying on her bed, drowsily. "Get your crossbow."
She frowned and got up. By this time, Piquerand already climbed down the stairs to the platform. A tingling jolt of adrenaline flowed in her body, she grabbed the quiver belt of bolts and her crossbow from the racks and headed downstairs.
Without saying a word, Piquerand leaned down the barriers, all ears. Stood completely still and focused for half a minute. Then he heard a shriek. He stood up, angry and unsure. Waited everyone to express opinions.
Rindel caught up with them, her crossbow drawn but not loaded.
"Was that Valache?" asked Mellanie, slightly panicking. "Sounded like her."
Piquerand looked uneasy. "Yes."
"We should help them." said Rindel, even though she, at her heart, didn't bear the will to do so.
"No." decided Piquerand. "Those were our ground units." He looked at the other three women's faces, and sighed. "We don't know their numbers. We have to take a stand here, hunt them down one by one if they climb the stairs."
"I'm sorry for our loss." added he afterwards.
"Don't say that yet." said Rindel, then walked away to the archer pod that faces west. Sat on the chair, watching the stairs.
"I'm going to cast the light signal." said Mellanie. Piquerand nodded.
Sun had already disappeared under the horizon.Everyone took positions to surveil the stairs. In two minutes, the sky illuminated with a white speck of ethereal light crystal that will float at a certain altitude up to ten minutes, which was cast from a long barreled goblin contraption.
This outpost belonged to the nearest stronghold, Xaven's Hold. One would wonder why Dunvar Corp. accepted a contract to take down an outpost that was a part of the human pact of Traemor. Either this was to stir up trouble, with a high price tag, or Dunvar's disciples really played with fire this time.
No additional forces to protect the outpost, no orders to the mercenaries to do such a thing... Someone, or a group of people, not implying that they are necessarily humans, just wanted to send a message maybe.
...
Several minutes passed, no one showed up.
Ywendell lit a few lanterns and placed it near the archer pods and at the raised balcony. Their light were dim, but worked as intented. Night's breeze was getting colder. Waiting for a showdown was getting annoyingly disturbing.
Mellanie stood at the balcony with her deadwood bow, ready to be loaded. Ywendell was beside her, psyched up, with an oaken bow which she took from the racks, although she didn't know how to properly use one. Piquerand watched the stairs and listened to every bit of sound that came from down below. It was completely dark now.
Piquerand gave the signal the others and moved away from their range, took place at the opposide side of Rindel.
Her hammer on her shoulder, Quaelyn run up the last set of stairs, with Zagraine on her left. They both charged, as they planned, dodging the first wave of arrows. Marcelle was just behind them and had an arrow fly over his head, shot by Ywendell. He was now standing on the top of the stairs, completely exposed. He clumsily loaded his bow with shaking hands whilst Vaineras moved past him, crouched.
Another bolt launched with a buzz and sounds of desperate screams echoed. It was Rindel, and then Piquerand. She was kicked off of the platfrom from her archer pod, by Zagraine. As Quaelyn's hammer landed down, the whole platform shook briefly. Piquerand backed away, overwhelmed by Quaelyn.
Marcelle's arrow was a blindshot, but the body of Ywendell fell down onto the platform like a bag of sand. Followed by a faint moan from Mellanie, she fell onto the floor on her hands as Vaineras removed his daggers from her chest. Blood streamed out on her thick fur clothes and on the floor. He turned back, assuming that she was done already, but hearing an arrow being pulled from the quiver, clatter of bones, he turned back again and kicked Mellanie's face. With a thud, she fell backwards.
Zagraine caught up with Quaelyn and repelled Piquerand with a swing of blade, who was about to plunge his dagger in Quaelyn. He stepped backwards, red with anger and panic. He looked around for an opening and he found it. He combat rolled beside Zagraine and bee lined for the stairs.
Sun had already disappeared under the horizon.Everyone took positions to surveil the stairs. In two minutes, the sky illuminated with a white speck of ethereal light crystal that will float at a certain altitude up to ten minutes, which was cast from a long barreled goblin contraption.
This outpost belonged to the nearest stronghold, Xaven's Hold. One would wonder why Dunvar Corp. accepted a contract to take down an outpost that was a part of the human pact of Traemor. Either this was to stir up trouble, with a high price tag, or Dunvar's disciples really played with fire this time.
No additional forces to protect the outpost, no orders to the mercenaries to do such a thing... Someone, or a group of people, not implying that they are necessarily humans, just wanted to send a message maybe.
...
Several minutes passed, no one showed up.
Ywendell lit a few lanterns and placed it near the archer pods and at the raised balcony. Their light were dim, but worked as intented. Night's breeze was getting colder. Waiting for a showdown was getting annoyingly disturbing.
Mellanie stood at the balcony with her deadwood bow, ready to be loaded. Ywendell was beside her, psyched up, with an oaken bow which she took from the racks, although she didn't know how to properly use one. Piquerand watched the stairs and listened to every bit of sound that came from down below. It was completely dark now.
Piquerand gave the signal the others and moved away from their range, took place at the opposide side of Rindel.
Her hammer on her shoulder, Quaelyn run up the last set of stairs, with Zagraine on her left. They both charged, as they planned, dodging the first wave of arrows. Marcelle was just behind them and had an arrow fly over his head, shot by Ywendell. He was now standing on the top of the stairs, completely exposed. He clumsily loaded his bow with shaking hands whilst Vaineras moved past him, crouched.
Another bolt launched with a buzz and sounds of desperate screams echoed. It was Rindel, and then Piquerand. She was kicked off of the platfrom from her archer pod, by Zagraine. As Quaelyn's hammer landed down, the whole platform shook briefly. Piquerand backed away, overwhelmed by Quaelyn.
Marcelle's arrow was a blindshot, but the body of Ywendell fell down onto the platform like a bag of sand. Followed by a faint moan from Mellanie, she fell onto the floor on her hands as Vaineras removed his daggers from her chest. Blood streamed out on her thick fur clothes and on the floor. He turned back, assuming that she was done already, but hearing an arrow being pulled from the quiver, clatter of bones, he turned back again and kicked Mellanie's face. With a thud, she fell backwards.
Zagraine caught up with Quaelyn and repelled Piquerand with a swing of blade, who was about to plunge his dagger in Quaelyn. He stepped backwards, red with anger and panic. He looked around for an opening and he found it. He combat rolled beside Zagraine and bee lined for the stairs.
Vaineras stepped in front of Piquerand and charged at him with daggers. Piquerand, in a matter of moments, crouched and swirled around whilst moving, felt the daggers giving him a haircut and slashed Vaineras in the chest. But he stopped with a quick reflex as two arrows whizzed past each other in different directions and Mellanie, who was on the ground, cried her pain for the last time in her life. Marcelle quickly knocked another arrow on his bow when he noticed the appaled Piquerand.
The hammer blasted onto the ground with wood splinters flying. Piquerand was quick to avoid that attempt, but his little delay left him in the pincer of his enemies. Vaineras had moved away near the tree trunk, holding his wound.
He felt the iscelar greatsword, and saw the blade sticking out in front of him. His eyes blackened. He could only feel the breeze the blade brought, he didn't feel the pain as his world got darker and less colorful. He face planted onto the ground when the blade was removed.
The last image was the dusty wooden floor, and a momentarily headache that disappeared into the 'void of unknown' with him.
Quaelyn removed her hammer from Piquerand's head, which looked like an exploded melon. Blood and gore spattered on Quaelyn's black cotton pants and painted a nasty image on her white shirt. Zagraine wiped his face and this only made him smear the stains of blood all over it. He was covered in blood too. Looking at the now mutilated dead body and inhaling the stench of fresh blood and body fluids, he was about to vomit.
"That wasn't needed." he said with a crinkled nose.
"Had to make sure." added Quaelyn, but she was disgusted by her work as well.
After a second of realization, Zagraine sheathed his sword on his back and ran back next to Vaineras, swearing nervously as he did so.
Marcelle came close to them and pointed the freckles of light roaming the forest in the distance. "I bet they're headed towards here. We gotta go, man."
Vaineras fainted from blood loss. Belts of his chest armor was cut and the leather pieces were lying on the ground.
"Is he breathing?" asked Quaelyn.
"He fainted" answered Zagraine. He removed Vaineras' bloodsoaked cloth shirt and tied the wound tightly as he could. Blade cut through his liver and perhaps his lung, he thought, but Vaineras was still breathing. Zagraine went under his right arm and called for Quaelyn's help. "Come here!"
"He would just be trouble for us." said Quaelyn, looking unsure and the opposite of calm. Zagraine was furious after hearing this. "I'm f*cking done leaving people behind. Come on!"
Marcelle came by them to went under Vaineras' left arm, but Quaelyn took that place. So he just gathered the two daggers on the floor and took the lead downstairs.
Slowly but steadily they reached the grounds. Marcelle grabbed Vaineras' backpack, which stored all the rations and supplies they brought along. Then they disappeared into the woods, at the complete opposite direction which they arrived in the first place.
...
They have travelled at least twenty minutes distance from the outpost. The night was completely dark now. They stopped halfway in between to give Vaineras a wound treatment with the provided elixirs that seared the wound surface for a couple of hours. Under the torchlight, the process took more time than it should've. Wild animals were already drawn towards the smell of blood but Marcelle kept them away with the last three arrows in his quiver. After bandaging the wounds properly this time, they moved along. Zagraine and Quaelyn was drowning in the stench of dried blood and gore, and they looked almost traumatized by the events of today. Marcelle wasn't effected too much as he always stood away from the heat and dirt of battle.
They made a small campfire after they were certain that they wouldn't be tracked down. Then they headed for the closest settlement, a small village named Uowenvale, built around a river that runs through the outer skirts of the forest of Veklorean. By this time Vaineras was awakened and looked better. They stayed the night there after getting proper medical care. At the dawn, they travelled to the city of 'Talon's Reach' on a stagecoach, where the closest Dunvar Corp. headquarters was stationed.
---
There we go... It's over... Whew!
Next one is going to be a five stage raid, this had three stages.
I won't touch that one yet though.
About 5000 words just for the story itself. It dried me out pretty much.
Well, hope you enjoyed this mess.
I might have butchered the language here and there, sorry about that...
I'll be leaving now.
You don't need to read the edits.
You didn't need to read any of this sh*t.
Have a nice day.
---
Edit 1: The story gets somewhat better, as I didn't intend to post it before I wrote the room 2 part, I didn't care much about the start, I just wanted it done so that I can move onto the next part. But it does get better... I'm currently experimenting on it. Also the game mechanics are works in progress. So the amount of logic and intensity of the atmosphere will gradually increase. However, I might take it too slow in the end. It will be a roller coaster before I reach the optimum levels. Not that anyone reads this sh*t anyways.
Edit 2: Sorry about the brutality that it can portray, it is a battle simulator, the game, after all. I would like to add depth of emotions in it, and I can manage it very well if I wanted to do so, but the story must go on, and for that, I need to stay by the rules of the game.
Edit 3: The game is 'completely' random. It can be customizable of course, but I'm the only player and I want no inputs in iit. Pure dice work. Knowing Java GUI helped a lot in the last year and a half. I will add bleeding / poison / elemental effects, interrupting actions (stun / immobilize (elemental)), balancing needs to be done on the stats, basically everything that the original GG has. This completely compromises the initial product, since the reason I made this is that the latter project got too complicated to operate. But it created the most immense RP experience I've ever seen so far. But this will do just fine in the future.
Edit 4: I take a look at the character sheet and see the enemies that I created, and after the battle, I picture the image of how they die when I look at their character card. It is gruesome... It's even worse with the main characters. Because in the room 3 battle, Vaineras took a hit so severe that I felt the adrenaline in my body while calculating the damage. He didn't die (spoilers). This party worked very well in the two raids they've been in. First two parties got wiped out in their first raid. Normally, if a character dies, it will be replaced with another one, again, completely random.
Edit 5: I really want to implement the fear and emotion into the game, but I will think about a system later. Also, I need to work on the stats. It won't be easy work.
Edit 6: Added the room 3 intro... I'm going slow paced so far. I might edit the whole story when I finish it. Augment it a little bit, add more color, we'll see...
Edit 7: Finally, it's over... I'm going to do a few adjustments and it is done.
---
There we go... It's over... Whew!
Next one is going to be a five stage raid, this had three stages.
I won't touch that one yet though.
About 5000 words just for the story itself. It dried me out pretty much.
Well, hope you enjoyed this mess.
I might have butchered the language here and there, sorry about that...
I'll be leaving now.
You don't need to read the edits.
You didn't need to read any of this sh*t.
Have a nice day.
---
Edit 1: The story gets somewhat better, as I didn't intend to post it before I wrote the room 2 part, I didn't care much about the start, I just wanted it done so that I can move onto the next part. But it does get better... I'm currently experimenting on it. Also the game mechanics are works in progress. So the amount of logic and intensity of the atmosphere will gradually increase. However, I might take it too slow in the end. It will be a roller coaster before I reach the optimum levels. Not that anyone reads this sh*t anyways.
Edit 2: Sorry about the brutality that it can portray, it is a battle simulator, the game, after all. I would like to add depth of emotions in it, and I can manage it very well if I wanted to do so, but the story must go on, and for that, I need to stay by the rules of the game.
Edit 3: The game is 'completely' random. It can be customizable of course, but I'm the only player and I want no inputs in iit. Pure dice work. Knowing Java GUI helped a lot in the last year and a half. I will add bleeding / poison / elemental effects, interrupting actions (stun / immobilize (elemental)), balancing needs to be done on the stats, basically everything that the original GG has. This completely compromises the initial product, since the reason I made this is that the latter project got too complicated to operate. But it created the most immense RP experience I've ever seen so far. But this will do just fine in the future.
Edit 4: I take a look at the character sheet and see the enemies that I created, and after the battle, I picture the image of how they die when I look at their character card. It is gruesome... It's even worse with the main characters. Because in the room 3 battle, Vaineras took a hit so severe that I felt the adrenaline in my body while calculating the damage. He didn't die (spoilers). This party worked very well in the two raids they've been in. First two parties got wiped out in their first raid. Normally, if a character dies, it will be replaced with another one, again, completely random.
Edit 5: I really want to implement the fear and emotion into the game, but I will think about a system later. Also, I need to work on the stats. It won't be easy work.
Edit 6: Added the room 3 intro... I'm going slow paced so far. I might edit the whole story when I finish it. Augment it a little bit, add more color, we'll see...
Edit 7: Finally, it's over... I'm going to do a few adjustments and it is done.
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