• This section is for roleplays only.
    ALL interest checks/recruiting threads must go in the Recruit Here section.

    Please remember to credit artists when using works not your own.

Chapter VII: Revelations

Carn Barley

- The Iron Wall -


​
The Commander’s worried glance at Dina did not escape Carn. Though he did not think the exchange significant, a small thought made him reconsider Dina’s character, if only a little. When the group moved forward, Carn’s movements seemed more hurried, though strong as they seemed. Heart pounding, he was constantly wary of the sky, tightly gripping his sword and shield as the group continued their shuffle. When the group made it across to the other side, took a deep breath, the smoky air filling his nostril and lungs. He coughed midway through. When Maggie made her comment, Carn nodded in agreement.
 
Faron Firestorm

- The Fiery Brawler -
​

Faron was a little amused by Gorski’s appearance, but he tried his best not to laugh, or even giggle, considering that they were in a tough situation. As Gorski gestured towards the sound, Faron quickly ran over that rubble pile where the noise was coming from and checked it out. He then started picking up the boulders surrounding the source of the voice, hoping that he would find someone.
 
Date: October 12th (Sunday), year 3321
Location: The Frostback Mountains
Weather: Overcast, gloomy, and cold.


  • Around 15:00 h
    The ancient temple fortress in the Frostback Mountains


    "This gate's been trashed by somethin' big," Laurolf remarked as the party regrouped and readied to proceed to the interior of the fortress. "And from the outside. But those be no dragon tracks," the dwarf explained while pointing around them.

    "Something else, then?" Violet mused with the palm of her hand pressed against the frame of the ruined gate. This was no small gate. And especially with the amount of reinforcement, it would have taken a great deal of force to power through it, that much was obvious to all. "I'll go first, but would appreciate some support close behind." The elf looked to Carn and Ingvar when she said that, but wasted no time to pass through the silent, charred remains of the temple's entrance.

    Dina held back next to Maggie as she'd been asked to. "Glad to have you here with us," she told the priestess with a sincere look.

    Laurolf also made no rush to get ahead, appearing content to guard the rear while examining the masonry of the temple.

    It was still every bit as bitterly cold, but at least they were about to get out of the wind. It got very, very quiet.


 



Maggie smiled reassuringly and patted Dina's shoulder. "The Maker is watching over us," she told her quietly. "Buildings may fall, but his care never wavers. Whatever happens, remember that." She stayed by Dina's side while Violet led the group into the temple. The priestess was not quite as serene as she hoped she appeared, but her faith was a great comfort, one she wanted to share with her young queen. The solid presence of Laurolf behind them was a good deal more earthly, but also comforting in its way. Maggie felt no need to watch behind with him back there, and kept her gaze instead on what lay ahead.
 
Carn Barley

- The Iron Wall -


​
While Carn was no expert on dragons, everything Laurolf mentioned concurred with what the tomes had to say. However, as Carn poked at the remnants of the gate with his sword, he could only wonder… what then? Carn glanced a curious look at Ingvar before moving his attention back to the commander. When she motioned for support, Carn silently caught up and followed.

As they trekked the interior of the ruined temple, Carn couldn’t help but feel a bit forlorn about the location. What was once a grand fortress of worship and refuge is now standing here, alone, forgotten, dying slowly in the freezing winds. Had this temple still been active, Carn might have visited here during his travels across the land… albeit with some personal heating sorceries. Immediately, for the hundredth time, Carn regretted turning down those lessons.
 
Stepping through the ruined gate in single file, the Chosen found themselves inside.

Violet went first, bow at the ready, followed closely by Carn and Ingvar.

They were greeted by the sorry scene of a medium-sized courtyard covered in large piles of rubble, some still fuming. To the right was the keep, surprisingly well preserved beyond scars of dragonfire here and there, with some minor damage. Its gate was shut. A large, round tower was built into the back of the keep - the top of it almost completely blasted off, with dragonfire still licking its insides. Across from the keep, on the left, was a somewhat smaller structure, perhaps an armory or a storehouse, pushed up against a square tower. The tower stood fairly undamaged, save for what the passing of time had done to it, but the building it was attached to was much, much worse off. An entire section of its fourth wall had collapsed (the one facing the courtyard), including the second and third floor to a large extent, resulting in some very difficult debris to search or overcome. It was possible to see straight into the interior of a few of the rooms.

Besides the faint, sporadic howling of the wind outside the walls, and the soft crackling of fire in some places, not a sound could be heard. No voices nor flutter of wings. The smell of burning was stronger inside, and mixed with the scent of charred wood and stone - undeniable for anyone who had experience with such things - there was also the smell of burnt flesh.

Dina and Maggie were next, accompanied by Laurolf who now had his axe out and ready, and looked keen on using it. His experienced dwarven eyes were taking in every detail of the situation, looking warily this way and that, as if fully expecting the dragon to descend upon them at any moment - though it would be difficult for a beast of such size and disposition to hide itself in a place like this. Behind them, Asher looked no less prepared.

"There," Violet pointed with her bow hand. "Do you see it?" she said to Carn, who was closest to the pile of rubble that had gotten the elf's attention. At first glance it might have been overlooked, but there, covered in soot and dust, barely sticking out of the rubble, were a pair of shoes, still attached to their owner.
 
Carn Barley

- The Iron Wall -


​
Disquieted by the destruction, Carn doubled his vigilance, tightly grasping his sword and shield while darting his eyes around. The hushed tension in the air prickled his neck, but when that smell, the distinct stench of charred bodies, filled Carn’s nostrils, his lungs felt choked by fear and smoke.

Wolf Rawrrr said:
"There," Violet pointed with her bow hand. "Do you see it?" she said to Carn
Click to expand...

Carn halted, becoming still as stone. Silence lingered for a moment before Carn began moving slowly towards the rubble, his reluctant approach becoming a walk, then a trot, and then a full dash by the time he reached the pile. He stretched out his hands in preparation to remove the rubble, but he stopped himself before taking a deep breath.

He turned to face the group, and with an assertive yet calm tone, Carn commanded, “Maggie, Ingvar, cover me while I get rid of this debris. And Laurolf, lend me a hand so that I don’t accidentally crush whoever’s underneath.” Carn waited for Laurolf to come over, and if the dwarf didn’t, Carn would begin removing the wreckage the best he could.
 
Last edited:
Laurolf didn't have to be told twice. Within just a few seconds, the dwarf was standing beside Carn - an almost comically small figure compared to the drakkar, but this was about more than just sheer strength (which Carn obviously didn't lack). The two of them proceeded to carefully remove the rubble piece by piece, some of it being still very warm to the touch, until before long they managed to dig out a badly charred human body.

"A mage, I'd say," Laurolf reasoned, likely from the man's warm but light clothing and lack of armor. "And a dead one, I fear."
 



Though Maggie had limited experience with the results of a dragon attack (mostly gained on this particular trip, really), the world had no shortage of other tragedies that left similar scenes in their wake, and she had seen her share of them. The sights and smells saddened, but did not surprise her, especially as they'd already been expecting something like this. When Carn called, the priestess followed Laurolf over as requested, but her watch for danger was hampered by her concern for her friends and the person they sought to unearth. When the man's body had been fully revealed, she knelt beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Maker keep you," she murmured, "and grant you peace and rest."
 
Left standing by herself a little ways back, Dina slowly glanced this way and that with an undefined expression on her face. She seemed to be listening or looking out for something, her lips moving as if she were talking to herself. Perhaps she was worried about the dragon in whose wake the Chosen were now searching for clues.

"Here - one more, looks like," Violet called out. The lack of urgency in her voice conveyed that she was not talking about a survivor.

Laurolf stood up besides Maggie, looking no less grim himself. "We're a couple hours too late, it seems."

Violet shook her head in disbelief. "They can't all be gone. Look around - we must find Aron, at least. Or whatever... whatever's left of him. We have to make sure. But stay vigilant."
 
Carn Barley

- The Iron Wall -


​
Upon revealing the charred body, Carn knew immediately that it wasn’t one of theirs. However, the mere sight of the charred body was enough to make Carn’s toes curl. This was once a man, now befallen with the same fate as his comrades. With a bow of his head, Carn mouthed to the wizard his condolences stringed from what little compassion he had left. He sharply turned away, looking frantically across the mess.

Wolf Rawrrr said:
"Here - one more, looks like," Violet called out.
Click to expand...

When Violet mentioned seeing another, Carn turned his head. He could tell it wasn’t Aron, but the small doubt in the back of his head forced him to make sure. To his relief, it wasn’t Aron. Still, seeing another dead body certainly wasn’t pleasant, which only unnerved him further. Without much recourse, Carn simply stuck close to the group, darting his eyes around for anything, or anyone, stuck beneath the destruction.
 
"There's someone," Dina sounded out, pointing with her finger. But not to any spot on the ground. Unexpectedly, she was pointing up. "There, in the tower."

The young queen was talking about the square-shaped tower to the left, the one that rose out of the partially collapsed structure. There, in the highest window just below the roof, stood a lone figure. A man, it seemed - he would have been hard to spot if it weren't for the fact that he was waving at them, apparently in an effort to get their attention. Once he'd succeeded, he switched to alternating between a downward motion with his palm, and the universal gesture for silence - a finger or two across the mouth.
 
Faron Firestorm

- The Fiery Brawler -
​

Faron was startled at the sudden explosion above him and panicked a bit as giant boulders started falling. Fortunately, he had successfully covered his head using his hands just a split second before receiving the first hit to avoid any head-first impact, which would most likely lead to an instant loss of consciousness. The hits were hard, but not enough to take Faron down. However, his survival instincts did not tell him to scream or signal for help, as he had learned from his childhood that his problems were his own. After all, a belief held for over a century was not something that could be easily changed.

Faron took a deep breath, trying to fully utilize the little amount of oxygen he still had left. He then focused his energy and shot several small, but highly concentrated fire bolts through his fingertips, effectively drilling a few holes through the boulders to maintain airflow. Then, he slowly but steadily dug himself out by breaking big boulders into smaller parts and moving the surrounding debris behind or below him. While digging, he all of a sudden really missed the fluffiness of the baby wolves he had encountered earlier.
 
Carn Barley

- The Iron Wall -


​
Carn had been so fixated on the ground that he failed to notice the person, but when he did, great hope welled up from within. However, what if it was someone else? So as not to be totally devastated should reality be cruel, Carn held back his expectations for now.

From the gestures the man was giving, Carn somewhat understood what they meant, prompting him to wordlessly signal the others to draw closer. In preparation for the worst, Carn lowered his stance and prepared his armaments and magic for a surprise attack.
 



Maggie went to the second dead person that Violet had found and offered them the same prayer. To come so far from home, only to die. Well, they won't go unremembered. Wherever home was, for them; but Maggie felt even the bustling village they'd left not so long ago was a far distance, emotionally as well as literally, from this cold, abandoned ruin.

Standing up, she dusted off her knees and looked where Dina was pointing. "Oh!" she said, but in a hushed voice -- the living stranger clearly wanted them to be quiet, and that made sense given the dragon was still out there somewhere. "Should we go up?" She half-wanted to stay and look for more of the attack victims, but there didn't seem to be any survivors down here, and the dead could wait. I will remember you all the same, she promised them.
 
Having gotten his message across, the marksman in the tower signaled for the group to wait, then disappeared from the window.

"I guess he'll be comin to us," Laurolf frowned, looking warily about.

Sure enough, not long after, the man stepped out of the building and into the dull, grey light of day. Up close, he was a somewhat young-looking dragon hunter, barely in his thirties, black-haired and dark-eyed, and looking very, very disheveled. But the expression on his face was the thing most of note - concern, fear, alarm.

"It's still here," he said, clutching his bow and looking around as if he expected to use it at any moment.

This simple statement instantly upped the tension in the air.

"The dragon? How do you know?" Violet asked, but her attention was anywhere but on the young hunter.

"Because I've been up on that tower the whole time," the hunter replied. "Before the attack, during, and since. And... And I've not seen it fly off. Hadn't seen it fly in, either. It must have... must have already been here when we got here. And I don't think it left."

Dina paid glances to Violet, Laurolf, and Maggie in turn. She looked worried as well. Everyone did. The whole thing did not sit right.

The hunter continued his story: "We were just about to begin setting up a basecamp when the dragon attacked us, completely out of nowhere. Took half... half of us out before we could even react..." It was only then that he seemed to register the second dwarf, Ingvar, in the background. His face momentarily looked brighter. "Ingvar...? By the Maker, you've survived... But how? Never mind, I'm just glad that you did. You saved all of us back on that bridge, and wounded the beast, I think. But who are you people?" he looked more closely at all of them, clearly puzzled. "You don't look like dragon hunters."

"We're not," Violet readily shook her head and replied. "We're looking for a friend of ours who joined your company back in Haven. A man called Aron."

"Aron must be lucky to have such great friends."

Violet perked up immediately. She cast a quick glance at Carn before looking back at the hunter. "Is he alive? Have you seen him?" she asked.

The young hunter nodded. "I have. During the attack, he ran inside the keep with the commander. They're still inside, I think. Faron went to look for them just before you arrived." A moment later he added: "I'm Varys, by the way."
 
Carn Barley

- The Iron Wall -


​
When the person atop the tower disappeared, Carn waited in anticipation for him to descend the tower, but when the man appeared to them, it immediately became apparent he wasn’t Aron. Carn gave a soft, disappointed sigh, but he didn’t allow that to prevent him from picking up the visible fear on the man’s face, unnerving him.

Wolf Rawrrr said:
"It's still here," he said, clutching his bow and looking around as if he expected to use it at any moment.
Click to expand...

A scowl appeared on Carn’s face as he gripped his sword tightly. It was here, in these ruins. Flames of revenge arose from deep within him. He’d finally get a shot at slaying the dragon, and this time, without any surprises. He’d finally be able to quench his anger and ease his guilt. He was afraid, too. He hadn’t forgotten the damage the dragon did to his team. This mix of anger and fear sent adrenaline through his body. However, when the man spoke of their dead, Carn’s expression went completely stiff, his breathing stopping for a moment. Carn looked to be completely frozen, but when Violet asked her question, his eyes lit up with a mix of hope and dread.

Wolf Rawrrr said:
"Aron must be lucky to have such great friends."
Click to expand...

Carn gave Violet the same glance she gave him before snapping his gaze upon the man.

Wolf Rawrrr said:
The young hunter nodded. "I have. During the attack, he ran inside the keep with the commander. They're still inside, I think. Faron went to look for them just before you arrived." A moment later he added: "I'm Varys, by the way."
Click to expand...

Relief poured out from his heart upon hearing that Aron was mostly fine. After they’d slayed the dragon, Carn would definitely give Aron a noogie for all the worry he’s caused him. For now, he gave a slight but happy nod before piping out, “Thank you, Varys. I’m Carn.” It might've been quiet, but with a dragon at any corner, all they could afford were whispers.
 
Last edited:



Maggie smiled at their new acquaintance. Like Carn, she spoke quietly. "Nice to meet you, Varys. I'm Maggie. Um, can we all come in, then? So at least we aren't out in the open?" She looked up at the sky, hoping to see it still clear of dragon, at least for now. "Oh, how many of you survived? Are you or any of the others injured?" She carefully did not look at the dead in the courtyard, lest he be further reminded of them.
 
"I can't be sure," Varys answered Maggie's question. The tired smile which he'd put on for the introduction faded quickly. Now the young man just looked worn and concerned, though his appreciation for the Chosen's arrival was clear as day.

"During the attack, we were already spread out in groups of two or three. A few I've seen just... Just torn to shreds. Incinerated. Most are probably dead - I see you've found a couple. Even Areon couldn't protect himself, and he was our best spellcaster," Varys' eyes momentarily lingered on the body of the robed man that Carn had dug out. His voice trailed off for a bit, and he went quiet but quickly continued: "Commander Rains and Aron I've seen take shelter inside the keep while the dragon was circling for a second or maybe third attack. Unlike this sorry building," he turned to glance at the partially ruined structure he had come out of, "The keep's merely singed. Chances are they've survived."

"Faron went to look for them. He's a big fellow, one of your kind," Varys said to Carn. "That's probably the only reason why he survived. The tough bastard dug himself out of his stony grave all by himself. When I told him I'd seen the commander and Aron go inside the keep, he went after them. That was just before you arrived. Ten minutes, if that."

Violet averted her gaze from the ominously shut, reinforced gate of the keep. "How come Aron and your commander haven't come out by now? We were an hour or two behind you in getting here in the first place."

"That's the other thing," Varys said, and his tone grew even more cautious. "After the attack, I've seen someone else, too. A woman. Human woman. Dressed like a sorceress... Right here where we're standing, though I missed the moment when she appeared. She, too went into the keep. She may have already been here before we arrived, even."

Violet looked like she might drill a hole through Varys simply by staring. Next to her, Laurolf was frowning even more deeply than usual. Dina gazed thoughtfully at the ground.

Varys slowly shrugged his shoulders. "Your guesses are as good as mine. But yes, we should follow them. At least some of us, that is."

"I'll go inside," Laurolf volunteered. "Stay with Dina. Keep watch for the dragon," he told Violet.

Violet's thoughts were hard to decipher, but everyone knew that she preferred to stay close to Dina. "Carn and Maggie, will you please go with Laurolf?" she asked them. "And be careful. Find Aron and whoever's still alive, and get back to us. We shouldn't linger here."

"I'll stay with you," Varys spoke with some encouragement. "Two archers are better than one, and I'd like to look for the rest of my group as well."

Asher and Ingvar both agreed to help with the search outside. Asher preferred the outdoors and was handy with his crossbow and customized bolts. And Ingvar, well - since they were blessed with two healers now, it only made sense to go like that.
 



Maggie nodded. It did seem like a good division, if they had to be in two places at once. Of course Carn would want to keep looking for his friend. And he and Laurolf, with her to support them, ought to be able to handle most things they came across, at least long enough to escape or call for help. "Maker guard and keep you all until we return," she half-said, half-prayed over the group that was staying.
 
Carn Barley

- The Iron Wall -


​
Previously, when Varys had indicated Aron was okay, Carn completely forgot the issue of timing. Now that the topic was brought up, their absence was strange. It has been a while, and yet the two aren’t here. A flicker of fear lit in Carn’s mind, which only fanned larger with the mention of a sorceress. Speculations began to turn in his head, the worst of them causing shivers down his spine. However, the time was not right for these thoughts. Carn would say nothing of them. Rather, he pushed them aside so he could focus on more important matters.

Though he was wordless through the rest of conversation, his gaze towards vaulted gates clearly indicated what he wanted to do. At the Commander’s request, Carn gave a silent nod.
 
Behind the strong, reinforced gate of the fortress, Laurolf, Carn, and Maggie found a small entrance chamber and a long hallway leading away from it. The hallway was wide and well-lit, with a torch burning brightly on a wall mount every so many feet. There were two alternative hallways on either side that seemed to form the outer perimeter of the fortress, and those had some light filter through the various openings in the wall (as much as could be gained on such a grey, cloudy day), but were otherwise dark - the torch mounts were either empty or held extinguished, rotten chunks of wood and charcoal.

"It's clear which way they went," Laurolf concluded while still eyeing the other options with a keen, experienced eye. "Though I'd say they weren't the ones who lit this place up, hm. Look, " he pointed at a nearby torch, "These have been burning for a while, they're just about done..."

The dwarf took point, quietly leading them down the hallway and ignoring any branching corridors (other than glancing at them as they passed them by). They were each and every one of them dark, dusty, and uninviting. The Creationist sigil could be seen carved into the stonework here and there - an eye ringed by a sun - as had always been the fashion for Creationist temples. Though it appeared to have been built more to fulfill the role of a fortress, this temple was no exception.

A short time, two turns, and a stairwell later, the trio reached the wide open entrance to a large chamber. Slumped up against the wall just opposite from the chamber was the body of a man, but it was not Aron. Laurolf quickly crouched next to him, checked for vital signs, then slowly shook his head. "I'd say we've found the commander. Dead, sadly," he declared.

The chamber was large and well lit between several torches, a fireplace, and four tall, narrow windows. The walls were lined with bookshelves, many, upon which were many, many ancient-looking books and scrolls. There were a few tables underneath the windows, clearly meant for research - and it appeared as if someone had indeed been doing just that. Lit candles, open books, and papers were strewn across two of the tables, while the third one was occupied by a figure lying on its back, motionless and tied down to the table with chains (even at this distance, Carn's sharp eyes and familiarity with his commander swiftly informed him that it was Aron).

Possibly even more alarmingly, on the ground next to the last table was the unmoving body of a drakkar - a noticeably smaller or at least shorter drakkar than most specimens of his race.
 
Carn Barley

- The Iron Wall -


​
Laurolf’s announcement drew a dour gape on Carn’s face. If the dragon hunter’s commander was dead, then the worst of Carn’s fears could be… Carn turned quickly to face the open chamber. By chance, he first saw his own kind lying motionless on the floor, but that was not the person he was looking for. Carn’s eye moved away from the Drakkar before snapping to the desk with the human chained atop it. That was Aron. However, despite the urge to run over and tear away the chains, Carn did not budge. It was his intuition that held him back for something was amiss. Carn didn’t take too long to figure out what was wrong.

“I don't think we're alone right now,” Carn whispered to Maggie and Laurolf, despite the room being seemingly empty. “Keep an eye out and stick together. We’ll go for Varys’ man first and get him up if he’s alive,” Carn stopped for a moment, before continuing, “And Aron should be fine for now.” Carn’s expression made it clear he didn’t believe Aron was fine. However, if they were to get ambushed, Carn felt that Aron would be put into more danger. As the others responded, Carn looked up at the ceiling just in case he'd miss something there
 



Maggie glanced down each branching corridor as they passed, her expression somber and a little sad. Every temple, large or small, felt like home to her in some way, but this one felt like a home that had been long abandoned. She brushed a fingertip over each Creationist sigil within her reach, in remembrance of what this place had once been, and in a wish that someday, maybe even someday soon, it could be that again.

She paused in the doorway while Laurolf entered the chamber. The whole scene was disquieting, to say the least. She was about to offer the same prayer for the dead commander that she'd given the dead outside, but Carn's words stopped the first step she'd made into the room. Glancing at him, then back out into the hall behind her (which now seemed ominously dark and silent), she nodded. "I'll see what I can do for him," she whispered back. Placing one hand over her own Creationist symbol, she approached the fallen drakkar. "Hello? My name is Maggie. Do you need help?"
 
Nothing appeared to be wrong with the drakkar on the floor at first glance, or even given a closer look, though his injuries or whatever disabled him could have been internal or arcane in nature. One thing was sure, though - it would have taken quite something to knock him out, even if he was on the smaller side of the size spectrum for his species.

Laurolf stood up from the commander's body and followed Carn's vigilant lead as he moved to explore the next room. The dwarf's eyes moved from Maggie over to Aron's body on the table. Like Carn, he, too seemed to distrust the calm that surrounded them. But there was no indication of anyone else being present... Slowly, Laurolf walked over to the research tables by the windows, glancing around on his way to check Aron's body.

"Someone's turned this place upside down doin' some serious research, hm," he remarked. Having checked for Aron's vitals, he informed them: "Our man's out, but alive."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Back
Top