Wanderer (forum adventure)

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Sheth hears three people talking. The first is a male, husky voice. The second is that of a female, stern and serious. The last is a male's, a light and lilting voice.

"I still say it's a Slaad. My and company and the Dwarves faced a pair when fighting the Dark Elves in the Battle of the Grey Moors," says, the male voice.

The female voice rebukes the first, saying, "Bah, you say it is one because only because you have faced one before. Have you not given thought to other possibilties, Varchon?"

The third voice suggests, "Thoust makes Slaadi and Demons thy murderers because thoust canst not comprehend the thought of a man making such atrocities. Perhaps it is but a bloodthirsty highwayman, or a hungry lion."

The first voice snorts in disgust. "Hah, Ikholian. Your elf-kind are more foolish than I had thought. Did you not see the wounds and blood that the last one bore? Surely that was of no dagger or cat-claw."

The female voice says, "Mind your manners, Varchon! Ikholian is our guest from the elf-king, and you would do good to treat them with respect. Besides, our task is not to discern the murderer, but to find him."

The voice whom Sheth supposes is Varchon mutters, "All right, Angela. All righ-."

"Hold thy tongue," Ikholian interrupts. "I spy a man but a few feet away from us. His head is bald, and he holds a wooden shield that is sodden with dirt."

Sheth realizes that the one Ikholian is referring to is himself. What now?

 

Sheth walks up to the people and greets them.

 

Sheth confronts the trio of who he supposes are Varchon, Ikholian, and Angela. Before he can open his mouth, the tall, bearded man (most likely Varchon) brandishes his sword and points it at Sheth.

"Your hands are covered with blood and dirt. Explain."

 

Sheth tries to explain the story thus far and his involvement in it but deliberatly leaves out the part of the strange rod he found.

[ December 19, 2002, 11:04: Message edited by: Apeman ]

 

Varchon relaxes his sword a bit, but it is still trained at Sheth's chest. He gives a skeptical snort and says, "Hmph. Dig up the body, then. Let us see what has happened."

 

Sheth turns around and walks to the grave of the slain man. He opens the grave with his shield as fast as he can. When he is done, he points at the grave and says: "Is this what you wanted to see?"

 

Varchon grimaces.

"Keep an arrow trained on the stranger, Ikholian." Varchon shakes his head and says, says, "Not another one. That's been four deaths altogether. Four deaths, by Eilvra!"

Varchon sheaths his sword and explains, "Four deaths that occurred in ten days. All like this."

Ikholian, a slim human-like person with pointed ears and a pale blue-green skin, adds, "No doubt thoust had overheard our conversation; thou knowest what we suspect."

The last person of the group, a blond, stern, woman, produces a handful of silver dust from her pouch. She sprinkles it in a circle around Sheth, while muttering various incantations and prayers. When she is done, a strong sense of righteousness and truth pervades the air. Sheth nods and understands that this Angela is interrogating him, and that he cannot lie - not even if he has to.

"Did you kill that man?"

"No."

"Did you see anyone?"

Sheth pauses.

"No."

"Did you find anything of importance?"

"N-n-"

Angela glares at him.

Sheth sighs, "Yes, I did." He shows her the strange rod.

"What is it?"

"I don't know."

Angela nods, saying "We will return to Dursars; you will come with us," pointing a finger at Sheth.

Ikholian glances up at the sky, and comments, "'Tis midday, and 'twill be a long walk to your town. We should rest and eat."

 

Sheth mutely does whatever they tell him to do

 

(Okay - this part is a bit more story-oriented. Think of this post as a cinematic during a video game; you just get to watch, but not do anything. )

Varchon, Angela, Ihkolian, and the amnesiac ate their lunch in silence. No small talk was made; no inquiries about Sheth were asked. As far as he understood, the three were people of fairly important status. He said nothing, and ate his fish.

Ikholian, the strange blue-skinned one who carried a bow and held a quiver, was the only one who talked to Sheth.

"Have some Waybread, friend. 'Tis better than the kobold-fish you have."

Sheth nodded and thanked him.

When they had finished eating lunch, they trekked to what Sheth supposed to be Dursars - a town no short distance from where they were. They began walking. And walking. And walking until the sun had burned out into a fiery red over the horizon. They walked until the air was silent, and the sky a dark turquoise.

No conversation was made - only Ikholian had bothered to make the odd comment about the setting, or to ask Sheth an irrevelant question or two. Even then, somewhere along the road, all the silence faded into nothing, and only a strange sense of

Of...
Lost memories

Of...
Death to your world and death to your past

Of...
Kobolds and Tattoos and Murders and Blood and Pompous Self-Important Inquistors and Blue-skinned people and it doesn't even make sense anymore about who I am and where I am and-

Of stillness.

They made camp when no one could see into the distance anymore, and when darkness, wolf-howls, and the fear of thieves had scared them into sitting down and making a fire to warm themselves and chase away the invisible, evil spirits that loomed over the four.

A fire was struck, and more food was produced. Sheth face was soon covered with ash and sweat. His skin was gnat-bidden, and his feet now sore and tired. After devouring the last bit of fish Scaletooth had given him, and coaxing the last bit of fish from hs waterskin, he fell asleep, and hoped that rest could take care of everything.

Maybe when I wake up, I will find that this has all been a dream. And that I will have a place, a home, and an identity.

(I will put some more; the "cinematic" hasn't stopped yet. )

 

Sheth snored...

[sorry, C'Jakob, I just couldn't resist! ]

 

Exalted then, so wrong yet somehow inviting.
Like a dream moving in slow motion.
~Glory, Craig's Brother

What is a dream but a different reality? Another place to escape to, another place to run away to when the long and hard day is over. A dream is more than intangible; it is another life - ethereal and magnificent. One without the harsh realities of the dirt that we walk on and the dust that we breathe.
~Akkagraat, Crow-Sage of Sigil, A Treatise on Sleep, Dreams, and Death

---

After it happened, Sheth could barely remember what the dream was like. It was... intagible. It was... strange. It was... almost nostalgic of the past that he knew nothing of.

He was standing. Standing at a place that felt both like home and wilderness. And he was standing above everyone. Gears and cogs whirled in the sky, but the eyes were focused on him. And before him were the ants. Each ant looking exactly like that of his tattoo. Each ant staring at him. Each ant bowed down. Sheth looked at them in wonder.

He was holding the ruby-capped rod in his hand.

When he woke up, the air was cold, and fog laid around the scene like some huge, all-encompassing spirit. It was almost as if everything was moving in slow motion.

Blood was everywhere. But not his. Nor of fishermen. Nor of fish or kobolds.

It was Angela's blood. It was Varchon's blood. They both laid dying, sword and mace in their hands.

And the ants. Their corpses were strewn about the camp.

Tidbits
-Sheth has had a dream in which the ants bowed down before him, and where the rod was in his hands.
-Those ants (both in the dream and in the camp) look exactly like Sheth's tattoo.

Equipment
-Staff
-Coins
-Ruby-capped rod
-(fish and water were consumed yesterday; the boat is no longer in Sheth's possession)

(The "cinematic" is over. Feel free to participate again. )

[ December 31, 2002, 23:11: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

Sheth looks for the cause of death and the murder weapon

 

Sheth observes the ant-corpses. Some have been hacked with a sword, others smashed with mace, and still others with arrows protruding from the corpses. There are of the ant-corpses.

He turns to Varchon. His flesh is torn and rent - seemingly with teeth, or horns, or some other weapon. A spear has been impaled through his chest. Sheth takes one last look at the fallen warrior; he is dead, his face covered in blood and ichor.

Disgusted, he then turns to Angela's body. Likewise, her body is torn and ripped, and her left arm is torn and mangled. Bright red blood stains her blonde hair. She seems to be dying or dead - but Sheth manages to see that her body is breathing - a good sign that shows that she might have a chance at life.

[ January 01, 2003, 23:39: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

Sheth kneels beside her and see's whether her wounds are mortal or not

 

Her wounds are many; and her torso and limbs are badly wounded, and there is blood flowing from the head. Despite these injuries, Angela stirs from what seems to be certain death.

"Ugh... Ugh... The ants; where are they?"

She coughs up blood, and weakly looks at Sheth.

[ January 02, 2003, 23:56: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

"What attacked you?" Sheth asks as he tries to stanch Angela's bleeding. "And where is Ihkolian?"

 

Angela mutters, "It was the ants. The ants. They came with their spears and bites and... ugh. They came and attacked us. But you - you were asleep; like you were in a trance or something."

She coughs up more blood, this time it pouring over Sheth's tunic. She moans.

"Ik-Ikholian managed to escaped. He fled down the road. The ants - the ants didn't give chase."

She spits up more blood again. She shakes her head.

"I'm not going to make it. Find the elf - Ikholian. Find him; he knows the way back to town. Make sure t- to - ugh."

Her eyes roll back, and even more blood trickles down her lips. Her body goes limp, and Sheth realizes this is the third person he has seen dead within two days.

(It should probably be noted that these ants are as big as Sheth, and are all dead as well.)

[ January 04, 2003, 00:55: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

(some bloody afterthought )
Sheth stands wearily and casts his dull eyes around the scene of carnage. He sheds a single tear for the fallen before hurrying to to fullfil her last wish, plus it seemed to be the only reasonable chance of survival right now. He gathers (if there is any) a sword, a bow and a arrows and simple provisions making sure he travels lightly. Then he goes off in search for the elf.

 

Sheth plods wearily down the road. His thoughts are so filled with death, blood, and amnesia, that when he walks from his reverie, he finds the elf standing right in front of him, notching an arrow at Sheth's head.

Equipment
-Knapsack
-Provisions (Bread, cheese, and water)
-Sword
-Bow and a few arrows
-Staff
-Ruby-capped rod

[ January 05, 2003, 15:17: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

(ah, nevermind)

[ January 06, 2003, 02:15: Message edited by: Maertyn ]