Godhead: Episode 2 - Loose Ends
Godhead
Episode 2: Loose Ends -- September 16, 2005
A hand pushes through soft earth until it finds itself in an empty space - a dark cavern like a shallow grave. Another hand joins it as does the end of a sword, and soon the pit is opened up to the outside world. Sunlight streams in, and one can hear the sounds of people hurrying about outside. A rope ladder is tossed down, and a sly elf and a scoundrel come climbing into the tomb.
Allynaria and Willbrand had run with each other since shortly after the battle was won at Four Points a year earlier. The two seemed to unexpectedly hit it off, as both were interested in leaving the war behind and making a profit with their skills as they did so. They looked out for each other, and more importantly, looked out for an easy mark when they could find it. Treasure hunting was a lucrative pastime, and as there were plenty of sources of lost fortunes as a result of one monster or another, there was always enough to keep them in food and shelter. Allynaria was saving up for a trip to the Elven Homeland and hence her past. Will was just trying to keep the heat off; perhaps even long enough to sneak back home to visit his family.
They had received word that some local creature had been attacking people on the roads for years, and possibly burying their possessions nearby. It didn’t take much sleuthing to find a possible location for the horde.
This cavern under the earth was tight and small, but a decently large creature could easily have called it home. The two rogues kept their wits about them while they examined the site. What seemed as if an idol was planted in the far end of the cavern, and there was the remains of what appeared to be a ritual on the ground. Suddenly Allynaria realized that they were about to fall into a collapsing sand trap, and only just managed to escape with Willbrand alive.
After they caught their breath, the two friends talked about what had happened. It was clear to them that only someone that knew that they were together and that knew their patterns of behavior could have set them up so perfectly for that trap. They feared they knew who could have been responsible. To be certain, they decided to speak with any of their former comrades as they could find, trying to compare notes and warn them of possible danger. But of all their former party members, it was only Lerif the dwarf whose location was known.
Lerif had fulfilled his promise and guided both the precious metal he had been leant and his young ward Arista back to the lands of Dunnadell, the City of Steel, and the Priestesses of the Forge. The metal had been invaluable in the forging of a weapon to vanquish the foul vampire that haunted Four Points, and as per his solemn oath, the dwarf had returned to the priestesses what he had borrowed. Allynaria and Willbrand were reasonably sure they could still find the dwarf nearby.
After the long journey to Dunnadell, Allynaria was allowed in to see Lerif in the midst of his meditation cycle at the temple. Being male, Will was left outside where he promptly made an ass of himself to the temple priestess. To save his old friends from any unneeded head-bashing, Lerif took them both outside the temple and into the city. There, he told them what he knew of the whereabouts of the old party.
It had been over a year since the end of the conflict at Four Points, and few of the heroes had seen each other since parting ways.
Rhodi had left to take up a life of grave robbing, or “treasure hunting” as he preferred to call it. He had traveled with Strikeland for awhile, but the two parted company when the half-elf left to find his brother - and murder him.
Having had enough with a life of adventures, Arista simply disappeared one night after speaking fondly of home. With no one else to worry about, Lerif begged and was granted permission to commune with his lord at the temple in Dunnadell. There, he took a vow of poverty, and lost himself to meditation.
Until the day Kalam came knocking on his temple door.
Kalam had spent some time in the bars and courts of the great Empire, and had overheard talk about a mad elf that survived the war at Four Points and was now seeking or in possession of a magical artifact that could grant godhood. He thought it was Llenell that the rumors spoke of, and that if even half true, that there may be a grand fortune in store for the heroes that take him down and retrieve that treasure.
Lerif was less then enthused. He explained that he had took a vow of poverty, that he had surrendered any joy of possession that physical objects could grant, and that he was not interested in a treasure hunt. Disgusted and confused, Kalam returned to the Empire where stiff drinks and sane (read: selfish) company eased his mind.
While the three old comrades were caught up, they began to notice a caravan of travelers coming from down the road. They were in a weathered moss-heavy wagon that seemed to have seen a hundred years, and were pulled by horses that went unbroken and unshod. At once Allynaria, Will, and Lerif began to think of Woodhaven, the local druidic forest and home to an old friend of theirs, the priestess Elena. They ran to the caravan and noticed that the people were gravely ill. Apparently they had been poisoned on their way to the holy wood in some sort of ambush. Allynaria was convinced that this was an attack meant for their former companion, and that Elena was in danger. The others were not convinced until an explosion woke them out from their complacency.
It came from deep within Dunnadell, and as the people began to scream and run away in terror, the brave heroes ran forward. The explosion came from the temple, where the stone wall of a room had collapsed inwards crushing the space below. It was the very room Lerif would have been in, had he remained and not ushered his friends away.
Now convinced that they were targeted, the three heroes decided to leave under cover of darkness and travel to the Empire to find Kalam. Unable to help Dunnadell or Woodhaven, they felt it best to lead the danger away with them.
***
After a long journey, they made it to the grand streets and walled cities that made up the great Empire. Willbrand was practically a native, so he led his awestruck companions in the search for Kalam, finally narrowing it down to the “Stoned Pony” tavern. There, they found Kalam deep in drink and restlessness.
They caught Kalam up to what was happening, and he too was concerned that someone from their past was trying to murder them. With strange company from inside the tavern, they all decided to leave together and find an inn to hold up for the night.
That night, as they discussed what they would do, a knock came at the door. It was the desk clerk with a delivery for Kalam. Almost absentmindedly, the clerk was told that Kalam had not ordered anything, and was promptly sent away. It was then that they realized that no one could have known Kalam was there, unless they were being followed.
Rushing downstairs, the party caught the desk clerk just as he was about to take another drink from a bottle at his side. When asked what he was doing, the clerk demanded that Kalam said he could have it, and then promptly began to choke. Will induced vomiting and Ally went to call for a healer, when Kalam and Lerif noticed that the bottle had come from a packaged addressed to Kalam with no listed sender.
After taking the clerk to a medical man, they were told that he was poisoned. Will checked the bottle, and low and behold it had deadly nightshade in it. Now it seemed that Kalam too was being targeted.
After making some quick money, they party won a team of horses and set off to Four Points, hoping to find the source of their troubles.
***
After a week on the road, the party had a hard days ride on bad terrain, and only had the chance to make camp late at night. As they finally began to unwind from the days ride, they began to notice the smell of something foul in the air. Flies began to buzz about them, and out of sheer curiosity, they took a torch to examine the smell.
Only a few yards up road, they noticed the smell got significantly worse. At the side of the road they noticed a dozen or so corpses, animal ones, which were killed and mutilated without any intention of food or ritual. The bodies were simply discarded here and there, and had been attracting a great number of flies.
After feeling a bit woozy, Ally and Will went back to the camp and Kalam and Lerif were quick to follow. They decided to investigate the dumping ground when the sun was with them. By the time they had made it back, the smell had died down and they decided to rest and leave as soon as possible. Ally didn’t feel that ill, but something told the others that they instead of her would share watch duties, allowing the elf some much needed rest.
By the time it was Kalam’s turn for watch, he was already miserable. When he sat wondering why the elf who didn’t need to sleep anyway was taking it easy, he realized that she was turning in her sleep, seemingly ill. He began to wonder if this had not been the plan of some assailant all the while. Allynaria was the usual watch. Making her ill may have been meant as a means to sneak up on the rest of the party. He slowly began listening for trespassers while surreptitiously waking the rest of the group.
Suddenly there was the sound of someone running through the woods. Clearly someone was there, but as Kalam and Lerif ran to investigate they lost the spy. Will remained with Ally who was clearly getting worse in her sleep. A careful examination by her allies revealed a bug bite on her neck, and a similar bite under the ear of Willbrand. Alarmed, Kalam and Lerif went to investigate the field with the flies and corpses by torchlight, burning wet rags to smoke the flies away from them. Will remained with Allynaria, preparing to treat her wounds if they got worse.
***
As Kalam took watch, Lerif began to look at the animal corpses on the ground. There were clear markings that someone had tried to move the bodies away during the night as the party slept, and Kalam noticed that they were apparently being followed for awhile, but that whoever was there was long gone by now.
***
At the campsite, Willbrand watched in relief as Allynaria’s fever began to cool down.
***
Lerif grabbed hold of a metal pike inside the broken mouth of one of the beasts and lifted it off the ground. The beast had been split open, but nothing was taken away. It was left to rot.
Kalam noticed that the flies were buzzing well above their heads, swirling about in a mass.
***
Allynaria began to cool even more, and her breathing became quite shallow. Willbrand knew this was not good, and went for his bag for antitoxin. Quietly, Willbrand spoke to the unconscious Allynaria, giving her his deepest regrets. If he was to give her the antitoxin without poison being the source of her illness, he might kill her.
If he did nothing, she would surely die.
***
Kalam stares out into the sky, thankful that the full moon has aided his torch by giving them much needed light to work by. He follows the buzzing flies as they swarm around, and against that white circle in the heavens, the insects look to be flying in the form of a pentagram.
Lerif pulls at the bar in the beast’s mouth, and with a wet thud it slides out. He holds it out into the full moon light, and sees that it is
silver.
***
Allynaria’s eyes open a pale blue, her teeth bared and fanged.
Episode 2: Loose Ends -- September 16, 2005
A hand pushes through soft earth until it finds itself in an empty space - a dark cavern like a shallow grave. Another hand joins it as does the end of a sword, and soon the pit is opened up to the outside world. Sunlight streams in, and one can hear the sounds of people hurrying about outside. A rope ladder is tossed down, and a sly elf and a scoundrel come climbing into the tomb.
Allynaria and Willbrand had run with each other since shortly after the battle was won at Four Points a year earlier. The two seemed to unexpectedly hit it off, as both were interested in leaving the war behind and making a profit with their skills as they did so. They looked out for each other, and more importantly, looked out for an easy mark when they could find it. Treasure hunting was a lucrative pastime, and as there were plenty of sources of lost fortunes as a result of one monster or another, there was always enough to keep them in food and shelter. Allynaria was saving up for a trip to the Elven Homeland and hence her past. Will was just trying to keep the heat off; perhaps even long enough to sneak back home to visit his family.
They had received word that some local creature had been attacking people on the roads for years, and possibly burying their possessions nearby. It didn’t take much sleuthing to find a possible location for the horde.
This cavern under the earth was tight and small, but a decently large creature could easily have called it home. The two rogues kept their wits about them while they examined the site. What seemed as if an idol was planted in the far end of the cavern, and there was the remains of what appeared to be a ritual on the ground. Suddenly Allynaria realized that they were about to fall into a collapsing sand trap, and only just managed to escape with Willbrand alive.
After they caught their breath, the two friends talked about what had happened. It was clear to them that only someone that knew that they were together and that knew their patterns of behavior could have set them up so perfectly for that trap. They feared they knew who could have been responsible. To be certain, they decided to speak with any of their former comrades as they could find, trying to compare notes and warn them of possible danger. But of all their former party members, it was only Lerif the dwarf whose location was known.
Lerif had fulfilled his promise and guided both the precious metal he had been leant and his young ward Arista back to the lands of Dunnadell, the City of Steel, and the Priestesses of the Forge. The metal had been invaluable in the forging of a weapon to vanquish the foul vampire that haunted Four Points, and as per his solemn oath, the dwarf had returned to the priestesses what he had borrowed. Allynaria and Willbrand were reasonably sure they could still find the dwarf nearby.
After the long journey to Dunnadell, Allynaria was allowed in to see Lerif in the midst of his meditation cycle at the temple. Being male, Will was left outside where he promptly made an ass of himself to the temple priestess. To save his old friends from any unneeded head-bashing, Lerif took them both outside the temple and into the city. There, he told them what he knew of the whereabouts of the old party.
It had been over a year since the end of the conflict at Four Points, and few of the heroes had seen each other since parting ways.
Rhodi had left to take up a life of grave robbing, or “treasure hunting” as he preferred to call it. He had traveled with Strikeland for awhile, but the two parted company when the half-elf left to find his brother - and murder him.
Having had enough with a life of adventures, Arista simply disappeared one night after speaking fondly of home. With no one else to worry about, Lerif begged and was granted permission to commune with his lord at the temple in Dunnadell. There, he took a vow of poverty, and lost himself to meditation.
Until the day Kalam came knocking on his temple door.
Kalam had spent some time in the bars and courts of the great Empire, and had overheard talk about a mad elf that survived the war at Four Points and was now seeking or in possession of a magical artifact that could grant godhood. He thought it was Llenell that the rumors spoke of, and that if even half true, that there may be a grand fortune in store for the heroes that take him down and retrieve that treasure.
Lerif was less then enthused. He explained that he had took a vow of poverty, that he had surrendered any joy of possession that physical objects could grant, and that he was not interested in a treasure hunt. Disgusted and confused, Kalam returned to the Empire where stiff drinks and sane (read: selfish) company eased his mind.
While the three old comrades were caught up, they began to notice a caravan of travelers coming from down the road. They were in a weathered moss-heavy wagon that seemed to have seen a hundred years, and were pulled by horses that went unbroken and unshod. At once Allynaria, Will, and Lerif began to think of Woodhaven, the local druidic forest and home to an old friend of theirs, the priestess Elena. They ran to the caravan and noticed that the people were gravely ill. Apparently they had been poisoned on their way to the holy wood in some sort of ambush. Allynaria was convinced that this was an attack meant for their former companion, and that Elena was in danger. The others were not convinced until an explosion woke them out from their complacency.
It came from deep within Dunnadell, and as the people began to scream and run away in terror, the brave heroes ran forward. The explosion came from the temple, where the stone wall of a room had collapsed inwards crushing the space below. It was the very room Lerif would have been in, had he remained and not ushered his friends away.
Now convinced that they were targeted, the three heroes decided to leave under cover of darkness and travel to the Empire to find Kalam. Unable to help Dunnadell or Woodhaven, they felt it best to lead the danger away with them.
***
After a long journey, they made it to the grand streets and walled cities that made up the great Empire. Willbrand was practically a native, so he led his awestruck companions in the search for Kalam, finally narrowing it down to the “Stoned Pony” tavern. There, they found Kalam deep in drink and restlessness.
They caught Kalam up to what was happening, and he too was concerned that someone from their past was trying to murder them. With strange company from inside the tavern, they all decided to leave together and find an inn to hold up for the night.
That night, as they discussed what they would do, a knock came at the door. It was the desk clerk with a delivery for Kalam. Almost absentmindedly, the clerk was told that Kalam had not ordered anything, and was promptly sent away. It was then that they realized that no one could have known Kalam was there, unless they were being followed.
Rushing downstairs, the party caught the desk clerk just as he was about to take another drink from a bottle at his side. When asked what he was doing, the clerk demanded that Kalam said he could have it, and then promptly began to choke. Will induced vomiting and Ally went to call for a healer, when Kalam and Lerif noticed that the bottle had come from a packaged addressed to Kalam with no listed sender.
After taking the clerk to a medical man, they were told that he was poisoned. Will checked the bottle, and low and behold it had deadly nightshade in it. Now it seemed that Kalam too was being targeted.
After making some quick money, they party won a team of horses and set off to Four Points, hoping to find the source of their troubles.
***
After a week on the road, the party had a hard days ride on bad terrain, and only had the chance to make camp late at night. As they finally began to unwind from the days ride, they began to notice the smell of something foul in the air. Flies began to buzz about them, and out of sheer curiosity, they took a torch to examine the smell.
Only a few yards up road, they noticed the smell got significantly worse. At the side of the road they noticed a dozen or so corpses, animal ones, which were killed and mutilated without any intention of food or ritual. The bodies were simply discarded here and there, and had been attracting a great number of flies.
After feeling a bit woozy, Ally and Will went back to the camp and Kalam and Lerif were quick to follow. They decided to investigate the dumping ground when the sun was with them. By the time they had made it back, the smell had died down and they decided to rest and leave as soon as possible. Ally didn’t feel that ill, but something told the others that they instead of her would share watch duties, allowing the elf some much needed rest.
By the time it was Kalam’s turn for watch, he was already miserable. When he sat wondering why the elf who didn’t need to sleep anyway was taking it easy, he realized that she was turning in her sleep, seemingly ill. He began to wonder if this had not been the plan of some assailant all the while. Allynaria was the usual watch. Making her ill may have been meant as a means to sneak up on the rest of the party. He slowly began listening for trespassers while surreptitiously waking the rest of the group.
Suddenly there was the sound of someone running through the woods. Clearly someone was there, but as Kalam and Lerif ran to investigate they lost the spy. Will remained with Ally who was clearly getting worse in her sleep. A careful examination by her allies revealed a bug bite on her neck, and a similar bite under the ear of Willbrand. Alarmed, Kalam and Lerif went to investigate the field with the flies and corpses by torchlight, burning wet rags to smoke the flies away from them. Will remained with Allynaria, preparing to treat her wounds if they got worse.
***
As Kalam took watch, Lerif began to look at the animal corpses on the ground. There were clear markings that someone had tried to move the bodies away during the night as the party slept, and Kalam noticed that they were apparently being followed for awhile, but that whoever was there was long gone by now.
***
At the campsite, Willbrand watched in relief as Allynaria’s fever began to cool down.
***
Lerif grabbed hold of a metal pike inside the broken mouth of one of the beasts and lifted it off the ground. The beast had been split open, but nothing was taken away. It was left to rot.
Kalam noticed that the flies were buzzing well above their heads, swirling about in a mass.
***
Allynaria began to cool even more, and her breathing became quite shallow. Willbrand knew this was not good, and went for his bag for antitoxin. Quietly, Willbrand spoke to the unconscious Allynaria, giving her his deepest regrets. If he was to give her the antitoxin without poison being the source of her illness, he might kill her.
If he did nothing, she would surely die.
***
Kalam stares out into the sky, thankful that the full moon has aided his torch by giving them much needed light to work by. He follows the buzzing flies as they swarm around, and against that white circle in the heavens, the insects look to be flying in the form of a pentagram.
Lerif pulls at the bar in the beast’s mouth, and with a wet thud it slides out. He holds it out into the full moon light, and sees that it is
silver.
***
Allynaria’s eyes open a pale blue, her teeth bared and fanged.