"Lorissia Trumane and guest yes you are expected." The servant at the front was dressed in an impossibly clean suit. Black with a white shirt underneath, silly little trail dropped off his suit coat. We had approached the front area cautiously (which seemed a bit silly considering the servants out front, and they had looked at us with scorn of course), once at the front everything seemed normal, which screamed trap to me. Past the guard I leaned close to Lorissia.
"Expected? Did you send a message in advance?" We were walking to the front of the house trying to be all non chalant. I honestly expected the doors to open and a flood of blood to come rushing out.
"No not at all, when would I have? I honestly expected this place to be empty Trezlan." Lorissia was on edge, I could see it in the way her hands shook. We came to the front door and inside there was grand gala going on. Music that I hadn't previously heard was all over, a full band playing on strange instruments. People dressed in clothes a lot nice than what Lorissia and I were wearing (she had her cloak and some form of scale mail armor underneath it, I was wearing my robe with pants that had sadly seen better days). A servant came by and offered me a drink I politely declined.
"Eat nothing, we don't know if this is a trick of some kind." I couldn't see magic behind anything, but honestly a good illusion is very difficult to spot. We gravitated toward some tables away from the couple dancing in the middle. I felt a sense of unease there, I knew something was wrong, Lorissia knew something was wrong, but for some reason we didn't just flee immediately. I want to say it was some magical desire holding us there, but mostly it was morbid curiosity. The revelers all had on masks of one type or another, they were the type rich people attending a really fancy party liked to wear (garish decorations with gems and other such designs on them). In the center of the room was a raised dias in front of where the band was playing. We weren't inside a couple minutes when I heard the doors behind us slam and latch. A man made his way to the dias, he was dressed the most garish of anyone there.
"Lorissia so good of you to finally come," His eyes were off, he was wearing a mask so I couldn't see them exactly, but they appeared red, "Welcome to the party!" The words might have been jovial but all around us I could see the intent was not. One second it was a room full of people in garish masks and fancy clothes, the next they were corpse looking ghouls in rotted clothes and distended broken bodies. The illusion was off, and the party, was on.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Who Doesn't like a Fancy Party?
The estate that laid in front of us was lit up like a small city. The estate broken into three buildings. The main house where the Kulinara family used to live. A barn for their animals and visiting peoples animals, and a what was probably slave/servant quarters in the back of the main building. The estate itself had been built next to a hill side, and from a distance it was like a one armed person reaching out to hug you. We arrived just after night time and there were oil lamps all over lighting the way into the estate. I could make out what appeared to be well dressed guards/servants patroling the grounds as well. Lorissia and I had stopped short once we could properly make things out, she looked completely stunned.
"Thought you said this place was empty?" We were both off our horses, I felt a vague sense of unease in the air, could have just been the beginning of a storm really, in a way it was.
"It's supposed to be empty, the last time I was here was shortly after my family was killed, most of it was burned down, but now, now it looks just like I remember it looking." Her voice was distant, that kind of walking in a dream tone that comes with uncertainty.
"Well looks like its lit up for a party, and I know someone who's in desperate need of a drink." I started walking forward Lorissia grabbed me by the arm.
"What if its a trap?" Her eyes said the story here, fear was in them like when I get told someone needs my help.
"Then my dear we burn the place down again." Over confidence is a drug, once your hooked you never see that you're in way over your head until your hung up by your heels and screaming about the lizard people (Ok I admit that was one time and in my defense, there are actual lizard people). Next entry I will go over the party of the century (several centuries even).
"Thought you said this place was empty?" We were both off our horses, I felt a vague sense of unease in the air, could have just been the beginning of a storm really, in a way it was.
"It's supposed to be empty, the last time I was here was shortly after my family was killed, most of it was burned down, but now, now it looks just like I remember it looking." Her voice was distant, that kind of walking in a dream tone that comes with uncertainty.
"Well looks like its lit up for a party, and I know someone who's in desperate need of a drink." I started walking forward Lorissia grabbed me by the arm.
"What if its a trap?" Her eyes said the story here, fear was in them like when I get told someone needs my help.
"Then my dear we burn the place down again." Over confidence is a drug, once your hooked you never see that you're in way over your head until your hung up by your heels and screaming about the lizard people (Ok I admit that was one time and in my defense, there are actual lizard people). Next entry I will go over the party of the century (several centuries even).
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Kulinara legacy
The Kulinara family was a merchant family, they had started out running a caravan, made a lot of money at it, and eventually ran five seperate caravans from all parts of the world. Catching the eye of the Red Hand government they were granted special government status. Their caravans began to be protected by the Red Hand specifically, a high honor for any merchant group. Unfortunately like any rise to power in a merchant group this served to upset other merchant groups who weren't getting protected.
Rumors started flying about dark heresy committed by Kulinara family members, secret deals with shadowy creatures. It was all bullshit of course, but once you've destroyed a families reputation or wounded it, anything that happens after is thought of by the general public at large as their "just desserts" I know this, because I've done this to people, its surpringly effective. It took two generations of Kulinara dominance until someone decided enough was enough. In a cowardly evening assassination a group of men aided by their servants assaulted and murdered every Kulinara except one. Lorissia Kulinara (her original name before changing it naturally) was away at a finishing school when her family was killed. When news reached the school she was saved by an instructor who believed in the Fire God and felt that their religion would be the best place for her to hide (Fire God followers are very martial in their belief as I have mentioned, also revenge is a strong belief as well). So Lorissia Kulinara became Lorissia Trumane and she was shipped south to Ronerawth territory to save her.
And it worked for a time, she was safe from being murdered, and the merchant families had effectively destroyed the Kulinara family which allowed them to take over. And thats how things should have gone, but something happened. And like when you play with dominoes one hit another hit another, until I got tortured and Lorissia had to come out of hiding to deal with a legacy that she had given up on. So that's the story as best I can tell it as we rode to the old Kulinara residence, which was supposed to be empty, but as we found it was most certainly not.
Rumors started flying about dark heresy committed by Kulinara family members, secret deals with shadowy creatures. It was all bullshit of course, but once you've destroyed a families reputation or wounded it, anything that happens after is thought of by the general public at large as their "just desserts" I know this, because I've done this to people, its surpringly effective. It took two generations of Kulinara dominance until someone decided enough was enough. In a cowardly evening assassination a group of men aided by their servants assaulted and murdered every Kulinara except one. Lorissia Kulinara (her original name before changing it naturally) was away at a finishing school when her family was killed. When news reached the school she was saved by an instructor who believed in the Fire God and felt that their religion would be the best place for her to hide (Fire God followers are very martial in their belief as I have mentioned, also revenge is a strong belief as well). So Lorissia Kulinara became Lorissia Trumane and she was shipped south to Ronerawth territory to save her.
And it worked for a time, she was safe from being murdered, and the merchant families had effectively destroyed the Kulinara family which allowed them to take over. And thats how things should have gone, but something happened. And like when you play with dominoes one hit another hit another, until I got tortured and Lorissia had to come out of hiding to deal with a legacy that she had given up on. So that's the story as best I can tell it as we rode to the old Kulinara residence, which was supposed to be empty, but as we found it was most certainly not.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
On Weeds and Personalities
"You ever see a Strangle Flower Trezlan?" Lorissia was riding close to me, we'd been riding like that since we had our encounter at the camp fire, it was actually refreshing to ride next to someone I didn't really dislike like Morley.
"Its a weed really, thick vines that work themselves over stone or trees, I want to say the flower can be made into a poison if you crush it up, but I can't really remember." We'd already swung by the archivist, he didn't give me any info because I had Lorissia with me (said that I already had all I needed, whatever that meant the jerk). Now we were just riding to ride, I dunno at the time I was following Lorissia, because thats what you do when you're in love with someone.
"Thanks for the description loremaster." She hit me playfully and I almost lost control of my horse. I'll admit never been a great horseman, its why I spend most of my time on trains now.
"Well you asked!"
"I just asked if you'd see one, I didn't want to know everything about them," She sighed and continued, "You remind me of a strangle flower."
"You think I'm a weed?"
"I think you are like a vine that strangles a lot of things you touch, but then you have a very pretty flower."
"That's deadly."
"Exactly, you're my very own deadly weed flower."
"Thanks, that's sweet." It really was sweet, in a weird sort of way being called a Strangle Flower made a lot of sense to me, though I'm sure Lorissia could have called me a piece of crap and I still would have found some beauty in it. "So where are we heading? We seem to just be riding south."
"We are heading to the Kulinara estate I need to settle things with my father." Suddenly I was reminded of why I was looking for her in the first place, and the torture that lead to it. An estate spoke of money, a heritage. Instantly I was aware I really didn't know anything about where we were going, and that was probably to my detriment (naturally). If I could only go back to that moment and convince her to take a different path, to go to lork or somewhere else, maybe things would have turned out different. Probably not, but you never know, its the stuff of fever dreams and broken hopes.
"Its a weed really, thick vines that work themselves over stone or trees, I want to say the flower can be made into a poison if you crush it up, but I can't really remember." We'd already swung by the archivist, he didn't give me any info because I had Lorissia with me (said that I already had all I needed, whatever that meant the jerk). Now we were just riding to ride, I dunno at the time I was following Lorissia, because thats what you do when you're in love with someone.
"Thanks for the description loremaster." She hit me playfully and I almost lost control of my horse. I'll admit never been a great horseman, its why I spend most of my time on trains now.
"Well you asked!"
"I just asked if you'd see one, I didn't want to know everything about them," She sighed and continued, "You remind me of a strangle flower."
"You think I'm a weed?"
"I think you are like a vine that strangles a lot of things you touch, but then you have a very pretty flower."
"That's deadly."
"Exactly, you're my very own deadly weed flower."
"Thanks, that's sweet." It really was sweet, in a weird sort of way being called a Strangle Flower made a lot of sense to me, though I'm sure Lorissia could have called me a piece of crap and I still would have found some beauty in it. "So where are we heading? We seem to just be riding south."
"We are heading to the Kulinara estate I need to settle things with my father." Suddenly I was reminded of why I was looking for her in the first place, and the torture that lead to it. An estate spoke of money, a heritage. Instantly I was aware I really didn't know anything about where we were going, and that was probably to my detriment (naturally). If I could only go back to that moment and convince her to take a different path, to go to lork or somewhere else, maybe things would have turned out different. Probably not, but you never know, its the stuff of fever dreams and broken hopes.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
When Sorry Just Isn't Enough
The Chief and I parted ways pretty fast, I didn't want to be in town with questions about not mes activities. He was tired and feeling drained from almost dying to a mimic. It was one of those mutal "Yeah we're done here." type of conversations. Lorissia and I didn't talk as we left town, she followed me as I went north to archivists caves (a deal is a deal, though I didn't really have a name for the mimics so they became the Golywoshabangas I figured no one would ever be named so horribly). We made camp hours later, I was tired and smelled, I made sure to make camp near a river to wash up, I threw caution to the wind and went full nude, its not like I had modesty anyway. Lorissia didn't seem to mind, even if she giggled when I came back shivering in the morning sun.
"You have a lot of scars Lorentino." I normally don't, but I hadn't ummm "eaten" as it were since I was tortured. Most of the wounds were superficial, and they looked nastier then they were, some of them had been exceptionally painful though, particularly the ones near my groin.
"I fell down a lot of stairs." I'll never understand how this became an accepted excuse, there aren't that many stairs in the world! More silence as I sat next to the fire nakedly waiting for the cold and wet to go away (in retrospec washing up without a towel? Bad idea).
"I'm sorry." We both blurted it out, it was that kind of hasty admission you give someone like trying to take off an old bandage, fast and to the point.
"Wait you're sorry? For what? I'm the one who used necromancy to keep restore you to health without your permission." It was about as honest as I ever get with regards to necromancy, sometimes I claim the gods saved someone or that their wounds didn't look as bad as they thought.
"For putting you in that position in the first place, I should have checked in with you when I found Mervis, but I thought I could handle him and show you how strong I was, it was idiotic." We both sat looking across each other in the fire. I was uncomfortable, and not just because I was without my clothes (though that did play a part in it honestly). I was all set to just leave it as an akward night of apologizing for something we both felt bad about. But Lorissia crossed over and kissed me, it was passionate and sensuous (and not just because I was naked, but that once again did play a part), we embraced what felt like hours and then did other stuff for what felt like days (look thats as far as I'm going with that ok).
When I awoke it was hours later and the sun felt like it was right over my damn head (stupid overcast weather is never there when you need it). Lorissia was nearby smiling, I was actually surprised she hadn't left me while I was sleeping, or that she wasn't actually there and it had all been a weird fever dream. But no she was still there, making sure her bowstring or something was still tight. I smiled back at her and went off to find my pants hoping that the heat had actually served me in getting them dry. I tell you of all the days I often fantasize about returning to, that one is my personal favorite. It's a shame that in being in love with her I killed her, but like most things in my life, everything I touch turns to ashes, its just a matter of how long the fire burns.
Damn thats a good line I'll have to save that up for the next time I'm feeling artsy.
"You have a lot of scars Lorentino." I normally don't, but I hadn't ummm "eaten" as it were since I was tortured. Most of the wounds were superficial, and they looked nastier then they were, some of them had been exceptionally painful though, particularly the ones near my groin.
"I fell down a lot of stairs." I'll never understand how this became an accepted excuse, there aren't that many stairs in the world! More silence as I sat next to the fire nakedly waiting for the cold and wet to go away (in retrospec washing up without a towel? Bad idea).
"I'm sorry." We both blurted it out, it was that kind of hasty admission you give someone like trying to take off an old bandage, fast and to the point.
"Wait you're sorry? For what? I'm the one who used necromancy to keep restore you to health without your permission." It was about as honest as I ever get with regards to necromancy, sometimes I claim the gods saved someone or that their wounds didn't look as bad as they thought.
"For putting you in that position in the first place, I should have checked in with you when I found Mervis, but I thought I could handle him and show you how strong I was, it was idiotic." We both sat looking across each other in the fire. I was uncomfortable, and not just because I was without my clothes (though that did play a part in it honestly). I was all set to just leave it as an akward night of apologizing for something we both felt bad about. But Lorissia crossed over and kissed me, it was passionate and sensuous (and not just because I was naked, but that once again did play a part), we embraced what felt like hours and then did other stuff for what felt like days (look thats as far as I'm going with that ok).
When I awoke it was hours later and the sun felt like it was right over my damn head (stupid overcast weather is never there when you need it). Lorissia was nearby smiling, I was actually surprised she hadn't left me while I was sleeping, or that she wasn't actually there and it had all been a weird fever dream. But no she was still there, making sure her bowstring or something was still tight. I smiled back at her and went off to find my pants hoping that the heat had actually served me in getting them dry. I tell you of all the days I often fantasize about returning to, that one is my personal favorite. It's a shame that in being in love with her I killed her, but like most things in my life, everything I touch turns to ashes, its just a matter of how long the fire burns.
Damn thats a good line I'll have to save that up for the next time I'm feeling artsy.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Arrown't you Glad To see Me?
"Lorentino aren't you going to do something about this?" The chief was talking, I could see the claw very much near his neck. It was one of those precarious situations where one false move could kill both people. For a moment I thought what would the harm be in killing the chief, and then I recalled all his lawmen coming back and stomping me into a stain in the ground.
"Working on it." I wasn't really, I mean what could I do, the fake me Mimic had the chief by the neck, and I was awful at being precise with fire. So there I stood staring down a fake me with creepy lizard claws hanging on the neck of a man who if he died I would die horribly, if the mimic left me alone after he killed the chief. One of those lose lose situations.
"Lllllorentino," The mimic was talking, his voice was part lisp, part empty hollow tone, "I'll kill this man, and you."
"That's a great start to negotiation just to tell you." I could see the chief wince, but again assholery over diplomacy everytime, its the Lorentino way.
"Yoooooou dddddon't want mmmmmeeee to killll him, llllleeeeet mmmmmeeee goooo." It was weird which letters he drug out, it made me wonder how people confused me for these freaks in the first place (I mean I don't talk weird at all, I talk dignified damn it!) I was about to serve up my response when an arrow hit the fake me through his head (ever see those stupid fake arrow through the head little hairband things? yeah like that except real). The creature turned to where the arrow had come through the broken door (score one for my haphazard door opening techniques) and caught a couple more arrows through his eyes. With his grip on the chief slackened, the old man quickly ran toward me (I don't really know why, I guess in case the arrows were meant for him?). The mysterious bowman came through the shattered glass door and withdrew an ugly looking short sword and behead fake me, the head rolled toward myself and I was mildly alarmed looking down at what appeared to be my own decapitated head. The bowman was wearing a heavy cloak covering up some kind of armor that jingled a bit as they walked. They drew back their hood and it was Lorrisia.
"Happy to see me Lorentino?"
"Working on it." I wasn't really, I mean what could I do, the fake me Mimic had the chief by the neck, and I was awful at being precise with fire. So there I stood staring down a fake me with creepy lizard claws hanging on the neck of a man who if he died I would die horribly, if the mimic left me alone after he killed the chief. One of those lose lose situations.
"Lllllorentino," The mimic was talking, his voice was part lisp, part empty hollow tone, "I'll kill this man, and you."
"That's a great start to negotiation just to tell you." I could see the chief wince, but again assholery over diplomacy everytime, its the Lorentino way.
"Yoooooou dddddon't want mmmmmeeee to killll him, llllleeeeet mmmmmeeee goooo." It was weird which letters he drug out, it made me wonder how people confused me for these freaks in the first place (I mean I don't talk weird at all, I talk dignified damn it!) I was about to serve up my response when an arrow hit the fake me through his head (ever see those stupid fake arrow through the head little hairband things? yeah like that except real). The creature turned to where the arrow had come through the broken door (score one for my haphazard door opening techniques) and caught a couple more arrows through his eyes. With his grip on the chief slackened, the old man quickly ran toward me (I don't really know why, I guess in case the arrows were meant for him?). The mysterious bowman came through the shattered glass door and withdrew an ugly looking short sword and behead fake me, the head rolled toward myself and I was mildly alarmed looking down at what appeared to be my own decapitated head. The bowman was wearing a heavy cloak covering up some kind of armor that jingled a bit as they walked. They drew back their hood and it was Lorrisia.
"Happy to see me Lorentino?"
Friday, May 20, 2011
Nothing Good Comes From Underground
The stench was the first thing that I noticed as I was climbing down the makeshift ladder to the creepy underground cavern. I was glad for the ladder, because if we had to just fall down a dark hole, well I would have just sealed the cavern and walked away from the whole dumb thing. The hole we were going down looked to be coated in some kind of sticky residue (which was like the eww cherry on the eww sundae). The chief grumbled something above me but I was too concerned not touching the walls with anything of mine to really hear what he said. On the ground the cave radiated with a weird green glow, the walls were circular in nature (probably clawed out with the residue to hold them up) they were decently man sized, which was a relief I really did not want to have to go sliding on my stomach, and with the glow being able to see was a plus.
"What is that smell?" It was the first thing I could make out what he was saying since we started down the makeshift ladder.
"Corpses, lots of them by the reek of it." I was kind of surprised the chief wouldn't know the smell, but then again I do have a unique life style and recognizing the smell of rotting bodies is one of those supreme "benefits" of it.
"Well I knew we had some missing town's people, guess I know where they went, well come on Lorentino lets get this over with." It's easy to say that when you're following someone else into a creatures nest. The cave grew bigger as we walked along until we came to a central chamber. It was full of corpses, probably at least thirty seperate bodies in various states of being eaten/rotting (the smell was overwhelming, as were all the bugs that feed on flesh). Beyond the pile of corpses were eggs, a lot of eggs (I didn't know at the time mimics laid eggs, the things you learn underground), I didn't see that any had hatched, and I didn't see any other creatures in the nest. So I had to wonder if the mimic could just hatch eggs on its own? Was it eating all the bodies? These were questions that flashed through my mind (well that and trying not to barf).
"Ok Chief its your show destroy the eggs." I motioned a hand forward in a go on type way.
"Destroy them with what? It's not like there's an excess of water down here, why don't you burn them?"
"We're in a cave and just came by the one place that had a vent, do you want to be choking on charred corpses all the way out of here?" Because I certainly did not. The chief shrugged at me and pointed at the eggs again, I told him to get back up the way we came in and he was all to happy to leave me down there (naturally). So there I was amidst corpses and creepy monster eggs hoping to burn them all up, before I conjured fire I wondered for just a half second if this wasn't going to do the opposite of what I wanted. Turns out that mimic eggs? Highly flammable. The fire hit the cluster and detonated. I hardly had time to start running before the chamber behind me was engulfed in flames. I felt really smart sending the chief back up the tunnel for a half a second before I almost got burned to damn death (now smart observers would go "Trezlan why didn't you try and change the fire since its your element?" It would be like the chief trying to stop the rain entirely, I could have at best redirected it, if there was somewhere else for it to go!). I don't know the record for climbing a makeshift ladder out of a Mimic nest (a competition somewhere I'm sure) but I bet I broke the record hauling my ass out of there.
I got out of the hole and lunged aside as a fireball erupted from underneath. The gods were with me as that fireball didn't thankfully set the rest of the damn building on fire. I was about to ask why the Chief wasn't helping me up when I noticed he was standing with me next to him. Crap. For those playing along at home that's another Trezlan, I know I'm handsome and all, but two copies of me? COME ON!
"What is that smell?" It was the first thing I could make out what he was saying since we started down the makeshift ladder.
"Corpses, lots of them by the reek of it." I was kind of surprised the chief wouldn't know the smell, but then again I do have a unique life style and recognizing the smell of rotting bodies is one of those supreme "benefits" of it.
"Well I knew we had some missing town's people, guess I know where they went, well come on Lorentino lets get this over with." It's easy to say that when you're following someone else into a creatures nest. The cave grew bigger as we walked along until we came to a central chamber. It was full of corpses, probably at least thirty seperate bodies in various states of being eaten/rotting (the smell was overwhelming, as were all the bugs that feed on flesh). Beyond the pile of corpses were eggs, a lot of eggs (I didn't know at the time mimics laid eggs, the things you learn underground), I didn't see that any had hatched, and I didn't see any other creatures in the nest. So I had to wonder if the mimic could just hatch eggs on its own? Was it eating all the bodies? These were questions that flashed through my mind (well that and trying not to barf).
"Ok Chief its your show destroy the eggs." I motioned a hand forward in a go on type way.
"Destroy them with what? It's not like there's an excess of water down here, why don't you burn them?"
"We're in a cave and just came by the one place that had a vent, do you want to be choking on charred corpses all the way out of here?" Because I certainly did not. The chief shrugged at me and pointed at the eggs again, I told him to get back up the way we came in and he was all to happy to leave me down there (naturally). So there I was amidst corpses and creepy monster eggs hoping to burn them all up, before I conjured fire I wondered for just a half second if this wasn't going to do the opposite of what I wanted. Turns out that mimic eggs? Highly flammable. The fire hit the cluster and detonated. I hardly had time to start running before the chamber behind me was engulfed in flames. I felt really smart sending the chief back up the tunnel for a half a second before I almost got burned to damn death (now smart observers would go "Trezlan why didn't you try and change the fire since its your element?" It would be like the chief trying to stop the rain entirely, I could have at best redirected it, if there was somewhere else for it to go!). I don't know the record for climbing a makeshift ladder out of a Mimic nest (a competition somewhere I'm sure) but I bet I broke the record hauling my ass out of there.
I got out of the hole and lunged aside as a fireball erupted from underneath. The gods were with me as that fireball didn't thankfully set the rest of the damn building on fire. I was about to ask why the Chief wasn't helping me up when I noticed he was standing with me next to him. Crap. For those playing along at home that's another Trezlan, I know I'm handsome and all, but two copies of me? COME ON!
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