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Summer, 1331
Logan awoke in the darkness. It was late in the evening. Second watch, and Sufjan was keeping guard, but Lord De Troblaind was up, as well as Dr. Moller. After a brief discussion, the Normad lord turned to the plague doctor.
“Dr. Moller, it is time.”
Dr. Moller nodded, and the two figures picked up their packs and weapons and disappeared into the ruins.
After a few minutes, Logan got up as well.
“Everyone seems active tonight.” Sufjan muttered as she fetched some arrows.
Logan gestured at the two missing figures. “What was that about?”
“I’m not sure. They said that they needed to go and honor a deceased friend buried in the Necropolis. Said they’d be back in two hours, just before the end of my watch.”
“You didn’t find that suspicious?”
“No, I’m not familiar with all your human ways of honoring the deceased.” Sufjan twisted a lock of hair in her finger. “Should I be?”
Logan threw on his cloak and grabbed his awlpike. “No, it’s alright. I just want to check up on them.”
***
The Forester moved silently through the foggy night following the Normad Lord and the plague doctor into the great necropolis.
The massive ziggurats, seven in all, loomed overhead like mountains, with ornate roads of stone leading up to them lined with what appeared to have once been figures of warriors and lions and panthers. However, if there had once been curated grounds to match these tombs of the great kings, they had long since been lost to the subsequent plagues that destroyed the city: a sea of small grave markers stacked tightly among themselves like innumerable pages of a large tome covered all remaining available land. Lord De Trobliand and Dr. Moller expertly picked their way over to an area beneath the second and third of the ziggurats, and Logan quietly shadowed them. Here were even older graves, hundreds of small pitted depressions and large square burial mounds, which had been repurposed as platforms for the mausoleums of the later wealthy and elite.
As everyone continued through the city of the dead, fog began rolling in, working its way between the small hills and tombs and gradually shrouding everything in a haze.
In only a few minutes, Logan lost track of the people he was following.
The Forester drew his awlpike.
Carefully, Logan worked his way through the maze of tombstones, trying to find some sign like a footprint or disturbed bushes, while also trying to orient himself geospatially. The surroundings were empty and alien, haunting if not haunted.
Well if some ghoul or spirit was going to try to ambush him, they'll find that he was not easy prey-
A hand abruptly grabbed him and jerked him behind a gravestone.
Logan swung at his assailant, then stopped.
“Regis!”
“Shh! Get down! There is an ogre patrol coming!”
The Forester dropped to his knees and worked his way to where Lord de Trobliand was crouched against the large tombstone, repeating crossbow at the ready. Leaning beside the Normad with his own weapon Logan watched the mist as well.
From out of the fog materialized the tusked head of an ogre, large enough to bite a man in two, then another. Like the mountains themselves the creatures lumbered through the foggy necropolis, each thundering footfall shaking tombs and causing degraded stone to crumble.
Then the first ogre stopped and looked around, sniffing the air. The other looked at his companion quizzically, then joined in the search.
Hiding behind a stone monument, Logan tightened his grip on his awlpike. The Normad Lord's crossbow was aimed at the head of one of the monstrous figures staring blindly in their direction.
Then the second ogre shrugged and moved on, and after a long pause, the first ogre admitted defeat and followed, throwing his powerful warclub upon his shoulder.
As the two enemy giants lumbered away, the Forester gave a sigh of relief. After a short break Lord de Trobliand nodded back and gestured the direction for them to continue.
Logan and the Normad Lord worked their way through the graveyard, evading the ogres patrolling the area by hiding behind the old stones when the lumbering beasts marched past.
“What are you doing here?” The Normad finally whispered.
“Where is Dr. Moller?”
“She’s fine! The good doctor knows her way around this place even better than I do. What the hell are you doing following us?”
“You’re a part of my party. I know you well enough to understand you have some other idea in mind. What are you planning?”
“Something that may help our goal in defeating the Other Men.”
“You don’t think rescuing the Dragon Queen will succeed?”
“No, I think it will work. Turning the dragons against the Other Men is a sound plan, and I intend to follow it. But I will prepare backups just in case.”
“And what backup has you and Dr. Moller wandering around the graveyard of a dead city? Some sort of unholy necromancy?”
“Just obtaining some artifacts from a friend who never got around to returning it.”
“Artifacts? Are these artifacts why the ogres are patrolling here?”
“I didn’t know about the ogres. Otherwise I would have waited until later. Someone may have detected our presence on the edge of the city.”
"We should move camp then."
"As soon as possible."
At that moment Dr. Moller reappeared, holding what appeared to be several metal canisters tightly bound in linen and placed in a large burlap bag. The plague doctor stared at Logan, then gave a small awkward wave.
"Good. She found the artifacts. We can leave." Lord De Trobliand nodded and gestured for them all to follow him.
“Can your artifacts help us rescue the Dragon Queen?” The Forester asked as they carefully picked their way back through the graves.
“No. These are powerful but dangerous artifacts. Logan, trust me as a friend and take my word that this is a personal matter. Get your sleep and get our people prepared for the raid ahead.”
Logan attempted to say more, but then finally threw his hands up.
“Fine, whatever. I expect you guys to follow my orders when I give them, however.”
“Don’t worry about that. Worry about what comes tomorrow, Forester.”
***
Morning came, and no one else was wiser as everyone was woken up long before the sun rose. Lord De Trobliand and Dr. Moller kept quiet about their midnight venture, and the only difference was an additional large burlap bag that hung from the back of Dr. Moller’s horse as everyone rode out of the city of the dead and headed into the Cursed City.
Alec Holowka - Graveyard Investigations (NITW Soundtrack)
Another great atmospheric work by
Siberian-demon! Based on an old idea of mine: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/32808781/
Original: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/53805783/
Logan awoke in the darkness. It was late in the evening. Second watch, and Sufjan was keeping guard, but Lord De Troblaind was up, as well as Dr. Moller. After a brief discussion, the Normad lord turned to the plague doctor.
“Dr. Moller, it is time.”
Dr. Moller nodded, and the two figures picked up their packs and weapons and disappeared into the ruins.
After a few minutes, Logan got up as well.
“Everyone seems active tonight.” Sufjan muttered as she fetched some arrows.
Logan gestured at the two missing figures. “What was that about?”
“I’m not sure. They said that they needed to go and honor a deceased friend buried in the Necropolis. Said they’d be back in two hours, just before the end of my watch.”
“You didn’t find that suspicious?”
“No, I’m not familiar with all your human ways of honoring the deceased.” Sufjan twisted a lock of hair in her finger. “Should I be?”
Logan threw on his cloak and grabbed his awlpike. “No, it’s alright. I just want to check up on them.”
***
The Forester moved silently through the foggy night following the Normad Lord and the plague doctor into the great necropolis.
The massive ziggurats, seven in all, loomed overhead like mountains, with ornate roads of stone leading up to them lined with what appeared to have once been figures of warriors and lions and panthers. However, if there had once been curated grounds to match these tombs of the great kings, they had long since been lost to the subsequent plagues that destroyed the city: a sea of small grave markers stacked tightly among themselves like innumerable pages of a large tome covered all remaining available land. Lord De Trobliand and Dr. Moller expertly picked their way over to an area beneath the second and third of the ziggurats, and Logan quietly shadowed them. Here were even older graves, hundreds of small pitted depressions and large square burial mounds, which had been repurposed as platforms for the mausoleums of the later wealthy and elite.
As everyone continued through the city of the dead, fog began rolling in, working its way between the small hills and tombs and gradually shrouding everything in a haze.
In only a few minutes, Logan lost track of the people he was following.
The Forester drew his awlpike.
Carefully, Logan worked his way through the maze of tombstones, trying to find some sign like a footprint or disturbed bushes, while also trying to orient himself geospatially. The surroundings were empty and alien, haunting if not haunted.
Well if some ghoul or spirit was going to try to ambush him, they'll find that he was not easy prey-
A hand abruptly grabbed him and jerked him behind a gravestone.
Logan swung at his assailant, then stopped.
“Regis!”
“Shh! Get down! There is an ogre patrol coming!”
The Forester dropped to his knees and worked his way to where Lord de Trobliand was crouched against the large tombstone, repeating crossbow at the ready. Leaning beside the Normad with his own weapon Logan watched the mist as well.
From out of the fog materialized the tusked head of an ogre, large enough to bite a man in two, then another. Like the mountains themselves the creatures lumbered through the foggy necropolis, each thundering footfall shaking tombs and causing degraded stone to crumble.
Then the first ogre stopped and looked around, sniffing the air. The other looked at his companion quizzically, then joined in the search.
Hiding behind a stone monument, Logan tightened his grip on his awlpike. The Normad Lord's crossbow was aimed at the head of one of the monstrous figures staring blindly in their direction.
Then the second ogre shrugged and moved on, and after a long pause, the first ogre admitted defeat and followed, throwing his powerful warclub upon his shoulder.
As the two enemy giants lumbered away, the Forester gave a sigh of relief. After a short break Lord de Trobliand nodded back and gestured the direction for them to continue.
Logan and the Normad Lord worked their way through the graveyard, evading the ogres patrolling the area by hiding behind the old stones when the lumbering beasts marched past.
“What are you doing here?” The Normad finally whispered.
“Where is Dr. Moller?”
“She’s fine! The good doctor knows her way around this place even better than I do. What the hell are you doing following us?”
“You’re a part of my party. I know you well enough to understand you have some other idea in mind. What are you planning?”
“Something that may help our goal in defeating the Other Men.”
“You don’t think rescuing the Dragon Queen will succeed?”
“No, I think it will work. Turning the dragons against the Other Men is a sound plan, and I intend to follow it. But I will prepare backups just in case.”
“And what backup has you and Dr. Moller wandering around the graveyard of a dead city? Some sort of unholy necromancy?”
“Just obtaining some artifacts from a friend who never got around to returning it.”
“Artifacts? Are these artifacts why the ogres are patrolling here?”
“I didn’t know about the ogres. Otherwise I would have waited until later. Someone may have detected our presence on the edge of the city.”
"We should move camp then."
"As soon as possible."
At that moment Dr. Moller reappeared, holding what appeared to be several metal canisters tightly bound in linen and placed in a large burlap bag. The plague doctor stared at Logan, then gave a small awkward wave.
"Good. She found the artifacts. We can leave." Lord De Trobliand nodded and gestured for them all to follow him.
“Can your artifacts help us rescue the Dragon Queen?” The Forester asked as they carefully picked their way back through the graves.
“No. These are powerful but dangerous artifacts. Logan, trust me as a friend and take my word that this is a personal matter. Get your sleep and get our people prepared for the raid ahead.”
Logan attempted to say more, but then finally threw his hands up.
“Fine, whatever. I expect you guys to follow my orders when I give them, however.”
“Don’t worry about that. Worry about what comes tomorrow, Forester.”
***
Morning came, and no one else was wiser as everyone was woken up long before the sun rose. Lord De Trobliand and Dr. Moller kept quiet about their midnight venture, and the only difference was an additional large burlap bag that hung from the back of Dr. Moller’s horse as everyone rode out of the city of the dead and headed into the Cursed City.
Alec Holowka - Graveyard Investigations (NITW Soundtrack)
Another great atmospheric work by
Siberian-demon! Based on an old idea of mine: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/32808781/Original: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/53805783/
Category Artwork (Traditional) / Fantasy
Species Troll
Size 1626 x 2265px
File Size 540.4 kB
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