Oglethorpe's fingers were getting itchy for the bowstring again. It had been a while since he'd had time to hunt his favorite quarry, the Rotting Corpse. "Some Day", he thought to himself, "Someday one of these bastards is going to give me that Repond bow". Besides, that was just a fun area to hunt. He made his way downstairs and through the stables to the northern corner of the Virtue Sound Garrison where the rune library sat, just inside the courtyard door. From the gray metal chest where he kept his arsenal he retrieved his magic silver bow, the old Power one from that shop in Yew that he restored to pristine glory, storing his trusty vanquishing bow in its place. He cast his eyes downward, Hunting Spots. He found the right book and it still had 4 charges left. Having no talent for magery himself he relied on the magic inherent in the book to send him on his way. "Kal Ort Por" he said, and heard the all to familiar sound of failure. He was used to it, but it would get him there eventually. Two tries later the words of power sent him on his way to his favorite spot in Fire Dungeon. Instantly he was there. No matter how many times he did it he doubted he would ever get used to that. Preferring the rock of a boat or the beat of his horse's hooves to magical travel, Oglethorpe was however a practical man and recalled when he had to. Reequipping his bow he crossed the cobblestone bridge to the crypts. He passed a skeleton that immediately began to pursue. "Good", he thought, "I'll need you". He galloped across the broken stone southward. "There you are you green bastard" Oglethorpe said aloud as he let loose an arrow from his bow. The arrow struck true and drew a trickle of dark blood. The rotting corpse began to close. He retreated a few paces and fired again. Another hit, a good one that time. The fetid creature kept advancing, his pace slowing as arrow after arrow pierced his decaying flesh. Oglethorpe had regained the attention of the skeleton who now advanced ahead of the ghastly green corpse. "Perfect", he thought, as he tucked himself into the narrow corner to the north as was his usual tactic. The molten river at his back made him sweat like hell, but the skeleton was now between him and the abomination that pursued him. Their touch was pure poison of the deadliest kind while the skeleton could barely scratch his mismatched armor. Across the bridge came a rider. Gray Cload, a Wyrm Cleric of the Kingdom north of Minoc. "Hail", Oglethorpe called out to the rider to signal that he meant to harm, not that he was worried. The rider's guild is known to be honorable. Words of power appeared above his head and he was gone. Oglethorpe repeated his tactic again and again with the corpses, along with slaying several liches, spectres and mummies, until his pack bulged with loot. A good 12,000 gold, a couple platinum coins, some invulnerable platemail arms, and a troll slaying warfork. A great haul. His skills in the identification of items was a handy one down here. He left behind many an item that was not worth its weight in gold as he read from a scroll that sent him to the small patch of grass between his home and his cousin Ian's North Compassion Adventurers Society. He galloped eastward across the forest toward the Garrison to unload his pack and replenish his arrows. He recalled back to the crypts once more. Several kills later he was back in his familiar corner when another rider approached. He was a man Oglethorpe didn't recognize, but he did not have the look of a murderer to him. "Hello", Oglethorpe called out to the rider. The rider did not answer but with words of power. Vas Ort Flam. While unusual, this was not unprecedented. He did look as though he was trapped in the corner with lava at his back by hellish creatures. Other passers-by have stopped and assisted him in the past. But help was not on this Ooji person's agenda this evening. Oglethorpe's resistance failed him as the explosion hit. He started to bandage and knock another arrow. More spells landed, poison, and arcane blasts that struck right into his mind........dark....and he awoke on the other side in time to watch the silver bow get plucked from his corpse. This made him sad as he and that bow had been through a lot together. ________________________________________________ Ningauble was spending the evening on watch at the keep. Through means not understood by many he witnessed the ill befall Oglethorpe in the crypts. "I have to help!", Ningauble thought as he quickly fetched his horse from the stables and made his way to the rune library in the back. He wasn't sure what he was going to do once he got there, being that his combat skills were negligible but he had to try. His eyes darted about for the correct book. Seconds counted and he knew he had to move fast. Kal Ort Por came the words of power as his skill in the arts of magery instantly transported him to the passage north of the crypts. The excitement of battle overcame him as he found the murderous fiend Ooji and his companion Tyrus and he began to utter the words to an explosion spell. "You will pay!", Ning thought as the poison hit him, interrupting his cast. It was at this moment Ningauble realized his error, suddenly remembering that it had been over a decade since he had engaged in magical combat with another person and that he never was very good at it even back then. More spells hit him, draining his life as he ran southward toward the crypts. Indeed, he had made a huge mistake. Darkness. Another fisherman down. "Idiot", Ning thought to himself as he watched his belongings fall into the hands of the now-red Ooji and his companion. "Some rescue", Ning chided himself as he took mental inventory of his losses, "stupid!". It was then that Ooji opened a magical portal. Ningauble followed through in his ghostly form, leaving what remained of his belongings to the ravages of decay. He wasn't sure why he followed or what he would do when he got there but he went anyway. The portal led to a large tower east of Wrong dungeon. A guild stone on the steps identified it as property of the Fallen Lords, a name he recalled from a long time ago. "Oh yes, a big mistake, I should have stayed put at the Garrison...stupid", he thought again. He followed Ooji into the tower through security measures that would challenge the talents of the great Snapdragon herself. He quickly abandoned any idea he had of trying to sneak his cousin Peloquin inside to liberate their goods. Why was he here? He was unsure but it was somewhat fun to haunt the halls of their tower and observe the men inside and he did so for a while. Besides, he was trapped by a trash barrel anyhow and had nowhere else to go. While watching the men inside test tinker traps, he had overheard the men saying this was what they were doing, one of them met with misfortune and death. "Aha!", Ningauble thought, "This one can understand me now! I shall try to strike a deal". He spoke to the ghost, "Excuse me" Ning said politely. The ghost did not reply but one of his living companions noticed and sent Ningauble out of the tower. Ning roamed though the forest to the west and found a healer outside Wrong who brought him back to life. On foot, health low, and all his belongings gone, he made his way back to the tower in the hopes of a parlay. Perhaps they were reasonable men and he could strike a deal. He reached the tower and waited patiently outside. A short time later he was joined by a man named EdDennis, who he knew to be an associate of the fiendish Ooji who now rested inside. "Hail", the man said to Ningauble and began to heal Ning back to health. "Oh sure, now you are all sorts of friendly", Ning thought to himself as he approached the subject of perhaps reclaiming Oglethorpe's treasured bow. The negotiation went well and was quite cordial, one might almost say friendly, as they struck a deal for the bow. And so the evening ended, as Ningauble found himself standing in the streets of Trinsic outside the bank in his gray robe. His account much lighter now, but Oglethorpe's bow resting safely inside his bank box. He reflected briefly on the evening's toll, all easily replaceable, except the bow which he now had. "This is what happens when you bring fishermen to fight mages I guess", Ning thought aloud, "Oh well, maybe it will make a good story at least."
What a STORY! This story is worth 2 platinum coins if you ask me! I am going to have to try harder now with my stories... thanks for raising the bar Ning!
