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Fall, 1372
A half dozen zealots with Heylel in front led Logan down a side hallway, away from the sounds of violence and roars of pain from the dragon echoing through the underground city. The Miscabbards split the Stanton group up, with different parties leading Liza and Rabia along to other locations. Corridor after corridor, hewn from stone and barely illuminated by rushlights, appeared and then disappeared as the former Forester and his escorts marched on.
Eventually after multiple levels, a nondescript passage appeared with what appeared to be a dead end, lined with identical doorways.
Heylel opened a random nondescript door, revealing a small cell with a bed and a table with a pitcher of water and bread.
“This will be your room during your time here, Logan Durham. A bath will be available in the morning, and the dining hall afterwards. Tomorrow, we will begin your lessons in the Temple of the Earth.”
“Thank you.”
“Glory to the Lord of the Earth! That is the first thing they’ll teach you. We are all here only for the glory of our leader.”
“Glory to the Lord of the Earth then.”
As Heylel turned to leave and one of the zealots began to close the door Logan noticed two individuals armed with axes positioning themselves to guard the door.
“For your safety, it’d be best not to leave your room tonight. Have a good rest.” The cultist stated as the door closed behind him.
Logan placed his pack down and sat on the bed, thinking about what he had done. After a few minutes, he went through his pack, and pulled out a special stone that he had found among Glib’s possessions.
Alnico lodestone, turned in the shape of a horseshoe and silenced by an armature. After looking at it for a minute, he removed the keeper, and set it by the door.
***
Two hours later resting on the bed, Logan heard a knock. He got up, drew his awlpike, and crouched, waiting for further response.
The door suddenly swung open, revealing one of the Miscabbard Zealots guarding the former Forester. Then his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and the cultist toppled over, revealing Liza there behind him, wiping her gladius clean of blood, followed by Rabia walking over with Glib’s special needle of pure iron hanging from his index finger, the needle pointed straight at Logan’s lodestone. The blacksmith handed the guiding needle and his own lodestone back to Logan.
“It’s time to move.” The Guester announced as Rabia dragged the bodies of the guards to a hiding place.
Logan nodded as he sealed the lodestone with the keeper and placed it back in his pack with the pin. “I was wondering why you two hadn’t shown up yet.”
Liza shrugged. “They were keeping an eye on me pretty well.”
“Well, if I was them, I wouldn’t trust you either.”
“They were right not to.”
***
Now dressed in the cultist cloaks, the Stanton trio moved their way through the darkened tunnels, backtracking the way back to the dragon that Logan had sketched from memory during the wait. After a few false turns, Logan, Liza and Rabia managed to end up at a dark balcony overlooking a large cavernous chamber.
A large commotion echoed from below the balcony, and Liza went into the shadows and leaned over the ledge to look down at it.
“Where are we?” Rabia asked.
“We’re a few floors above the Sacrifice Room.”
“What’s going on over there?”
“The Miscabbards are performing a sacrifice.”
“Fuck.” Logan interrupted and went over to join Liza. “It’s not Mera is it?”
“No, no. Some other unlucky victim.”
Below them, the Lord of the Earth had assembled a large gathering of senior Miscabbards, surrounding a Sabine bound to the pole beside the pit. The Majordomo was there with a contingent of Crusaders standing guard, while Heylel was casually cleaning a large knife. All eyes however were focused on the Miscabbard leader, energized and fully upright, with his staff raised in the air.
“The Heavens and Earth saw fit to bless us today!" The Lord of the Earth bellowed, his words echoing through the cavernous chambers. "The Stanton Dragon, the infamous demon of Corioli, has been delivered to us! We shall thank this offering with a lesser one, to show that even when our greatest prizes present themselves we should be humble. Death comes for us all! From the fiercest dragon, to this, almost human-like Sabine.”
“Glory to the Earth!” The Crusaders led by Roland called out.
“Death to the Monsters!” The Zealots and Heylel responded.
The Lord of the Earth went over and leaned down to leer at the doomed captive.
“Come now, foul creature, do you fear your death?”
The Sabine responded by spitting at the cultist leader.
The Lord of the Earth responded with a laugh. “So many of you do that. No matter, it is time for you to leave this realm.”
“Maybe we should try saving it?” Liza asked as turned to the former Forester.
Logan shook his head. “I’m here to help my friends, my home and my community. I have to defend my own first. I can’t risk it right now.”
“Glory to the Earth! Death to the monsters!”
The Sabine struggled in his chains, but was no match for the combined efforts of two cultists and forcibly had his head raised to expose his neck. Heylel came over with a knife made of sand sea glass and deftly cut through the fey’s throat with one smooth motion. A brief piercing scream was cut short into a gurgle as blood sprayed the killer as the Lord of the Earth watched over.
“Death! Death! Death!”
The Sabine's bleeding head was pierced with a spear and placed upon a tzompantli filled with hundreds of skulls of non-humans: goblins, centaurs, cynos, caprines, even duergar and Other Men. The Lord of the Earth smiled and slammed his staff onto the ground.
“Glory to the Earth! Death to the monsters!”
The cheers of the cultists echoed through the chambers of Kavi.
Liza turned away. “Ugh. Why are we even watching? Let’s free your dragon before they do that to him.”
From
abysseater!
Nirvana - Lithium
A half dozen zealots with Heylel in front led Logan down a side hallway, away from the sounds of violence and roars of pain from the dragon echoing through the underground city. The Miscabbards split the Stanton group up, with different parties leading Liza and Rabia along to other locations. Corridor after corridor, hewn from stone and barely illuminated by rushlights, appeared and then disappeared as the former Forester and his escorts marched on.
Eventually after multiple levels, a nondescript passage appeared with what appeared to be a dead end, lined with identical doorways.
Heylel opened a random nondescript door, revealing a small cell with a bed and a table with a pitcher of water and bread.
“This will be your room during your time here, Logan Durham. A bath will be available in the morning, and the dining hall afterwards. Tomorrow, we will begin your lessons in the Temple of the Earth.”
“Thank you.”
“Glory to the Lord of the Earth! That is the first thing they’ll teach you. We are all here only for the glory of our leader.”
“Glory to the Lord of the Earth then.”
As Heylel turned to leave and one of the zealots began to close the door Logan noticed two individuals armed with axes positioning themselves to guard the door.
“For your safety, it’d be best not to leave your room tonight. Have a good rest.” The cultist stated as the door closed behind him.
Logan placed his pack down and sat on the bed, thinking about what he had done. After a few minutes, he went through his pack, and pulled out a special stone that he had found among Glib’s possessions.
Alnico lodestone, turned in the shape of a horseshoe and silenced by an armature. After looking at it for a minute, he removed the keeper, and set it by the door.
***
Two hours later resting on the bed, Logan heard a knock. He got up, drew his awlpike, and crouched, waiting for further response.
The door suddenly swung open, revealing one of the Miscabbard Zealots guarding the former Forester. Then his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and the cultist toppled over, revealing Liza there behind him, wiping her gladius clean of blood, followed by Rabia walking over with Glib’s special needle of pure iron hanging from his index finger, the needle pointed straight at Logan’s lodestone. The blacksmith handed the guiding needle and his own lodestone back to Logan.
“It’s time to move.” The Guester announced as Rabia dragged the bodies of the guards to a hiding place.
Logan nodded as he sealed the lodestone with the keeper and placed it back in his pack with the pin. “I was wondering why you two hadn’t shown up yet.”
Liza shrugged. “They were keeping an eye on me pretty well.”
“Well, if I was them, I wouldn’t trust you either.”
“They were right not to.”
***
Now dressed in the cultist cloaks, the Stanton trio moved their way through the darkened tunnels, backtracking the way back to the dragon that Logan had sketched from memory during the wait. After a few false turns, Logan, Liza and Rabia managed to end up at a dark balcony overlooking a large cavernous chamber.
A large commotion echoed from below the balcony, and Liza went into the shadows and leaned over the ledge to look down at it.
“Where are we?” Rabia asked.
“We’re a few floors above the Sacrifice Room.”
“What’s going on over there?”
“The Miscabbards are performing a sacrifice.”
“Fuck.” Logan interrupted and went over to join Liza. “It’s not Mera is it?”
“No, no. Some other unlucky victim.”
Below them, the Lord of the Earth had assembled a large gathering of senior Miscabbards, surrounding a Sabine bound to the pole beside the pit. The Majordomo was there with a contingent of Crusaders standing guard, while Heylel was casually cleaning a large knife. All eyes however were focused on the Miscabbard leader, energized and fully upright, with his staff raised in the air.
“The Heavens and Earth saw fit to bless us today!" The Lord of the Earth bellowed, his words echoing through the cavernous chambers. "The Stanton Dragon, the infamous demon of Corioli, has been delivered to us! We shall thank this offering with a lesser one, to show that even when our greatest prizes present themselves we should be humble. Death comes for us all! From the fiercest dragon, to this, almost human-like Sabine.”
“Glory to the Earth!” The Crusaders led by Roland called out.
“Death to the Monsters!” The Zealots and Heylel responded.
The Lord of the Earth went over and leaned down to leer at the doomed captive.
“Come now, foul creature, do you fear your death?”
The Sabine responded by spitting at the cultist leader.
The Lord of the Earth responded with a laugh. “So many of you do that. No matter, it is time for you to leave this realm.”
“Maybe we should try saving it?” Liza asked as turned to the former Forester.
Logan shook his head. “I’m here to help my friends, my home and my community. I have to defend my own first. I can’t risk it right now.”
“Glory to the Earth! Death to the monsters!”
The Sabine struggled in his chains, but was no match for the combined efforts of two cultists and forcibly had his head raised to expose his neck. Heylel came over with a knife made of sand sea glass and deftly cut through the fey’s throat with one smooth motion. A brief piercing scream was cut short into a gurgle as blood sprayed the killer as the Lord of the Earth watched over.
“Death! Death! Death!”
The Sabine's bleeding head was pierced with a spear and placed upon a tzompantli filled with hundreds of skulls of non-humans: goblins, centaurs, cynos, caprines, even duergar and Other Men. The Lord of the Earth smiled and slammed his staff onto the ground.
“Glory to the Earth! Death to the monsters!”
The cheers of the cultists echoed through the chambers of Kavi.
Liza turned away. “Ugh. Why are we even watching? Let’s free your dragon before they do that to him.”
From
abysseater!Nirvana - Lithium
Category Artwork (Traditional) / Fantasy
Species Troll
Size 1750 x 2106px
File Size 466.8 kB
Yah kinda. Tbf it is around 5 incidents over about 50 years, and are mostly related to in effect world war and its direct and indirect consequences. I am loosely basing the entire period on the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisi.....te_Middle_Ages .
Mera and Logan just happen to be living through interesting times. Poor guys.
Mera and Logan just happen to be living through interesting times. Poor guys.
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