Tales of the Heroes

[Asinjin]

Day of the Red Sky (part 4)

The attack by the dracolich did one service to the gathered opponents of Vestilion, it united them.  Where there had been a sense of assured victory, now there was doubt.  Where there had been competition as to who would get the kill, now there was concern about if they would win at all.  To that end, after the creature turned away, the leaders gathered.  The many heroes of Grimhold along with the head of the Valona, clerics of Falan, and the remants of Lightstalker's faith rushed to meet.  It took little time for them to settle on a commander.

Both cocksure by the choice and then a bit nervous, the veteran warrior Harris looked at the motley group assembled.  He thought about leaving.  Positioning everyone else in place, putting his contingent in the back, and sliding away seemed like a fair plan.  Then he saw the eyes of his retinue.  Many had not actually seen Harris fight.  They had come to know him by personality and reputation.  How far would he fall if he ran?  His whole fiefdom could collapse, either by a loss of confidence or perhaps even taken over by Vestilion.  With a mightily crash, he brought his hammer down and belted out commands.

Those assembled listened and moved into position just in time to meet the charge of the undead.  Several waves of mindless creatures triggered spells and ate up time and energy of the now defenders.  The intent was not to do damage, but to sap resources and time.  It was clear, but little could be done to prevent it.  As the charge ended, the dracolich flew by and strafed the allies.  One breath of fire, hurting a few and draining more spells and defense, then back into the sky it went.

A calm fell.  Minutes passed.  The ground shook.  Fire and undead hulks and drow charged out of fissures in the ground.  Prepared for such a tactic, repelling the attacks again drained spells and resources.  In the middle of the assault, the dracolich strafed them another time, fleeing as quickly as it came.  Many of these undead fled below ground before being destroyed.  Harris knocked out several Falanic crusaders who tried to give chase.  Finn closed the fissures so they could not be used again.

A half an hour passed with no other attacks. 

[Zunder]

I see your epic level cleric spells and raise you epic level druid spells.

What.. only divine spells.. shame.

[Zunder]

Harrick offers Harris a boat to command to leave 

[Asinjin]

Day of the Red Sky (part 5)

The clerics of Falan predicted hordes of undead would come next.  Divinations told the commanders that waiting out the attacks would end in everyone's death.  Harris agreed that their position was indefensible long term.  Artemis, Marston and Saren could only do so much as individuals against a swarm.  The decision was made to find a kill the leaders.  More so than their allied force, Vestilion and the undead were more susceptible to a decapitating strike.

The debate over who should go was short.  Harris as commander and Finn as master of the field would remain outside.  Artemis, Marston and Saren, the leader of the remnant of Lightstalker's faith who called himself Lucas, the most skilled follower of Taivas Valitas without wings, and the Falanic crusader Jan would head into Skull Keep.  They would kill or drive off the leader of the religion, who they believed to be Harrick.  In the field, the others would occupy the undead and on the off chance they destroyed them all, charge in to help.

That no undead barred their entrance in the keep did not sit well with those that rushed across the field and entered.  That no traps or warding defenses sprang up was a relief and a concern.  The keep was filled with a disturbing undead presence that they could detect, but it was no where to be found.  The heat of the place was brutal and would have been overwhelming if not for their protections.  A red glow allowed them to see.  A hiss of steam could be heard constantly.

A foreboding feeling was unescapable in the keep.  Saren looked at Artemus, who turned to Marston and the other looked wary as well.  Marston murmured first, "It's a trap".  They turned a rushed out as he feeling proved correct.

Outside, Finn felt it first.  The ground rumbled, the keep shook, more ash burst from the ground.  Within moments, the skull keep which had stood for hundreds or years was gone.  The ash that spewed forth coalesced into the forms of several winged beasts.  At the foot of the wreck, beneath the beasts, a figure emerged.  Vaguely human with pounds of sagging flesh draped all around him, Harrick stood in glory.

[Malchia]

Day of the Red Sky (part 5)
Vaguely human with pounds of sagging flesh draped all around him, Harrick stood in glory.

You know...sometimes I miss fat Harrick who struggled to breath and rode around on a skeleton bone wheelchair...

[Hero]

You know...sometimes I miss fat Harrick who struggled to breath and rode around on a skeleton bone wheelchair...

Should've taken him out when he first turned. Stupid Habastlian respect for life.

[Zunder]

you guys are just jealous of me and my girlfriend.

[Zunder]

note:  I was going to post a picture of someone with massive saggy flesh, but personally, I just ate lunch and couldn't "stomach" it.

[whitesword]

Somewhere Ajax is really annoyed that he’s missing this.

[Zunder]

In honor of Ajax missing this, I searched on Glory Bolt and google rewarded me with:

[Malchia]

In honor of Ajax missing this, I searched on Glory Bolt and google rewarded me with:

Nice

[Asinjin]

Day of the Red Sky (part 6)

Bellowing with joyous laughter, Harrick sent out the ash monsters forward.  The dracolich descended.  Intelligent undead of all types charged.  Beams of sunlight and holy auras flickered and lashed out and the assault.  Those that happened to catch sight from a distance were treated to a light show of hold a red that was never seen.

Finn went spell for spell with Harrick for as long as he could, but the mixture of arcane and divine proved too much.  With hope fading, he sent away his wooden allies who were all but burnt to a cider.  The animals that fought with him, burnt as well, fought doggedly nearby but eventually retreated into tunnels some of them dug to escape.  His blessings near exhausted and his options gone, Finn fell back to his last measure.  But he was too late.  A scorching toothy maw slammed shut around him and spat him out from a hundred feet.

Harris saw this and knew that the battle was over.  He called the retreat and anyone who was not a zealot followed his lead.  One crusader moved to stop and berate him.  One swing later and Harris turned him into a shield to get through the undead.  With the edge of the ash cloud near, Harris and the remaining warriors were hopeful when shadow and pain washed over them.  A female voice called to Harris.  Weakness seeped into his body.  His hammer fell to the ground and a strong soft hand grabbed his shoulder.  Fangs dug into his neck and he slowly passed into unconsciousness.

[Asinjin]

Day of the Red Sky (part 6)

Harrick watched on as his friends, his allies, and his subordinates drove their enemies from the field.  They had come to deprive Vestilion's faithful of their rightful existence, and now they would either be dead or be joining them having seen the truth.  The ash burned away the last of the husk of temporary life and revealed the permanent existence that could be theirs.

Behind him, the Skull Keep was gone, crumbled having served one last service for the faith.  It was a remnant of a different time, when the eternal were seen differently, when the lord of it sought dominion and domination over the world.  That was not Vestilion's or Harrick's wish.  So it was right that fortress was gone.  A new one would be built, with a different message.  It would be glorious...

The pop that echoed out was heard across the battlefield.  The crack that was the bone of a skull was equally as loud.  A silence then covered the area, followed by howls of rage and screeches of sadness.

Marston dragged himself out of the rest of the rubble.  "I told you." he murmured.  He reloaded the one round and looked at the charging horde.  Defiantly, he yelled out, "You will get me in a rush, but I'm taking the first hundred of you with me!"  And so he did.  Firearms blazing, the undead fell over each other to reach him and fell destroyed or crumbled and bullets blew them apart.

Alone and unafraid, the old sheriff stood his ground until the were no bullets left.  Pistols turned into clubs and still he crushed them as they got to him.  It was finally too much, the dracolich's breath burned him to a point where he couldn't move.  The mistress of the keep, bride of Harrick, delivered the finale blow, having burned her face trying to give him the eternal embrace, she tore his head from body and cursed his name.

[Malchia]

The mistress of the keep, bride of Harrick, delivered the finale blow, having burned her face trying to give him the eternal embrace, she tore his head from body and cursed his name.

R.I.P. Marston

[Zunder]

you guys are just jealous of me and my girlfriend.

  ehm.. fiancée