Fighting the Wasteland

[Jareth]

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=68208

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=68632

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=68984

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=69509

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=69512

And so the four found themselves in the wastelands once again. This time with a new companion who knew the desert better. Instead of horses, Hasan recomended Ostriches. Mr. Tarnish looked a little disgruntled, but realized that this meant no one would ask him to ride a horse.

Every few miles Belladonna would drop back to a rise on one of the dunes and the rest of them could hear a keening wail from her. Hasan seemed concerned, but a few words from Quivver convinced him, if not to worry, to at least not question the druid. The Rocky path seemed hard, but since they had all travelled in the wasteland before, they knew that the stones were better than the shifting dunes which would draw the energy out of them. The dunes were more dangerous then that, as they would soon find out. The Ostriches paniked, warning the party and they slipped the reins and readied their weapons. Several mosters emerged from the sand. Gaping mouths centered in the monsters' chest roared, while a single eye perched on top blinked in the sudden sunlight. To the side, another monster similar to a floating eye appeared as an invisibility spell melted away like ice in the desert sun. Tentacles tipped by smaller eyes writhed on top of the creature.

Quiver looked at it in horror. "A Beholder! and Lensmen!"

Both Belladonna and the Tacomancer aimed their staves at the huge creature and shouted arcane words, but no spells emerged. They looked at each other in a combination of surprise and frustration. The Group circled up as the lensmen kept attacking. Allthough some fell, the surviing monsters kept getting closer to them. One with a shield menaced Quivver, who couldn't harm him, and couldn't switch targets without letting it attack. Another with a glowing sword kept striking at Mr. Tarnish, wrecking his sheild. Hasan kept getting blasted with spell after spell from the beholder. He was clearly weakened and loosing. Without their spells the mage and the druid could only try to bludgeon the lensmen, and be bludgeoned in return. The circle tightned. "We're surrounded!"

"No.....They are."

A horde of desert wolves swarmed over the dunes. Most of the lensmen were kocked over from behind. But the most significant damage was done to the beholder. With a wolf hanging from each tentacle, it could no longer defend itself against Hasan, who sliced open the main eye with his axe. "It is done!" He yelled and Belladonna and the mage immediatelly opened up a barage of spells on their opponents. Mr. Tarnish began finishing the lensmen that the wolves were holding down. In a few seconds it was all over.

The next day a castle appeared on the horizon. Allthough they had passed many ruins of the last age allready, this one was different. The others were ruins, brought low by the last war and the time, wind and sand of the desert herself. This one was taller, and because of that deception of perspective, it seemed to take longer to reach it. Eventually they could see it more clearly, and could see the figure pacing atop of it.

As they made the final approach, a horde of red skinned warriors spilled out of the cracked and broken drawbrdige. Mr. Tarnish singled out the largest warrior and drew him away from the protection of numbers while Hasan spun his way amidst the horder spreading wounds with his axe, stunning blows and disarmed opponents with his situt and chaos with his dance like fighting style.

Many times the red skinned Tieflings tried to surround him, but Quivver's arrows struck any who turned their backs on the party. The figure on the parapet hurled fiery spell after spell at the heroes, but The Tacomancer Kept dispelling them before they touched.

In the end the tieflings couldn't withstand the attack. If the heroes had facced such an enemy outside of scarbourough, they would have been overwhelmed. Time had made them tougher and more aware of each other's strengths. Every time an opening appeared for their opponents it was quickly turned into a trap with a shield, an arrow or a well placed spell in the way.

They gazed at the ruination before them.

"So, we have the key, and the door is beneath the castle?"

"Yep."

"I don't want to spend the night here."

"Me neither. I think these tieflings started off human."

"Pardon me?"

"If the door is locked, then why is it being guarded by part demons? I don't think they were born teiflings, I think the presence of the demon beneath us changed them over time."

"So, how long will we have to stay here?"

"Belladonna?"

"I can heal us all tonight, and pray for new spells tomorrow morn."

"Mr. Tarnish?"

"I'll sharpen our weapons tonight, but I can't do anything for our armor without a forge."

"I'll take care of that." replied the Tacomancer, "I'd like to fiddle with Quivver's arrows as well."

"So, one night then. I'm still glad we dragged them all out here."

"As am I, but the real reason is to see if any of their weapons are magical."

"Are they?"

"Just the sword and shield from the lensman, and the staff of course, but I'm not giving up mine."

"I will keep my nature anointed staff as well."

"I feel the same way about my pick and shield."

"Hasan, you can have the shield. Your Situt will be burned if you use it tomorrow."

"Very well, and the sword?"

"Quivver, why don't you take it as a backup weapon."

Quivver nodded.

"Well then, only one thing remains. Belladonna, could you make it rain?"

Belladonna blinked at the request. "I can, but I shouldn't. People always want me to change the weather, but changing the weather can change the land. Changing the land is what I am most opposed to."

"Oh, please won't you Bella?" Cajolled the Mage, "It's not like I'm asking you to make it sunny for the big footie game. I want you to bring life and coolness back to this desert."

"Hmph...it is no different. Perhaps nature wants this to remain a desert because of this evil. Rain brings more life, and that might mean for of Them," She gestured at the pile of bodies, "Or those lensmen."

"I'm sure we'd all feel better if the rain cleaned this place of their smell, plus we could collect the rainwater."

Belladonna was about to refuse again, but Quivver whispered sin her ear, "He always has a reason. Doesn't he?"

That night the rains fell. A dwarf sharpened an axe and a pick. A mage twirled arrow after arrow in his hands. A former slave watched for danger. A druid chanted. An archer tried to sleep, but couldn't. And the rains soaked into the desert.

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=69550

Edited May 12, 2012 by Jareth

[Hyler Talliwell]

The story is great and that tan landscape looks so cool! I cannot wait for the end.

[soccerkid6]

I like you sand dunes! The lensmen work well, and the beholder is great. They seem to be getting close

[de Gothia]

Nice dunes and fun to see that an old castle is used in your story!

I find it a bit disturbing though that all your chapters are scattered at the forum. It would be easier if you just uptaded the first post in one topic instead of six.

[Jareth]

Yeah, the scattering is annoying, but After the final chapter I'm going to post highlight pictures and links to the chapters so it will be easier to navigate.