Tag: ambush

#Lore24 – Entry #322 – Fantasy Month IV #17 – A Messy Situation

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

For those readers who may not be aware of the exact timing, these journal entries are indeed written well after the events described within them; I can’t very well catalogue my thoughts when I’m being assailed by ravenous vines covered with lust-inducing venom, now can I?  As an example, this and the last entry were both written once the party safely returned to Vindinium.  As to how that happened, do read on.

I am uncertain how long the druids allowed the vines to enjoy our bodies, for it is all a pleasure-shrouded haze of frustration in my case, though perhaps Risai and Korvalis may indeed have a different opinion on the matter.  I would daresay Risai may have enjoyed the predicament for a time, and perhaps Korvalis as well, though the wrath he would bring upon the druids following our eventual escape may indeed indicate the opposite. 

We were taken into a well-hidden camp deep within the Thistlewood, nestled among some of the ruins of the ancient draconic city, the vines shaped and controlled by the druids to keep us restrained and at their mercy.  I can recall Risai fighting against the binding vines, to little effect other than the vines seemingly redoubling their efforts to feed upon her essence.  As my memories of the hours or days that we spent in captivity are hazy at best, I will skip to the parts I remember, the night we were to be sacrificed.

I believe their ritual was intended to correspond to the peak of the full moon, for the druidic cult had dedicated themselves to preparations during our captivity and grew ever more excited for what was to come, to the best of my recollection.  I am thankful that our companions who had not been captured remained vigilant, for on the day of the ritual, the druids rested later and more deeply than normal as they prepared themselves, leaving only a handful to keep watch over us.  Ellisar saw to cloaking our party members with his magic, while Shassk saw to dealing with our guards in a silent, if most gruesome, manner, aided by magical silence from Ellisar.  Once the druids controlling them were dealt with, the maidenbane vines lost interest in us, thoroughly gorged as they were upon our vital essence.  Gresilda thankfully had prepared several spells to remove the lingering effects of their poison upon us, giving us a proper chance to carry ourselves out of the hidden enclave, cloaked by more of Ellisar’s invisibility.

I was content to make a hasty retreat to Vindinium, but Korvalis would have none of it, insisting that he had to pay the druids back for their actions.  This was the first real conflict amongst our party, and I could understand wanting revenge, certainly, but our best interest lay in retreat to fight another day.  Still, Korvalis, once he had regained his equipment, set off on his own, followed soon by Shassk, while the rest of us rode ahead toward the river crossing a few miles away.  We would wait until sunset for them, and if they didn’t return, then we were to assume they had been captured or killed.  Nobody liked it, but Risai and I were nearly exhausted, and Ellisar and Gresilda had little left in the way of magic.  I still don’t know exactly where Korvalis found the energy to do what he did.

It was just an hour or so before sunset that our two wayward party members returned, the smell of blood heavy upon them, remarkably light of injury. I didn’t get all the details, but Korvalis seemed sated in his bloodlust, and all Shassk would tell me was that even he was now rather unsettled by the deadly efficiency with which Korvalis dealt with the druids. “I have never seen so silent a death befall so many…” was all he told me. There would be no further need to worry from that particular cult.

With that dark mood firmly established, we pushed onward to the village, arriving a couple hours after sunset, where we could finally take time to recover from our long excursion.

#Lore24 – Entry #321 – Fantasy Month IV #16 – Detours and Detainments

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

Upon leaving the standing stones, the greatest source of my frustration finally stopped their incessant buzzing, returning to their more normal routine of random stimulation that only left me mildly frustrated in comparison.  The southeasterly course we had picked was not as easy to navigate as our previous route and thus took us several more days to traverse, but didn’t seem to pass through any kobold territory, so at least we were unmolested in that regard.  There were dangers aplenty, though, for with game being plentiful, it meant we also encountered more predators that were none too pleased to have intruders into their territory.  Though mostly your more mundane cougars, wolves, and the like, we did have to deal with another flame-drake that came at us from above.  I must say that for once I was quite pleased to see Ellisar’s Staff of Many Bindings be used, for it made short work of the creature once its ability to fly had been taken from it.

Our luck would not hold, however.  As we neared the region where we were likely to find the next set of standing stones, we began to see signs of humanoid habitation in the form of painted markings upon the rocks, old campfires, bones of harvested game.  The rock paintings indicated orcs, likely one of the many tribes of them that the Heroes had been facing on a semi-regular basis since they had begun their work in the region.  Soon enough we would begin to see cooking fires in the distance indicating a very large population of them.  Thus far, only a scant few tribes have proven themselves the least bit civilized, the Empire’s loyal Badaxe Clan foremost among them, so it was unlikely that these tribes would be willing to entertain outsiders in their lands, especially when said outsiders are likely responsible or killing a great many of their kin.

Thus, we were forced to move with extreme caution, detouring off our planned route for several days, following Shassk and Korvalis as they navigated a route that would avoid the worst of the orcish population.  At least we would gather some useful information about their location and numbers for future use.  Once we had come out of orcish territory, we had to swing back to the northwest, circling the rim of the valley that housed the standing stones for another day before we finally found a passable route down into it.  Thankfully the orcs had not claimed the area for their own, and like the previous stones, the primal energy that lay heavy upon the site had kept them away. 

We completed our next ritual without incident and made haste to clear the area, driving swiftly to the southeast once more in the direction of Vindinium.  Our good fortune would run out as we neared the Thistlewood and Lake Thistlelonica, on the far side from the village.  As we ventured along the upper shore of the lake in search of the river that fed it, and a crossing that would get us to the village, we found ourselves facing a sudden ambush that even our guides had failed to notice, for it was not at all what we had come to expect.

In our haste to return to the village, we had failed to notice the curious nature of the overgrowth in this region, the thick canopy of leafy vines that spread like a green sea over the hills, wood, and shore.  We skirted the mass, not wanting to go through blindly, but the mass of vegetation came alive, swelling and rising up like great leafy serpents.  Our horses were spooked, rearing and dancing wildly at the sudden movement, and Risai, Korvalis, and I were unable to control their wild behavior and were thrown.  As we tried to recover from our misfortune, bruised and dazed from our falls, I heard shouting and chanting in a language that I would later come to recognize as the secret tongue of the Druids.  Walls of thorns sprang up between us and the rest of our party, and the very trees began to come alive against us.  The vines closed in around us as spells filled the air, and try as I might, I could not keep the vines away from me or the others.  Risai’s heavy mace was mostly useless against the vegetation, as were Korvalis’s daggers. 

In my case, the vines swarmed around me in a fury, and as they latched onto me and their secretions began to tingle upon my skin, I realized that they were a form of maidenbane vines, for I grew somehow hornier and lethargic in their grasp, dropping my scimitar as they coiled about me and ripped my clothing away.  I suppose I was the lucky one here, for I was at least somewhat protected from their most erotic probing by Lady Armenia’s chastity gear, though they still found their way to my rear and into my mouth.  Fight as they would, Risai and Korvalis were likewise subdued by the combined strength of the vines themselves and the potency of their poison, leaving them helplessly wrapped in their invasive clutches.

The sounds of battle would fade as the others were forced into a hasty retreat, and through our pleasure-addled daze, we would see the fur- and foliage-covered druids we had not noticed approach us, watching with satisfaction as their vines continued to hold us helpless before them.  Using their magic, they urged the binding maidenbane vines to move, and we were brought deeper into the cover of the Thistlewood, for what purpose I could not imagine in that moment, for I was lost in the pleasure haze, even if the accursed chastity gear prevented me from climaxing, even with the poison coursing through my veins.

#Lore24 – Entry #320 – Fantasy Month IV #15 – Unexpected Complications at the Standing Stones

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

I suppose I should likely have been more concerned when we moved deeper into the site of power and my accessories activated once again.  It had been such a mild distraction the last few days during my study of the ruin that I almost dared to believe that I had mastered its influence upon me.  This proved incorrect, however, for as we approached to within a hundred yards or so of the stone circle, both the nipple rings and my most uncomfortable cage began to vibrate, steadily and with growing intensity, as we drew closer, making me fidget enough to unsettle my horse.

Descending toward the center of the valley, the growth of trees around the stone circle thinned as we grew nearer until we were in a treeless clearing at the center, the circle of ancient stones stood perhaps a hundred feet in diameter, with the stones themselves standing roughly twenty feet high.  Some appeared almost like massive claws reaching from beneath the earth, while others formed standing arches at precisely the angles that matched the eight compass points.  No trees grew within the circle, the grass remained short, and no moss covered them.

Though we were exhausted from our assaults from the kobolds, and I was growing more aroused by the moment thanks to the incessant and powerful vibrations surging through me, I nonetheless began to study the circle while camp was prepared, just outside the circle.  After a time, when it seemed I may actually climax, I felt a most jarring cessation of the vibrations, almost as if a lever had been pulled, leaving me unsteady on my feet for several moments as I recovered.  Now that I was upon the edge of climax again, the other function of the items had taken over, and after I had had a few minutes to cool off, the teasing would start up again, ramping up to an almost painful level before shutting off just before I could reach the climax I so desperately needed.

It didn’t take me long to realize that the power of the dragon-rune-covered stones were causing this peculiar behavior, for the nature of the vibrations changed as I touched various stones and traced the runes upon them, transcribing them into my notes with what light we had left.  I wondered if I would be able to find rest at all within the radius of the circle without magical aid to suppress their activation or to put me into a deep magical slumber.  Although this did give me a clue on the origins and nature of the magics that had been worked into the devices attached to me, even though I wouldn’t make pondering upon them a priority.

The party, while not completely unaware of the nature of my predicament, as we had discussed my relationship with Lady Armenia during our travels, and Gresilda and Risai were quite well aware of situation as we had bathed together on multiple occasions to this point, certainly found out that night.  Shassk was indifferent or perhaps unreadable to me, Ellisar and Korvalis seemed quite amused with my predicament, Gresilda sympathetic and understanding, and Risai…perhaps envious?  She is rather stoic outside of battle, showing a remarkable control of her barbarian bloodline, but I’ve noted that she has been watching me for some time with a rather obvious curiosity. 

Still, once we had settled down around the campfire for the night to recover, I had began to form some idea of the nature of these standing stones, perhaps cluing me into the reasons why the magic within my accessories had activated so intently.  The nature of the site, and perhaps of this particular dragon’s domain, was to celebrate fertility and propagation of the species, and thusly, the ritual that must be performed in the name of the dragon ruler was one of a distinctly sexual nature.  This I kept hidden at the time, for I still had over half the stones to study to confirm this theory, but it would prove true enough by the following evening once I had had time enough to compile everything I had collected.  I found my rest through another sleeping enchantment from Ellisar, thankfully, though I was exceptionally aroused and quite wet by the time morning arrived.

Our respite was uninterrupted, the kobolds not willing to cross into the stie’s radius to hunt us down, and by noon the following day Shassk had already found two other routes out of the valley along the ancient, connected roadways that would undoubtedly lead to other standing stones.  After a very long and frustration-filled day, I would have conformation of the nature of the ritual that we would need to perform to show our devotion to the “Blinding Golden God”.  Though not an actual orgy, it would skirt very close to it, given the highly sexualized nature of the ritual movements that must be enacted in the center of the circle to receive the dragon god’s blessing.  The first of six such blessings, I might add.  I detailed what we must do and was met with a range of reactions, from incredulity to indifference to eager curiosity (again on Risai’s part).  Gresilda seemed to think that some of Erisaya’s rituals, and likely Yurisaya’s as well, were quite similar to what I described, and were likely of some ancient, shared origin.

Once we had debated what must be done, only Shassk declined to participate, stating that as a drakonae, he was already quite devoted to his draconic ancestors, and would have no trouble entering the vault once it was unlocked to the rest of us.  He said it with such conviction that I dared not say anything to the contrary; I know little of the drakonae and their modern religious practices, so I took him at his word. 

I won’t detail the nature of the ritual in my journal; that has already been done in my notes regarding the entirety of this expedition and the draconic city ruins, but needless to say, I remained the only one to be highly frustrated through shear arousal after the event, though my accessories did not hinder the ritual’s completion.  When it was done, the runes on the stones glowed and pulsed with the primal essence coursing through the earth beneath us, and we received the blessing as promised, a singular draconic rune upon our foreheads that roughly translates as “One Seeking Enlightenment”, which then faded from sight after a few moments.

Following another night’s rest, we would take the route Shassk had discovered that led to the southeast, hoping to finish a second ritual at the next site before returning to Vindinium to resupply before we continued our pilgrimage to the other locations that remained hidden from us. 

If only things had remained so simple as that.

#Lore24 – Entry #319 – Fantasy Month IV #14 – Seeking the First Standing Stones

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

The following morning found our way northerly blocked not only by the increasingly difficult terrain, but by thick fog rolling down from the mountains that we neared.  Shassk and Risai were especially nervous as we continued forward, given the way the fog tended to muffle sound in addition to its severe reduction in our line of sight, making for a nasty ambush.  Ellisar and Korvalis remained vigilant as well, given their keen elven hearing, and Gresilda and I kept our usual conversation to a minimum.  Thankfully the map that I had pulled from the dragon’s vault door gave us a rough idea of where we needed to go, and what I had suspected was once a massive roadway proved to be more navigable than we’d initially found closer to the temple proper, though it had been severely overgrown and in some places filled with what I assumed may have been buried remains of destroyed buildings that had once been party of the massive city, or perhaps signs of geological upheaval.

Thankfully it seemed that no hostile forces called our immediate route theirs and, as midday approached, the fog began to thin out, the sky overhead clearing from the recent storms.  The air was brisk in this area, but as we topped a rise, we could see a definite route through the rocky hills that was almost as straight as an arrow’s shaft between the hills, forming a definite, if heavily wooded, valley.  Passing into the valley, we remained alert, for there were once again signs of animals here, including a recent dear kill that was mostly consumed, most likely by wolves.  Perhaps a mile or so further on there were signs of humanoid habitation, for we found the remnants of a cooking fire and remnants of wood shavings; the tracks Shassk picked out of the soft earth indicated kobolds.

Perhaps two hours later, following a rest at midday, we saw further signs that there were kobolds nearby.  There were more tracks, and we found no less than half a dozen tribal totems, showing that there were at least two tribes of them in the area.  Knowing that the creatures tended to favor darkness and wouldn’t likely attack during the day, we resolved to pick up our pace, hoping perhaps that we could clear their territory before nightfall.  Korvalis moved up to ride with Shassk during this time, keeping his attention on the ground and trees, cautious of the simple but deadly traps kobolds were known for.  Indeed, he guided us around no less than four pit traps and sent us around two deadfall traps that would have sent boulders down upon us. 

As evening approached, we topped another smaller rise and crossed into a rockier region.  We found a suitably defensive position to set up camp, a covered depression in the hillside with some suitable cover from nearby boulders that would provide us some cover.  Ellisar set up several wards around us to alert us if intruders came, and we had a cold meal that evening, forgoing a fire, and fell into fitful rest. 

The kobolds attacked in the early morning hours, while Korvalis was on watch.  I had learned that he was quite comfortable in the dark by this time, practically became one with it when he wanted to.  He had already taken down three of the yipping attackers from his hidden nook above our encampment by the time we got to our feet.  Though we did not escape unscathed, our injuries were not deadly, thanks to Gresilda’s care afterwards, for the kobold weapons were coated with what was likely spider venom, which created a notable lethargy in those of us who received wounds.  We resolved to rest until first light, wary of another attack, then head out on our path northward. 

The kobolds attacked again as dawn approached, this time lobbing crudely made, but nonetheless effective fire bottles our way.  A quick application of conjured water from myself and Gresilda doused the first burst of flames that would have trapped us within our nook, and we rode out quickly, our well-trained horses trampling the small forms of the dog-like kobolds who appeared in front of us.  More fire sprang up around us, and Ellisar returned the favor with one of his wands, sending an explosive fireball into the midst of the attacking creatures, scattering those that weren’t blown apart or ignited into hiding long enough for us to clear out and continue north.  Perhaps the use of such magic would discourage further pursuit, but we weren’t especially hopeful and remained on guard.

Indeed, we would suffer three more kobold attacks as we continued on our path that day, from three different tribes it seemed, all of whom were quite hungry for our blood.  Word must have spread quickly amongst them, and no doubt the hills around us were honeycombed with kobold warrens that they used to pursue us, coming out of well-hidden crevasses to strike at us.  Their tactics adapted as well, for they began to target our horses, and then started trying to slow us and pincer us between them and drive us toward traps they had prepared ahead of time.  I knew that they were quite crafty, but experiencing their cunning firsthand was certainly an enlightening experience.

Haggard and bloodied, our spell reserves low and our fatigue high, bearing more wounds than we had hoped, we trudged forward as fast as we could.  Indeed, the “armor” gifted me by Lady Armenia proved quite capable of defending me, its enchantments reducing the effectiveness of the kobold weaponry as if I wore something akin to chainmail or scale armor, perhaps.  After the final attack in the late afternoon, near sunset, we passed into a circular valley marked by more kobold totems, though these, Shassk said, were warnings to go no further, marking the end of their territory.  Not far after these, the air changed, at once unnaturally calm yet filled with an undeniable, palpable energy. 

This was undoubtedly a site of great power.  We had arrived at our destination intact.  We had found the standing stones.

#Lore24 – Entry #295 – Sentinel City by Night #21 – Ghouls of War

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“What’s that old saying?  When you’re getting flak, you know you’re over the target? 

Took me a few more nights, but I got myself a lead on someone selling Vamp-Out.  Wasn’t one of the regular dealers I’d been hitting up, though, was someone new in town, just opened up shop after they took down one of the other pushers.  Don’t usually pay too much attention to gang wars and fights between dope dealers, but this one piqued my interests.  Came onto the scene out of nowhere, established himself practically overnight, and had muscle to enforce his will.  Word was starting to spread that the “Pillbilly” was in town and would soon open for business, the new hotness from down South. 

Word was that he was taking up shop in an old brewery somewhere on the southeast side of the city, run down slum area, known gang territory.  Must’ve been pretty bold to come in and casually wipe out a gang and not fear the blowback. 

Should’ve known something was up when I kept getting that feeling that I was being watched as I headed out to track down exactly where this guy was setting up shop.  Those usually didn’t start till much later in the night, after I’d snooped around the really bad parts of town for a while.  Kinda got used to them lately, was starting to think it was just me.  Mistake on my part.

I’d parked a good way off, hit the alleys and side streets to get a feel for the area.  Seemed like another gang-infested slum in the bad part of town, but there was definitely something in the air here.  Didn’t feel quite right, was too much tension, not enough people out and about; seemed almost like the gangbangers had taken the night off or had better things to do.  Should’ve trusted my gut and cleared out, but I kept pushing deeper, looking for that brewery.

I was getting close to an old industrial area when the lights went out.  Literally.  Shadows surged all around me, poured out of every nook and cranny like crude oil from burst barrels.  Before I could begin to get a grasp on what was going on, two huge forms came at me from both ends of the alley.  Must’ve been seven feet tall, muscles for days, mess of bone spikes coming out of all angles.  Tzimisce war ghouls. 

At least I knew I was onto something to rate so highly as to call the big boys in.  Of course, my little revolver seemed awfully puny all of a sudden.  Realizing that my future unlife may we be measured in seconds rather than centuries, I somehow managed not to panic.  Calling on my heightened senses, I only somewhat managed to penetrate the shadows that surrounded me, enough to give me a vague idea of the buildings that were hidden by them. 

It was enough.  I dove into the cold, thick blackness, somehow managed to push through them and dove through a window.  If anything gets a girl’s blood pumping, it’s the roar of a pair of monstrous ghouls chasing her.  The shadows continued to shift and chase me, but I managed to navigate through them in the partially burnt out and collapsed building I’d found myself in.  The ground shook as the ghouls came after me, ripping though the brick walls like they were nothing. 

Something big flew past my head, crashed into the darkness ahead of me; it was a chunk of the outer wall, damn near took my head off.  I stumbled through some rubble, tumbled down over a pile of old bricks and hit the ground running, desperate to find a manhole.  If I could get to the sewers, I might have a chance.

Next moment I was flying wild, something massive slamming into my back.  Vision went all starry, body was screaming in agony.  Came crashing through the building opposite the old warehouse.  Right and both legs weren’t supposed to bend that way; pretty sure my spine wasn’t either. 

Then the two ghouls were on me, the first one snatching me up in its huge, misshaped claws, threatening to crush the life out of me.  More bones snapped.  Feeling a growing fear inside me, through the pain, some neurons fired.  I had a chance, if only it worked.  I began to speak through the pain, calling on my clan’s blood, of the madness that ran through all of us. 

Not sure what I said.  Not real sure what happened after that if I’m being honest.  Got a vague memory of that fear inside me amplifying itself, spreading from my voice and into the ghouls.  Blind terror took over all of us then.  Think the one crushing me threw me away like it was afraid I might explode, think I might’ve crashed through another wall.

Can’t remember much else.  Just know that when I came back to my senses, I was crawling through sewage, somehow having pieced back enough of myself to actually move, though I still couldn’t walk, couldn’t feel my legs, in fact.  Wasn’t sure even what part of town I was even in.  Was starving, too.  Usually try not to feed on rats, but sometimes you don’t have much choice; couldn’t risk losing myself further down in the dark.  Managed to heal up enough to get feeling back into my legs, could walk.  Sort of.  Every step was agony, spine was bent at an odd angle, arms weren’t much better.  At least it got me somewhere mostly safe, old monitoring station, maybe part of the old subway system, not used for ages.  Had a door I managed to block with some old shelving, seemed secure enough for now. 

Had to rest, had to try to heal up with dawn coming fast.”