Guided Quest - Farm Heroes

Radasanth was abuzz. South, overlooking the forests of Concordia, a hill had begun to attract attention. It had gone generations without note, crowned with dark slate ruins. The withered and broken walls that jutted haphazardly at the summit had begun to be taken back by nature. Twisting stems of ivy and creeping vine washed up brick, and grabbed the iron gates to the side of the old ruins in a stranglehold. Never before had the people of the countryside or the citizens of the towns and city really or truly cared to know what artifacts of ancient times still lay behind those gates.

It was when thin puffs of smoke began to wander from the courtyard behind the gates that people began to take notice. As always happened when curiosities shone in the world, rich men paid brave men to find the answers. It was at a small dairy farm at the edge of the city, overlooking the rolling countryside with the hill (colloquially called Chimney Mountain by Radasanthians) a faded blue and tiny in the distance.

Skie dan Sabriel sat on the fencing, swaying slightly as she kept her balance against the morning breeze. Dew glistened along the grass, her footsteps a dark trail among the glittering blades. She was clad in elven hunting leathers, the hems embroidered with flourishes that were modestly decorative but still practical. Her longsword was in her lap, ill-suited to be strapped to her side as she sat on the fence. Her long dark hair had been braided and bound behind her and sharp navy eyes were scanning the road for the others she was to meet.

Her face was set in a look of disapproval, not for any companion that might meet her there, but rather for thoughts on what she'd been told may wait for them behind the walls of what once may have been a mighty castle. What had the others been told?

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Welcome to the Guided Quest! When writing your intros, really give me a good first glance at your characters. I want to care that they make it through this alive. ;)

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Tythiss had been traveling this road for some time now; it was only made tolerable by the occasional plant. There were things here he had only seen dried and hanging in shops, to see them alive was quite vibrant.

Walking far to the edge of the road his eyes typically looking into the distance for the splash of color, though mainly he chased the scent, never gathering any as he lacked the tools needed for utilizing the ingredients, but it was always good to know where such things were when one was looking for them. Also, there was painfully little else to do when walking.

Tythiss Wore only Gauntlet and the PWRPK off which the HHMAK hung and swayed as he walked. The Saurian’s scales blended in with the darker grasses rather well. The evidence of his traveling was on his feet and tip of his tail. The brown mud clung stubbornly, though easily ignored.

Tythiss’ tongue tasted the air again, everything tasted odd with so much moisture in the air, unlike the thin and dry air of the Kachuck Mountains he called home. How he missed the taste of impurities being burned from steel.

No matter he was here to learn and grow his skills or make some coin trading his technical expertise. If he had lips he would smile at the thought of wowing some farmer with Technological magic.

His pace picked up a bit with the thought.

The rumors seem to flutter around the atmosphere of Radasanth like leaves dancing on a midsummer breeze, most are just the imagination of a petty farmer who has fallen on his head five too many times; however, some of these rumors bloom into a most needed truth. Most that hear these truths just turn a deaf ear trying to live life in a state of peace with one eye making sure that truth does not come knocking on their door; however, there are a few who look for this truth and when this truth flutters into their ear they don't turn their back to it, but embrace this truth, this adventure. Today, bathed by the towering blackness of the shadow from the mighty iron gate was a lone figure mounted on a stallion that had the same calm, determination etched upon the rider's face in its eyes.

The beast and the rider seem to be of the same state of mind as the steed turned and headed down the overgrown trail, that like the keep behind the pair nature seem to want to claim back as her own. A sweet smelling sent twirled its way across from the field of yellow flowers on the side of the trail along Rhaenar's senses that relaxed the determined grimace etched upon his face.

The sweet smelling flowers of the island nation of Corone were the one of many different aspects he enjoyed of the "outside world". He once believed that the world outside of Fallien was a place filled with strange and frightful things; however, there was always a place of wonder and curiosity he held in his heart for the "outside world", he had a glimmer uncertainty about the world beyond the blazing desert sun. Now that glimmer of uncertainty has taken hold and sprouted into a whole new way he looks at the world, wherever he looks he finds not only the ugliness of the place, but the beauty of it too.

Rhaenar and his steed sped ahead up the path towards the fading blue blur out in the distance. As he pulled his steed up along the dark-haired woman he swings his leg around off the steed, "I was told that I would meet a contact here, are you the contact?"

She watched the mercenary approach, a feeling in her gut that she would be part of the party heading out. He was vague, though, in his questioning. In turn the girl shrugged and slapped the backs of her heels against the fencing she perched upon. "My name is Skie dan Sabriel. I might be who you're looking for."

The arrival of the newcomer with a steed had prompted the old dairy farmer to his duties. Part of the reason the party was to meet here was that the old farmer had several oxen that had been leased for the expedition. If myths rang true, they'd be in need of a pulling beast to haul back what they might find.

"Are you heading up to the old castle?" she asked as she watched the farmer tie the oxen to the gate of the pasture. There were three there, though Skie had a feeling that the man before her would rather take his charger than bed it here while he went by oxen. It wasn't a problem of hers just yet, though, so she didn't feel it right to bring up or push the argument. Instead, she went back to watching the road.

"If you are, then we only need one more." she added.

Tythiss crested the final section of the road. His tongue sampled the air, bringing with it the scent of horse, human and something he could not identify.

Normally he wouldn't really care about these scents, Man and Horse went hand in hand, but there was something else on the air mixed with it that caught the Saurian's attention. Tythiss' eyes lifted from the road, the figures in the distance were blurred to him, but he could make out the horse and two others.

Crossing the road, Tythiss continued to sample the air as he approached, the long black appendage waving at the group and more pointedly at the woman as he drew closer and could make them out.

Tythiss stopped and looked up at both of them.

After a pause Tythiss waved his tongue at the woman again looking at her quizzically.

"What're you?"

“That’s hardly a fitting thing to say to such a pretty damsel,” voiced Eric Cahill as he came into view from behind the farmhouse, his black trousers and gray vest materializing from the building’s shadow. Moisture from dew around the soles of his dark boots and the hand guard of the dagger at his right hip held by his silver buckled belt glistened in the early sun. It had admittedly not been his best idea to cut across the country instead of following the road, but the idea of decreasing travel time had been very appealing.

His elongated ears twitched slightly in the brisk breeze, his blue eyes gliding over the three people in front of him as he closed the gap between the fence and house. The half-elf’s dark cloak flapped slightly as he walked, the hood thrown back to expose his raven hair. The fence squeaked slightly as he leaned against it, right next to the sword wielding woman, slightly closer than necessary.

“Wouldn’t it be better to ask what you are, my scaly friend?” He said, tilting his head to view the lizard like person. "And I do hope you didn't mean it when you said you only want one more person along," saying this his arm slowly made its way around the woman's shoulders.

Skie's eyes narrowed, a tense smile freezing on her lips as she slid off the fencing and moved closer to the gate. "The more the merrier," she said as she moved her attention from the elven charmer to the reptilian man who'd questioned her. She'd heard tales of men who were more dragon than human before, but she'd never been to Dheathain to see the Dragonians herself. Surely that's what this man was, but it unnerved her that he sensed she wasn't quite human. While the aspects of her demonic heritage had been burned away by the banishing rite she experienced several months ago, she knew that she still wasn't quite the pure-blooded human she wished she was. For now, she'd ignore his question.

"Just make sure you pull your weight," she added, moving her gaze back to Cahill, her eyes as cold as a winter sky ."I don't know about you boys, but I'm just here for the gold. The more we pull, the more there is for each person's cut."

She cut a dark line through the dewy grass and began to untie one of the oxen from the gate. Halfway through the knot, the course roping scratching against her palms, she paused and threw a glance over her shoulder to mounted mercenary.

"Can your horse pull a cart? The oxen have been paid for us, but we need to take a detour into the forest to pick up the carts we're to use for what loot we find."

Tythiss looked to the Elf.

"Saurian." he said plainly as though he said dwarf or human, nothing out of the ordinary.

Pull his weight! Pull his Weight?! He had to pull his weight all the way here, why couldn't he do it some more! At this point since it was assumed he was meant to be here, Tythiss assumed this was the band heading to the castle. Should prove most interesting if he was wrong. As Tythiss followed the conversation, he passively noted the party's displayed armaments. The only thing he hadn't really considered when heading out in search of this adventure, was the danger.

Ahhh, pull that kind of weight... That would be an issue. If his weight happened to be a wet paper sack, he could carry it until the end of this world. Since wet paper sack lords were not the cause of some wealthy man scaping together a band of adventures to quell their soggy uprising...

Tythiss dismissed these thoughts though, his 'skill' in battle wouldn't be needed. Hopefully.

Eric felt slightly disheartened by the woman’s cold behaviour towards him and the brief interest she showed in the lizard-like being, but it only showed for a fleeting moment before being replaced by a grin. Straddling the fence, he watched the female busy herself with the rope holding one of three oxen.

Then he heard the the reptile name his species. ‘“Saurian.” Definitely haven’t heard about them before,’ he thought. ‘Then again, you do get all kinds in Corone.’ Paying slightly more attention to the short, green scaled being, Eric saw he carried what seem like a weapon in the form of an axe/hammer and also a backpack and gauntlet. Otherwise he seemed completely defenceless. ‘Except for teeth and claws, I suppose.’

After the small inspection the half-elf said in an amused tone, “It was rhetorical, my lizard compatriot. And as for my “weight”,” his eyes on the woman still busy with the rope, “ I wouldn’t be here if I couldn’t well look after myself.”

His leg swung back over the fence, so he was in a seated position as the female addressed the human with his horse. ‘Now to inspect him.’ Standing next to his horse, the tan skinned man, in his armour like attire consisting of iron and leather, he seemed the epitome of a warrior. ‘Especially with that sword of his,’ Eric thought, eyeing the blade, saying nothing and waiting for the warrior to reply to what he supposed was to be their leader in this expedition.

Tythiss ducked through the lower and middle runner of the range fence, and started for the 'oxen'. She was clearly preparing them for something, and there were two more so he would help "pull his weight".

This, "oxen" was a large beast with weird feet and dangly bits! It had horns, too! The reptile was starting to get excited. He had heard of humans and the like using beasts as living tools, but never had the opportunity to do anything with them. He poked the beast to judge it's reaction. Why did it do what we bid? How did it understand? Does it like dragging things? It was clearly far larger than he, and larger than a human as well, why did it not gore and maim any human that approached?

The Saurian, caught and held its tail and inspected it. It was too short for balance. Not heavy enough for defense. Why the tuft of hair?

Walking to the other end, his tongue flicked at the "oxen", and he poked its large shiny nose. Could it be used to track? Tythiss knew that mammals used their noses to smell rather than their tongues, and this 'oxen' has a large nose and nostrils. Big ears, and eyes too. Also, a large head...

Tythiss stepped away nervously. If the animals senses and abilities were proportional to it's size, then this creature should have dominion of us all! Look at it's head! The size of the brain! The only thing holding it back from its glory was its inability to manipulate objects on its own.

"The knot..." Tythiss squeaked as he realized it was the only thing keeping them alive was the small knot in the rope that held them in check. He whipped his head to look, stare, at the woman as she freed her "oxen".

Freed her "oxen" so it may consume us all...

Desert Breeze snorted and rubbed its head affectionately against the slowly stroking hand of Rhaenar before trotting off towards the oxen and an elderly man wizened by many years of difficult work out in the fields. Rhaenar watches the glistening muscles of the steed as it settles under the shadows of an ancient tree with its boughs filled with fresh apples. The most simplest of things, like an apple on a summer day, seem to spread a warm fuzzy feeling through his body like now that made him enjoy his decision to leave his home for the outside world.

The sharp slap of the heel of Skie's heels against the wooden beams of the fence snapped his attention back to her, "My name is Rhaenar. Unless the man that hired as spoke falsely you are the lass I am suppose to meet." He looks up at the towering ruins of the once mighty keep, "Before I came here I scouted out the surrounding foundation of the keep. It is in complete shambles with most of it in ruins, but I am sure you already knew this. Yet there was something that I thought was strange, the wall surrounding the keep seemed . . . well too perfect for its age. Under the creeping grasp of the vines is a worn, but fine ten foot high wall. Even the gate is fine with only slight rust starting to appear. Its strange. Magical almost; however, I found a way over the wall."

A laughter slips from his lips as he stares at the rather dumbstruck man who Skie, with a single flash a tense smile, crushed his hopes and dreams. With chuckles slipping from his lips once in awhile he slaps his hand on the half-elf's shoulder, "Oi, my friend, it seems that Skie is as much a heart breaker as she is a beauty to look at. Don't let it bring you down, you can drown yourself in ale after we accomplish our task." He squeezes the mans shoulder one more time before he looks at Skie untying a oxen from the fence, "I believe it is time for us to head out. Oi, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I am Rhaenar."

He follows the trail of bent blades of grass and crushed dandelions that Skie left when she moved to the oxen. "Desert Breeze is a strong, stubborn bastard, he can do any task that you set in front of him; however, I was not expecting that he would have to pull anything so I don't have a harness."

The wizened farmer ears perk up at Rhaenar's words and he quickly hobbles over to him and grabs his arms with a grasp that felt like sandpaper, "Sir, I have an extra harness that I have no use for. Sunflower, my mare, died months ago from old age so it has been just collecting dust in the barn. I could give you it for a price?" Licking his lips he hungrily stares at Rhaenar hoping for the lad to take the bait. Having no other choices Rhaenar accepts the offer and the elderly farmer turns and hobbles back towards his home for the harness.

Groaning at the sight of good gold coins being spent for his stupidity he turns to the little lizard-man, "Do you want to ride with me little Lizard-man?"

Tythiss snapped from his stare to look at the speaker. Ride with him?

I suppose it would be easier... wait... little? Tythiss paused paused to stare at the man on the horse. Well if they were to ride. He should learn.

"No" the Saurian stated flatly. " I have never ridden an "oxen" or anything. I suppose now is the time to learn."

Trail by fire, Tythiss' favorite. He moved back to the rope and knot, his tongue flicking at the "oxen" with a feigned bravado. Looking at the woman and mimicking her by deftly untying the knot that kept the beast's fury in check. His slitted eyes, locked on the "oxen's", daring it to try anything.

He stood there, holding a rope to a creature that outweighed him by, well a whole lot! Watching the woman's next move so that he may attempt to mimic it. casting the occaisional glance at his new charge to make sure it hadn't murdered him.

When all the beasts had been yoked and harnessed, the small company set out. Concordia lay ahead, the lush canopy hidden on the other side of the horizon. The ox she rode on clamored down the road easily, without much direction from the reins. She hadn't expected such obedience in a beast built like a brick house. She'd expected to have to urge it away from the lush patches of clover that dotted the side of the road, spilling verdant patches of sweet grass onto the dirt path they trundled across.

The sun was high in the sky when they could finally spot the great forest way ahead. Sweat had prickled along her brow, a red flush across her cheeks that she knew would sting later. The cattle they rode felt the heat as well, the calves of her pants damp with the sweat of the beast. As its thick tail swang from side to side to swat away the flies that were drawn to the smell of sweat, she looked back to see the other oxen in much the same condition.

"The carts are are the edge of the forest, by a stream. We can get some water there and stop to break bread and rest the animals. If we can get these carts on without much trouble, we'll be at the castle by sunset."

She thought back to what the mercenary said at the farm. "What way over the wall did you find, Rhaenar? We'll need to get the main gate open in any event to let the carts in." She paused, and despite the sounds of hooves plodding over the packed earth, she could hear the faint sounds of rushing water in the distance. Their camp was near.

"Just curious," she said, raising her voice so that all three of her companions would be able to hear her. "What were you told lay under the ruins?"

Bored! This was, way to easy! There were no real controls, his "oxen" just went. No adjustments needed, no life threatening leaks in fluid or air... Well, Tythiss' "oxen" did spring a coolant leak earlier, turns out it was urine.

The Saurian sat cross legged in the saddle, swaying his tail for balance as he likened to the loose time table and the question about what they were told they would find here. To be honest he had only overheard that there was an opportunity to be had. Tythiss didn't really stick around to eavesdrop for details. Coin would be useful, as it always is, perhaps raw materials would be found as well. Or ancient technologies... ancient technologies would be pretty awesome.

Tythiss just stared off into the distant nothing, his mind whirring over the technologies that might be locked away beneath the rubble, or enchanted tools! The reptile's tongue sampled the air on occasion, it being the last real link to this world.

Laying forwards, on his arms, while straddling the ox that was assigned to him, Eric was doing his best not to fall asleep thanks to the gentle swaying of the animal and the warm sun. Talk had pretty much been at a minimum since they had set out earlier, only exchanging names between each other since Rhaenar had been so kind as to announce his to everyone. The woman was Skie, the reptile Tythiss and the man Rhaenar, obviously.

It seemed fun at first admittedly, the sky clear and with the early breeze, but the breeze ended after about an hour and then the heat set in, forcing the half-elf to hide under the hood of his cloak to avoid sunburns to his ears. Even the lizard became dull to watch after he decided the ox wasn’t a challenge and would follow the one that was in the lead.
Finally a forest of trees appeared by the mid-afternoon, planting a seed of hope that either the destination was near or that they’d at least stop for the day. ‘Come to think of it,’ Eric mused looking at the woman who they were to be accepting orders from. ‘I haven’t heard anything about our objective.’

It was then that Skie mentioned the resting spot and that they’d be at the location by day’s end. ‘Some of the best news I’ve ever heard,’ he thought, attention entirely vested on her as she continued further, talking to the man. His ears perked up slightly at the mention of the details about the job. So he straightened up and ushered the steer nearer to the conversing two, giving the lizard a light tap against the back of the head and motioning him to follow.

Instinctively the small reptile sprung from whatever touched him. He was weak and tiny he had to be fast and evasive also the interruption to his drifting into the depths of his mind scared the hell out of him. The downside he was perched on the top of a beast. Soon Tythiss was aloft, and landed in a controlled tumble.

He spun about to face his aggressor. The Saurian's stance was low and stable his feet spread and his left hand to the dirt, his right gauntleted hand cocked and held in a fist, a hiss working it's way through his maw of small needle-like teeth.

Wait... Tythiss cocked his head like a confused dog, looking this way and that, the confusion rising. Slowly he rose, absently slinging the dirt from his hand. His tongue sampled the air. Motion caught his eye and he focused on it, the elf was waving him over. Probably to goad him for starting like that... He sighed and bounded over to his "oxen" which had stopped and stared at the reptile as Tythiss approached. He grabbed the rope reins and turned headed after the Elf.

Unlike the rest who rode yoked and harnessed oxen Rhaenar was on his noble steed, standing straight and tall he seem out of place around all these oxen, even if he was clothed in mismatched armor. There was an ox without a rider, the one meant for him, that ponder its way behind Desert Breeze with a rough hewed rope that was tied around the ox's neck. The other oxen trotted along obediently with such discipline that their eyes never wavered off the trail. Not even when they past the meadows of lush green clovers. His was no exception; yet, there were a few times that Rhaenar had to pull at the rope to pull the pleading eyes of the ox away from the delectable clovers.

The well worn trail gave away for the canopies of the Concordia forest when the sun peaked its highest point in the sky, blanketing the countryside in sticky heat wave. Yet, this heat was not like the beating desert sun that burned down upon his back when he traveled across the sand. Both Rhaenar and Desert Breeze did not even notice the full extent of the heat until he heard the labored breathes of the oxen; his own ox started pulling at the rope around its neck, causing the rope to dig into its hide causing even more discomfort. Rhaenar turn his head away from the front of the trail trusting his steed to be able to transverse the trail without him directing it. Soft words of comfort were spoken to the trailing ox, the words seem to calm the beast slightly long enough for the group to hear the sound of running water.

Satisfied he turned away from the ox to the words of Skie, "Even though the wall is in a condition that seems to be nearly impossible for its age there is still some wear. On a part of the wall near the gate there is some part of the stones of the parapet and higher part of the wall that has collapsed. Luckily, most of the stones fell on our side of the wall so we can stack them up on each other and create some kind of ramp; however, it is still a pretty high distance even with the help of the ramp and the damage to the wall. Only the tallest and strongest of us can climb to the parapet. I was thinking that Cahill and I could climb onto the parapet and we both can find a way to open the iron gate for both you and lizard-man."

The party passes through a dense wall of tree limbs and bushes entering a meadow with a small stream cutting his way across the meadow into the dark, green depths of the forest. The canopy of the nearby trees spread out across the edge of the meadow its shadows laying across the bed of clovers that hug close to the watery banks of the running stream.

He swings himself off his steed and starts untying the ox from his saddle to let it graze in clovers, "My contact for this job was extremely vague in his details for the contract; however, he made up for the vagueness with the amount of gold he offered. Yet, I knew I could not run wildly into this type of contract so I met with some of the folks that live in the nearby region." He finished with the rope and the ox lumbered over towards the stream and clovers, "They tell me that at night they can hear grunting and howling coming from within the walled keep every full moon, and that smoke can sometimes can be seen billowing up from the keep during the early mornings. I believe that this is more than just some bumpkins letting their imagination getting the better of them. I think there are some creatures living in the keep."

Along the edges of the clearing where they were to set up camp, a small woodcutter's lodge was set up. Here was where the carts were held, the pasture by which they sat empty. The woodcutter had gone with his ponies to take an order of lumber to a client, and they'd been given permission to sleep within the safety of his cottage. However, Skie felt ill at ease in the homes of strangers. While she told her companions they were welcome to sleep within the cottage, she began to build a fire by the bank of the stream and unpacked her bedroll from the oxen. It was clear that only she'd been given information about what lay within the castle, likely to prevent another party from trying for the goal first.

"Creatures?" she had said with a scoff after Rhaenar had answered. She kept her silence until they camped. Now she felt it best to let them know what they faced, as it was only fair. They were far enough now from the open ears of the city that it was safe.

"The castle ahead was once home to a power artificer," she said as she warmed her hands by the fire. "They say he built a dragon of gold and gave it life, and it's heart still beats and it's breath still burns within the ruins. That's why we need strong oxen, and a cart. We're to leave the head and wings intact, but the rest of the body can be torn apart as we see fit to get it on the carts."

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It was midmorning the next day when they stood at the bottom of a steep hill. Looking up the rise, the ragged ruins of the ancient stone fortress jutted almost grimly beneath a cloudy sky. The day was muggy, the air full of the promise of rain.

"It may look easy to get in," Skie said, motioning to the rusting gate and the walls that had been knocked low in places. "Still, be aware of traps, and whatever else may greet us once we enter."

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I sped us ahead a little bit, but I feel like we should get the real fun started. ;)

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Seeing the foreboding walls that now stood in front of them, Eric wondered for the utmost time since it first came into view why he hadn’t snuck away the previous night whilst everyone slept. ‘After all, a dragon was reason enough to avoid the place, no matter how much it was worth,’ ran through his mind. ‘I am no warrior, I’m a thief. I hide and steal, not go charging into battle.’

Not much had taken place since they reached their camp ground the previous day. Idle talk, eating and sleeping was about it. Skie had also once again made it rather clear she wasn’t interested when he tried lying with her by the fire that night, arm around her waist and not shoulder this time. He rubbed his cheek at the thought, glancing at her. Tythiss amused Eric most of the night as well. The sight of the small lizard-like creature going about his business, making obstacles out of things that would be considered everyday, elicited quite a few chuckles. The morning consisted of eating, packing up and setting out once more.

Sighing slightly to himself as he dismounted his ox, he made his way to get a better view of the gate and wall. The three foot high, stone merging neatly with the iron of the same height. Skie’s words reached his ears, but he didn’t pay much attention to them. Past the gate a large courtyard could be seen with a few smaller buildings, of indeterminate substance from their vantage point, though he assumed wood and stone, and also the castle-like structure, all abandoned as far as he could make out.

Eric gave the iron gate a tug, trying to gauge it’s strength, but opting to inspect the wall in the hope that the others wouldn’t notice that he hardly shifted the gate. Rhaenar’s early observation had proven correct he saw. Even though the gate was unclimbable the wall would be easy to cross over, easier in his eyes since the wall had partially collapsed. ‘Besides that the stone of the wall was rough enough to leave countless crevices for nimble fingers and boot tips,’ Eric mused.

The Half-Elf turned to face his companions, seeing some had already dismounted. “Up and over?” he asked to no one in particular, before turning back, stepping on a fallen stone and starting to scale the wall.

She followed Eric silently, finding easy purchase. The stone walls had been pockmarked with time and disuse, making them almost a ladder for anyone who wanted to ascend the perimeter of the castle. When she reached the top, doubt nagged at the corners of her mind. If it were this easy to get in, why hadn't the golden dragon been looted years before? Surely their employer wasn't the only man who knew what lay within the dungeons deep below the hillside fort.

As she began the climb downwards into the courtyard, a rumble came from beneath the earth. Her feet slipped for a moment but she landed well, crouched and still. Her hand was on her sword hilt, her eyes glaring across the court. It was open, though the flagstones that once paved the yard were cracked and split. Tall weeds were growing through, swaying with the breeze. The smell of sulfur clung here, soaked into the brick and unable to be completely aired away. Skie motioned to the castle, where dark, sooty tendrils of smoke had begun to drift from holes in the aged roof.

"The entrance to the dungeons will probably be in the center of the manor," she said, frowning. Down the hill were the carts and the oxen, but how would they get a dragon made of metal out of here? She started to cross the courtyard, deciding they would cross that bridge when they got to it. As her nimble feet slid from one flagstone to another, careful to walk as silently as possible, the stone beneath one hill began to shift. Suddenly, the plicks and twangs of arrows being fired filled the silent air. From higher on the wall of the manor that faced them, scores of arrows shot down.Skie dove towards the manor wall, holding her breath and saying a prayer that she'd make it from the rain of ammunition that she'd foolishly tripped.

Eric stood, looking at the manor from his new viewpoint inside the walls of the keep as Skie made her entrance. The various structures were, just like the paving that made up the courtyard, a bit downtrodden with age, showing signs of weather wear and invasive plant life in cracks. With better sight of the inside he could also determine what most of the buildings were, including stables, storage shacks for implements and what seemed like a kind of barracks.

‘Dungeons now as well?!’ Eric thought as he heard Skie. Before he could comment on it though, she began making her way towards the manor, prompting him to follow grumpily. The few feet between them was one of the factors that saved Eric. He quickly jumped backwards at the sound of arrows being loosed. Thanks to the cracked and broken terrain, even though he was out of the way of the deadly projectiles, Eric was not totally unscathed. He had landed on his backside, “That will be sore in the morning,” he voiced.

He looked towards the mansion, seeing that Skie had made it to the buildings wall unhurt. The arrow bolts had stopped by then and lay scattered and pegged into the ground. Eric couldn’t make out where they had come from, however it was clear it was from somewhere further up the wall that Skie was now hugging.

A few droplets were making their way down to the ground as the half-elf stood and patted dust from his clothes. “Everyone Alive?”

Tythiss had opted to let the others find their way into the walled courtyard. His mind was still reeling over the fact someone had actually made a gold dragon that was alive and breathed fire. It would obviously need to have a cooler flame, or a pulse to prevent the weak gold from melting.

There were of course the voices of his companions, the woman had scaled the wall and the elf after. Still reverse-engineering the dragon in his head, Tythiss walked distractedly to the wall. One clawed hand gasped the stone as he left himself up to being the ascent.

If they were brave enough to circle the fuel underpressure around the nozzle when firing that could work too...

The saurian's head crested the wall just to be greeted by an arrow plinking off the stone in front of him. The spray of loose dust and the sound started Tythiss and made him lose his grip and balance.

Using his tail, He was able to right himself and end the fall into a tumble that left him on his feet in the end. Quickly he spun to face the archer, his poor eyes were not really allowing him to see much at all.

Rather, Tythiss ran back up to the wall, and hugged it until the plinking sound of the arrows subsided. He heard a voice calling if everyone was alive.

"Yes!" He called over the wall, and began to ascend again. It would seem that he would need to keep his wits about the situations at hand, rather than get caught off guard.

"I'm alive," she called, but felt detached. Her heart was still pounding, making her voice sound small to her own ears. Her arms shook and she could feel the cold sweat that had broken out under her shirt, making her skin crawl. But she was indeed alive, and after a deep breath and a moment to let the rush of blood to her brain sort itself out, she began to head towards the back door of the fortress. She made sure to stay close to the wall and to test each step before she took it this time.

When she got to the door she tried the handle, letting it swing open as she dove back so that if the door were trapped she wouldn't be caught in it. This time, however, there was nothing unpleasant waiting for them with the exception of a billow of stale air and the stench of rot that rolled from the dark hall beyond the door.

Quote:

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I'll let the next person who posts decides what's in the Great Hall. Really have fun with sensory details with this one - what's rotting in there. Is it forgotten meals on tables, or something more sinister?

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Tythiss vaulted over the wall, and deftly landed on the other side. Quite nonchalantly, the reptile walked across the arrow littered courtyard as though the shafts of the arrows were stems to flowers in season.

The woman, Skie, had just opened the door to the keep and vaulted back, no doubt expecting some axe to fall from the ceiling to remove her pretty head from her slender neck. As she edged back towards the door, Tythiss brushed passed her and met the hall tongue first.

The smell was indeed old and thick, the humid air was old and stagnant. The taste of earth and mildew hung in the air. A ,no doubt, once splendid reception hall sprawled before the Saurian as he walked inside. Pale plants struggled for purchase in between the stone and mortar, struggling to find the light that was not going to come. A few tapestries still hung stubbornly on rusting and rotting poles. Their once vibrant color dulled and marred with dust, grime and mold. A squalid spread of furniture decorated the walls and had since fell into ruin.

Adorning the walls were paintings, well, frames that once held paintings. Each now a ghost of the past staring into emptiness with dulled and fading eyes. The light from the door was barely strong enough to pierce through the darkness to light the far walls, but Tythiss' eyes did not fail him in low light, he could see a feasting table, and a few doors leading off from the hall. As Tythiss took another step the scratch of his talons were answered by the skittering and scampering of some rodent off at the end of the hall, its noises echoing hollowly back to the party.

The Saurian thumbed free his HHMAK looking back at the others, his tongue flicking free again tasting the air.

"It tastes... off." He commented in a hushed tone that seemed to echo louder than spoken.

Eric watched as Tythiss slip past Skie, but didn’t start towards the door until the lizard had disappeared inside, tail and all. Skie was still standing in front of the door when he reached it. A musty smell emanated from the inside the hall, but pushing on he entered, opening the door wider as he came to stand behind his small companion.

Gray light spilled through the doorway, illuminating most of the room. Everything seemed pretty much the same, faded and dust covered. As far as Eric could make out, much to his dismay, there was nothing worth exceptional value. No large stash of gold that dragons were rumoured to guard over and no dragon for that matter. No sign or smell of it. There was no smell of smoke and no charred furniture or burnt decorations. There weren’t even cindered corpses or gnawed on bones of previous adventurers or animals.The only trace of life was the sound of a rat or two, that and the sound of Tythiss’ slithering tongue and Eric’s breathing. It was audible outside that the wind was picking up, a drizzle coming down lightly.

“No use standing around, is there?” He voiced, talking over Tythiss’ words. The half-elf quickly produced flint from a small pouch at his waist. Two torches, one on either side of the main door, sat waiting to be lit. Turning he drew his dagger, reached up and scraped it across the flint. To his surprise the, fabric at the top of the torch caught fire instantly, illuminating the room further with a dull orange glow. The second torch was quickly lit with the first and Eric, flame in hand and flint and dagger put away, moved deeper into the room.

“Expected more from a place that looked so scary,” Eric said over his shoulder moving to the table in the middle hall. “To be honest I’m pretty let down, considering all the sinister stuff you guys were saying.” His voiced echoed loudly. The table was empty, except for five ornate candleholders, each fitted with their own candle. Surrounding the table was a number of chairs, neatly pushed in, excluding the one at the far that was facing away from the table.

“Coming soon?” Eric said looking toward the main door and leaning on the back rest of a chair.

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