Skirit quest RP, pt 1 - long
Ugg Li sat on his haunches in the eaves of one of the mighty buildings in what Phoenix Tears has called the
old city. He had been watching the citizens of the large shire for nearly a year now, trying to decide if
they had the power to help lift the curse over his kind, but could not make the first move. Exposure of
intent was a sure-fire way to get yourself killed at the blades of the Clan Rats, and Ugg didn't want to
die before he saw his people clean and freed of the curse.
But at the moment he had been placed on patrol in the old city, and success meant promotion, possibly even
into the ranks of the Clan Rats themselves. More power for his den and even more power for himself.
Spotting a rustle in the treeline he scurried silently onto a second-story overhang and waited: some unlucky human was about to meet his untimely end...
*****
Amon and Oran entered the ruins of the old city. Just as Sir Katzu had described, the columns and ruins
spoke of an unspeakably advanced culture having once lived here, now mysteriously gone. Wanting to get
paid, Katzu's two favorite treasure hunters began sifting through the debris, looking for a trinket or
some other important artifact to appease their lore-seeking patron.
"Why do you think he keeps looking for this stuff?" asked Oran off-handedly.
"Well a civilization like this doesn't just die off without some form of reason," replied Amon, "and I
figure Sir Katzu wants to know why. I mean think about it. The Nil'ii culture was big enough to place
those orbs and that scroll all over the region, and to hide the Well of Tears over in the Pel Valley. My bet is that if you checked most of the shires up and runnin' now are built near old Nil'ii cities like this
one."
"Still, we found that dictionary and those orbs were nothin' but trouble from the off. With so much bad
stuff linked to this culture, why don't he just let sleeping dogs lie?"
"I figure that's not his way, ya know? From what the bardic stories say Katzu was a big daemon hunter down
South, and if he figures there's some evil afoot or some weapon just laying around evil could use he's
gonna be quick to put a stop to it."
"Well I think he's gone soft. Think about it. Sir Katzu's been here what, three years now? Not one
rally or attempt to hunt down a daemon. I think he's just trying to let history pass him by, amusing
himself with archaeology until he's forgotten."
"I don't thi- OW!"
Oran turned to face Amon and was shocked to see a black arrow shaft hanging loosely from Amon's neck.
For a moment Amon looked startled, then the surprise gave way to fear and finally a pleading look took over
his face. Oran didn't need to be told what had happened. As Amon fell to the earth, Oran ducked
behind cover and started scanning the ruins for some trace, some clue as to where the attacker was.
'Come on, you bastard,' thought Oran as he drew his bow and nocked an arrow, 'stick your head out just
once so Amon will have a travelling companion to Nirvana, White Light willing...'
*****
Fugg Li had heard the repulsive chittering of the humans, unable to comprehend their language. He had
watched them pick through the ruins, getting ever closer to one of the boltholes into the Undercity.
The tall one had almost turned over the boltdoor, and so an arrow ended his searching. As Fugg's training
had long taught him, never stay where you dealt death. Movement was the key to Skirit survival, and so
leaving the bow on the ground Fugg drew his two machete-like blades and started moving, building by
building, towards the other human.
A brief glimpse of his brother's handiwork told Ugg all he needed to know about the future of this scene.
Fugg was moving for the kill and so as Clan Law dictated there could be no parley. Ugg watched as
Fugg slipped in and out of cover, ever watchful of the glint of steel on the human's arrowhead.
Fugg on the other hand loved this game of hide-and-seek, intent to build the human's terror to a
climax before the joy of the kill. Grabbing a few stones, Fugg maneuvered to a covered position and
threw a stone at the human's head, causing the man to fire his arrow into nowhere. Fugg smiled as he heard
what could only be a curse and as he slipped from one vantage point to another watched the human reload his
bow.
"End this now!" yelled Ugg, but Fugg hadn't needed to be told. He sensed the fear and rage in the human and Ugg's yell had hightened the human's duress enough that now was the time. Throwing the rest of his rocks to the right of the human's position, Fugg slipped behind the human on his left and pounced, his poisoned blades doing their work with meticulous effenciency.
Collecting the human's weapons, Fugg looked at Ugg and said, "You know, its your unwillingness to end these
beasts that keeps you from becoming a Clan Rat. You are my brother and I love you, but you are far too
compassionate for your own good."
"I don't see it as a weakness, brother," replied Ugg, "but you needent play with them so."
"Why not? Its fun."
With that the two Skirit continued their patrol before being relieved to return to the cold cool dark of the Undercity.