Originally posted by Rail:
Let's get back to Athkatla, a place where everyone's familiar with, and simplify things.
Well, so much for that idea!
@Magus- you can fill in anything about us leaving the tower that might have been important. I'll start in Athkatla, shortly after out arrival.
So, here we go!
Into the Dark and Twisted City
Fallout slowly retreated from the frenzied onslaught of the horrid demon's flailing claws, parrying desperately with his enchanted weapons. The hellish beast was feverish in it's thirst for flesh, and it's bloodshot eyes trained hungrily on the warrior. Fallout glanced behind him at the dark alleyway, fully aware of the second demon waiting in the shadows. Fallout continued retreating anyway.
Further down the street, the sounds of TripWire and Aerie battling another hell-spawn filled the air, but they seemed to be doing fine, to the skilled ears of the barbarian. Besides, Magus was with them, conserving as much of his magic as possible, but he would aid his lover, should the need arise.
The alleyway loomed nearer, and he could almost hear the breathing of the second beast behind him. Staying on the defensive, he relied on his years of training in the woods and predicting ambushes by far stealthier opponents to warn him of the new attack. And, a cunning and satisfying smile crossed his face, fallout relied on his allies.
The alley erupted in the sudden roar of another creature. A pit fiend burst from the shadows toward the back of the supposedly unsuspecting barbarian. It's hungry jaws drooled in anticipation.
Before it could completely leave the shadows, however, it stood up straight in confusion, stumbling forward a step as if pushed from behind. In a grotesque shower of fetid blood, a sword point erupted from the creature's chest. Grasping in disbelief at the volcanic wound, the demon pitched forward, life flowing quickly between it's helpless claws. Rail's sword slid cleanly out of the creature as it died.
Fallout quickly siezed the opportunity, leaping at the bewildered demon before him. It's defenses had dropped expecting an easy kill, and fallout's blades found their marks repeatedly, blow after crushing blow, untill he too stood over a dead demon.
Rail fought the blood-pumping euphoria that always seemed to sweep over him after such a kill. He knew it was wrong, but he let it fill his senses ever-so briefly before gritting his teeth and snuffing out the sickening bliss. He couldn't give in to it. He mustn't.
Fallout casually strode over to the assassin, smiling confidently and nodding in approval at the demonic corpse at Rail's feet.
TripWire, Aerie, and Magus also approached the two, apparently finished with their attackers. They were accompanied by an odd group of unknown men and women, fully clad in battle-scarred armor. Only one was known to the assassin. Keldorn, Praelit of the Order of the Radiant Heart, strode side-by-side with Magus. Behind him were the survivors of his shattered order (KidD01?), though one of the women dressed in arcane robes of a mage (Imoen?).
"Never thought you'd still be here, thief," Keldorn shouted out in a surprisingly friendly tone. "Most of your kind left the city as fast as they could." Several of the other paladins looked suspiciously, even accusingly at the shadowy assassin, though the Praelit showed no such bias.
"Probably taking what they could from the buildings on their way out," Rail responded, smiling slightly and nodding in respect toward the grizzled inquisitor.
"Are you sure Magus brought us to the right place," Fallout whispered to the assassin, still suspicously glancing around at the blood-stained sidewalks, scarred buildings and empty streets of the unfamiliar city. Big cities all looked the same to the barbarian, but this one was shattered.
"It is Athkatla," Rail grimly stated.
"How could this happen so quickly?" Tripwire asked in disbelief at the turn of events since leaving the Rift.
"Praelit Keldorn, here, has many answers," Magus said in a commanding tone, looking everyone in the eye one by one. "But this is neither the time or place to have this discussion."
"Yes," Keldorn agreed. "We must move back underground. The streets crawl with these beasts." the inquisitor's voice echoed the disgust displayed clearly on his face at the mention of the beasts. Shaking his head sadly, he continued, "Let us retreat and regroup. There are others you must meet."
Magus nodded in agreement while fallout and Rail sheathed their weapons. At the Praelit's signal, the motley group of warriors, magi, and assassin entered a nearby building, decending to the cellar and it's entrance to the sewers, a profound twist of irony for the once proud and powerful Order.
@all- hope this sounds okay. This would give everyone a chance to enter the story. Just tell us how you connect with the rebel (
) Keldorn and his band of warriors. If I have stepped on toes, let me know. I try not to.
I will be gone for a couple of days. I'm not sure if I will have access to the internet in my absence. Feel free to use me as needed for the story, or I can always go off and begin to gather other forces (shadow thieves?). Demons can't attack what they can't see.
[This message has been edited by Rail (edited 03-22-2001).]
Matti Il-Amin, Paladin, comedian, and expert adventurer. Proudly bearing the colors of the [url="http://www.svelmoe.dk/blade/index.htm"]Blades of the Banshee[/url]
I want to wait for you before we go on. Did I put too big a burden on you in letting you handle a large part of the story? Do you need me to do a more in-depth introduction so you don't have to handle as much of the story? Or are you just waiting until you have enough time to do it?
