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2月19日 End of the road...I'm gonna stop writing for a while I think...just dont feel like carrying on the blogs to be honest. My inspirations gone...for the moment...
Therefore...I'll be taking a break...TTFN fellows. 2月18日 New stuff from the front...Few tit-bits from the world of BXB...enjoy.
Halo 3 teaser...
Lost Planet Maps...
Star Trek: Legacy review...
BXB warfighters event...
My D&D Character...Name: Auduin
Age: 23
Hair Colour/Style: Blonde/Long Loose
Eye Colour: Blue
Distinguishing marks: Deep scar along right hand cheek.
Alignment: Lawful/Good
Class: Paladin
Statistics
Strength: 13
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 14
Aura of Good - Detect Evil - Smite Evil
Skills
Profession (smithing): 2
Heal: 4
Concentration: 3
Knowledge (Religion): 4
Sense Motive: 3
Feats
Endurance
Die hard
Possessions
Warhammer - D8+1/D8+2 (two handed)
Scale Mail
Heavy Steel Shield
Bedroll
Backpack
5x Torches
Waterskin
Background
For me to know and you to find out... WFRP - Story V.2WFRP - Not Dead yet...
Leopold sighed, and dropped his hammer into the blood soaked dust of the entrance road. He looked around him at the bodies of the beastmen they had slain, bodies broken and bent, the evil cleansed from this area, at least for the moment. He looked down at the corpse beneath his feet, an ungor, its leg twitched. He stood hard on the neck of the beastman and felt it snap. He offered up a prayer to Sigmar and spat on the foul creation. He bent down and picked up his hammer, the steel surface stained with blood. He grasped it in his leather gauntleted hands and snarled, these beasts would pay one day, and he would have their leaders head. He turned as he heard Urdafine calling to him from across the road.
The weary elf walked towards him, clutching his arm. Leopold frowned and looked at him. He gestured to the arm.
“What is wrong Urdafine?” he reached out for his friends arm and looked at the skin. It was blistered slightly, red raw in others.
“Nothing” Urdafine grimaced. “Its just the effects of a bad spell, I’m ok really” He looked over Leopold’s shoulder at the broken and burning wall. “Where are Storri and Urgrim?”
Leopold suddenly remembered the main source of this damnable massacre, so many innocent lives wasted. He turned and saw the priest he had been spending wasted days trying to talk to and convince to help in the defences, and now he arrived at this late hour wanting praise. He frowned and made to leave, but felt Urdafine’s hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked to his elven friend pointing to the wall.
Urdafine winced and said in a solemn voice, almost too quiet to hear “We have more pressing matters my friend; he can be dealt with later.”
They looked on to see Storri stumble from the wreckage of a burning wall his beard matted with blood, his axe lodged in a beastmans skull, his shield almost cracked in half. He stopped and looked around him, trying to find his cousin, but the bodies of the beastmen around them showed no signs of his brethren.
He shouted at the top his lungs “Urgrim!” And kicked over a pile of gors, searching in vain for his cousin. After a few seconds he stopped and dropped to his knees, his shield falling from his grip.
Leopold and Urdafine raced over, forgetting the priest, more concerned with their friend now. They stopped as they neared; Leopold closed his eyes and made the mark of Sigmar across his chest. Urdafine did the same, something strange for an elf. Below them, lying silent, covered in battle scars was Urgrim, pale and still. Leopold put his hand on Storri’s shoulder and looked down at his friend. This would have hit him hard. They had spent so many months together as a group now, and even after fire, pestilence, and even death they had come through it all. Now, one of their kin had fallen. Succumbed to the arduous battles they had fought. Storri slammed a fist into the ground and picked his cousin into his arms.
Urdafine grasped Leopold’s arm and turned him away from the cousins. “We must leave him to mourn. There is much work to be done, a burial must be organised.” He walked away, moving to a group of town guard whom were dragging the bodies of the fallen back through the large wooden gates.
Leopold grasped his small sigmarite medallion in his bloodied fist and turned back for a second to Storri and Urgrim. He sighed and walked away, moving to the guards with Urdafine, there would be much sorrow in the next few hours. The battle was over, but at the cost of so many.
____________
A few hours later, just inside the walls, the company stood once more. The darkening sky soon filled with stars, and the moon beamed down on the town. Many people had gathered to honour the dead, a large grave had been built, many small holes dug around the perimeter wall, close to where they had fallen only a short time before. Urgrim’s grave however was apart from the others. Storri had asked to do it alone, digging the tomb for his cousin. Leopold and Urdafine had watched as he had done so, before helping to erect Urgrim’s pick in the ground as a headstone. Putting his helmet upon the top, a warrior’s grave. Not as fancy as the stone tombs of old, but what he would have wanted. They stood for a moment, Leopold shifted uneasily, he hadn’t expected to be burying such a close friend so soon into their journey, and they had not even reached Kislev yet. Urdafine maintained his look of solitude, his hooded cloak shrouding his face in darkness, just gazing down at the small grave, and the elaborate headstone that even now was fresh with blood from the battlefield, Urgrim would certainly have been proud.
Urdafine breathed in, and whispered a few choice words in Elvish, the hushed whisper of speech a lament to a fallen hero, something only reserved for elves on most occasions, but in this instance he thought it seemed right.
He stopped, and spoke in a base tongue once more. “For those that have fallen, the living remembers.” He pulled back his hood and looked at his two companions; Storri had not moved or said anything since they had begun.
He continued. “Urgrim was a brave warrior, fearless and resolute in his actions. I, being of elven kind would not have thought I would find such a friend in one so different from myself.” He looked down to Storri again “May the peace of your ancestors guide you into the afterlife.” He crossed himself with the sigmarite symbol and knelt, bowing his head, before rising once more and looking to Leopold.
Leopold stared back for a second, and felt a smile crack on his features. Even through all of this he had made good friends, and to think it had all happened by accident all those months ago fighting the beastman horde. His memory was, hazy, for the most part of the events before they had left on their journey to Kislev, but he knew that these companions were ones he would go to the ends of the world for. He turned and looked down at the grave.
“Never before have I seen a dwarf fights so well, and share that bond of kinship with his fellows, be they elf or man. I am proud to have known such proud a warrior, and his death will not be in vain.” He couldn’t think of much more to say, Urdafine had said what they had all been feeling. He bowed his head and sighed.
Urdafine nodded to him, and the two left, walking back towards the larger gravesite, to aid with the ceremony and see what could be done in the aftermath of such a bloody battle. There were many things that still needed to be dealt with, and now Urgrim was laid to rest, it was time for them to deal with the poison that had infected this town.
_____________
Storri waited for the others to leave before reacting at all. This was something he would need to do himself. He turned and looked back at the broken wall, and the pile of beastman bodies now burning outside of them. He frowned; he would deal with the last of these beastmen even if it took his whole life to deal out his retribution. Looking back at his cousin’s grave he knelt on his aching knees and took a small dagger from his belt. Now, he was going to swear the oath he should have done a few hours ago, and see it through to its end. He slipped the blade into his palm and pressed his skin around the cold steel, before dragging it down fast, he growled as the knife cut through his skin and blood seeped from the wound. He did the same with his other palm and closed them together, the blood trickling over his fingers and onto the top of the grave. He uttered a few words in booming dwarfish, pledging his life to avenging his cousin’s untimely death and ridding these foul creations from the lands.
He remembered the moment they had left the bar, his cousin pledging to help him recover what honour was needed and stay by his side even into the fires of the wastes itself if it came to that. Now, he was doing the same. He would take his cousin’s spirit with him wherever he walked, and however much a burden it became, he would make sure his death had not been in vain. He stood and clasped his hands individually together, saying a few more words in dwarfish before turning to leave. He looked over to Leopold and Urdafine; they would do whatever was needed to avenge his cousin. Whatever Storri felt about elves, he was proud to have known Urdafine, even if he couldn’t stand his mysteries and sombre tone, he was a good warrior, even with his magic. His dwarven tastes did not stretch so far as to allow that to be ok in his mind.
Suddenly he heard something behind him, a dull thudding. He stopped and looked over his shoulder, it couldn’t be. But yet, then as he turned to go it sounded again, louder than before. This time he knew he could not be mistaken. He turned and walked back to the grave of his cousin, and shouted loud. “Urgrim?” The thudding stopped. This was a trick of the mind, he knew his cousin could not live, and there was no way he could have come back from those wounds. He turned, dismissing it, it was his grief affecting his thoughts, all he needed was a mug of ale and he’d be fine again. He shook his head and walked off towards the larger burial.
The thudding this time was accompanied by a muffled yell, and a cracking…followed shortly by a smash. Storri turned and saw a dwarvish hand clenched, covered in dirt and blood, reaching out from the ground clawing at the dirt. This could only be one thing, deadly black magic, Storri snarled and turned back, this was too much, not only had the foul creations killed his cousin but now some unholy force was trying to resurrect him from peaceful slumber. He pulled his axe from his belt and twisted it in his grip.
Urgrim was clawing his way out of the shallow grave as he approached, his arm smashed a hole through the wooden coffin, and in one swift smash his entire top half of his body shot through the earth, his entire face bloody and pale, with stains of dirt all over it. He stared at Storri approaching with his axe held high and yelped, his voice dulled.
“What in Grungi’s name do you think you’re doing?!” He raised his hand and tried to slide out of the hole.
Storri was paralysed, an expression of utter shock and surprise on his bearded face. Words managed to escape his dumbfounded tongue."But you're...?"
“Dead? What the damn do you mean?! I was just restin’ me eyes cousin, you should know by now that us dwarfs don’t die to something as pitiful as beastmen! Now where the hells my eyepatch, and some of that pipeweed you've got there wouldn't got amiss."
Storri still could not believe his eyes. URGRIM WAS BACK! 2月17日 Tired...Slept roughly last night, at the right time...just not good sleep at all really. Woke up several times in the night, the dreams I was having not very nice at all. Guess everythings kinda getting to me...but cant let that happen, gotta be possitive when I can be. Been dozing on and off all day now, since coming back from lunch today slept for around 2 hours, just sleeping while wathcing tv and the like. Even nearly fell asleep washing my face, lol...
Thing is...I dont want to fall asleep like that, and its not the whole hours thing, its just being worried. The dreams I had were well...too vivid...and not something I'd like to have again...
Sounds like something from the matrix, as I said to someone today..."Its like Deja Vu...you know something changed in the world, a sure sign your fucked"...too which they told me to have a cup of tea and rest, lol....so...you can imagine how that works out.
Just hope it all works out really...not a nice feeling not being able to help people you want to.
But anyway...I'll do more on the WFRP story when I have a moment, and again...talk later.... 2月16日 W40KRPImperial Moly...looksy at this
Need I say anymore...how freckin cool does that look! However...as my mate pointed out, is it going to beat the WFRP we've seen and loved before? WFRP Short Story...(work in progress)Mainly for the guys to take a look at...see if you like it and tell me if you want me to carry on with it, or change anything lads...
WFRP Story
Urdafine grimaced and murmured as he summoned the ethereal dart between his hands, loosing it at the beastman before him. The magical projectile slammed into the creature’s chest and slammed the hulking monstrosity into a nearby tree; it slumped down dead at the tree’s roots, blood seeping from its mouth. He turned and pulled his bow from his back, bringing it down just in time to block a rusty axe caving into his skull. He felt the bow creak with the effort of blocking the weapon and slid back in the mud. Urdafine looked up into the red eyes of a new adversary, another beastman, this one adorned with trinkets and the like, a veteran of many battles. He felt its hot breath wash over him, and pushed back the reflex to gag, locking his bow under the blade of the axe and struggling with the creature, trying to rest control of the situation.
Suddenly, the creature gawked in terror and dropped its axe; Urdafine looked into the face of the beast and saw the crossbow bolt sticking out of the beast’s temple. He sighed and looked round to where it had been fired, the sweat still beading on his brow.
“Urdafine” said a gravely voice “How many times have I told you to not play with your enemies” A short sharp laugh echoed from the saviour. The stocky dwarf’s name was Urgrim, a grizzled old dwarf, a miner in his youth, and still was when he could find the time, but now was not the time to relate such histories and legends. Urgrim spat on the beastman corpse and loaded another bolt into his weapon, grumbling at the weaknesses of human technology.
Urdafine was about to retort when he heard a roar from behind them, the two turned and looked to the combat still whirling around them. Another dwarf, younger than Urgrim was astride a beastman, digging his axe into its chest with a dangerous vigour, a look of utter bloodthirst on his face.
Urgrim ran to his cousin and steadied his hand. “He is done Storri, leave the body be and lets find Leopold.” He smiled and looked at his cousin’s handiwork; he had slain five of the beast and not suffered a bruise to his body, a true dwarf if you’d ever seen one.
Urdafine walked towards them and notched an arrow. He looked around, his elven eyes piercing the darkness and his ears pricking to the slightest sound. He caught a sound of clashing steel and beckoned to the dwarves.
“Come, I hear the sounds of battle before us…we must find Leopold”. He turned and sprinted off in the direction of the sound, leaping over the fallen trees towards his next quarry.
Storri and Urgrim looked at each other with a look of ‘you expect us to be that quick?’ and jogged after Urdafine.
_____________
Leopold swung his hammer into the nearest beastman, the head of the weapon smashing the skull into pieces. He offered up a prayer to Sigmar as he turned quickly and blocked the incoming curved blade of another. Shoving the haft of the weapon into its stomach, it bent double, and with all his might he kneed it in its mutated face, smashing it backwards onto the ground. Leopold grabbed his hammer in two hands and swung it above his shoulders, bringing it down with a roar onto its stomach, smashing its ribcage and killing it instantly. Suddenly a hot pain seared through his shoulder and he looked to see a crude arrow lodged in his shoulder, he span and landed on his knees’ facing this new threat, a pair of ungor’s with faces contorted by chaos, aimed crude black and knarled bows in his direction.
Two arrows flew past his head and thudded into the two ungor’s ahead of him, both piercing the skulls of the beast and sending them flipping backwards into the dark bushes behind them. He turned and looked behind him, seeing his companions jump from the undergrowth and land in the clearing. He looked around at the forest floor, and the dead beastmen around him
“Looks like you’re too late” he said in a deep booming voice. He smirked, but then found the pain in his shoulder ache again, he shouldn’t be moving, and he didn’t want to get it snapped off in his flesh.
Urgrim looked at Leopold and grunted “It’s only a flesh wound Leo, you’ll live ya big sissy.” He chuckled and put his crossbow on his back.
Leopold smiled and looked to his arm. “Guess so, Urdafine, would you help me take it out?” He touched the arrow gingerly. He looked to Urgrim “I don’t see you taking the shots to save me” He laughed.
Urgrim pointed to his eye, and the crossbow on his back. “See this Leo?” He lifted his eye patch “Little hard to make point shots with one eye” he laughed heartily and looked behind him as he heard footsteps.
Storri walked up behind his cousin and stuck his axe back in his belt, slinging his shield over his back and adjusting his helmet. “Last of the beastmen fled make into Drakenwold.” He looked to Leopold “See you didn’t get away without a little scratch”.
Leopold was about to speak when Urdafine pulled on the arrow and got it out, leaving no more damaging wounds. He turned and looked at his elven friend. “Did you have to be so quick with that?” He grimaced.
Urdafine put his hand on his shoulder and lifted him to his feet. “Better to take it out in one rather than give you a few minutes of torture.” He wiped his hands on his robes and pulled his hood back over his head, shrouding his face.
Leopold winced, but knew the arrow had not done much damage. He looked around, the object of their quest still alluding them. He looked to Storri. “Did you find the prisoners?”
Storri shook his head, stroking his beard. “The beastmen either took them with them as they fled or hid them somewhere around here, I didn’t see them while I tracked.” He looked up at the sun, disappearing behind the tree line canopy. “We should be getting back; the night will spell the end for us if we stay here”.
Leopold grimaced, he knew he didn’t want to let the prisoners be taken away by the beastmen, but Storri was right. They’d be slaughtered if they stayed out at night. The worst thing was, the others could see in the dark, the elven and dwarf eyes accustomed to such murky pursuits. He turned and looked to Urdafine and Urgrim. Urdafine seemed to understand his looked and un-slung his bow, notching an arrow.
Urgrim sighed and scuffed his boots in the dirt “If we have too, then I guess we will” He grumbled and looked round at his brother Storri who was smoking a pipe. “What on Grungi’s beard are you doing cousin?!”
Storri took out the pipe and looked to his bewildered cousin. “Its pipe weed cousin and this seems like a good moment to enjoy some, victory and all” He puffed on it again, blowing small rings from his mouth.
Urgrim pointed to Leopold and Urdafine walking towards the trail. “We haven’t finished yet cousin!!” He fumed, his beard hairs sticking on end.
Storri sputtered, “But…but I thought we were going back?” He handed the pipe to his brother and took his shield and axe out once more. He sighed and grunted “Bloody righteous humans, always have to do everything to the end.”
Urgrim nodded and handed the pipe back to his cousin. “Remember Storri” he said in a hushed growl of a whisper “Leopold can’t see in the dark, watch the priests back” The two chuckled and walked after Urdafine and Leopold.
Urdafine’s elven ears heard everything. He looked to Leopold and saw the look of grim determination on his friends face, it didn’t look like anything, and not even pitch darkness was going to stop him.
2月15日 The Force Unleashed!SITH STYLE!!! In this new game from LucasArts, we are looking at possibly THE coolest Star Wars game ever. Its based around the section of time between the end of Anakin's life as a Jedi and his rebirth as Darth Vader, and period of bloody eradication that existed before they discovered Luke on Tattooine all those years in the far, far future... The new issue of OXM has got a freckin awesome preview of the game, with some amazing artwork...and so to share with you, I'm gonna go through the main points of the article for those unfortunate enough not to be able to get hold of it...if you wanted a surprise I remind you these will be SPOILERS - The force powers confirmed are...Lightning/Pull/Repluse/Grip and combo's of the ones mentioned. Also, there is the amazing physics combined with these and as OXM describes it, its "like insulting the Hulks mother and then giving him the Grav Gun from Half Life 2" - You can rip parts from walls, chuck people through buildings, swing them around and throw them around like ra-dolls, everything you could imagine with force powers....you can even force grip and enemy and stab him in mid-air with your lightsaber...very satisfying...muhahaha! - Famous Jedi ready to be killed...hunting down the last of the Jedi has become your priority to get into Darth Vaders good books (he's lookin for an apprentice) including the following...Shaak Ti/Master Kota/Maris Brood. - Vehicles can be 'pimped' and modded...and all those lovely things from the movies will now be bristling with guns...lotsa' guns... - The new Euphoria engine makes all of this possible, and beats even havok to its amazing physics...brilliant! Heres a youtube video of some of the things we can expect... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBDvawa2HLA Screw Ninja's...I wanna be a Sith! Thats just what I've found so far...I'll post more later! 2月14日 Combat...Just had a brainwave (that doesnt happen very often so dont expect too many). I was thinking of the way combat has been done in so many fantasy games, and came to the conclusion that there are a few things that stand out as being 'needed' in my humble opinion when your doing one. Heres a short list...
Quick Time Events - (QTE) These events are needed so badly. It means that the game designers can do something that just wouldnt be possible with normal controller functions. Games like God of War/Shenmue/Legend of Dragoon/Marvel: Ultimate Alliance have all done this, when a monster or enemy gets to a certain level of damage, you should be able to finish is off in one of a multitude of ways. Be that clambering ontop of its back and tapping a series of buttons to escape its flailing arms before plunging your sword into its head, or something else. That cinematic kill never comes from normal combat usually, and with the QTE you are certain to have gamers going 'wow'. I know I would be.
Free Form Combat - Or real-time as some may know it. This is again, a nessercary part of any fantasy game. The old Final Fantasy VII ordered combats are a thing of the past, and however good they are, its just not what gamers are expecting from their adventure and RPG's anymore. Jade Empire is a pure example of how good this can be, deftly switching between combat forms, while still adhereing to the basics of the Roleplay formula (behind the scenes 'dice rolling'). Another game that has done with well is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Not only did they manage to make it seem like a proper roleplay (based on the Star Wars orginal paper&pens roleplay) but it felt realistic enough to be good combat, especially with the pre-animated lightsaber duels...truly epic.
Environment Use - No game now should have anything less than a smidgen of environmental interaction. By this I mean, if you swing your sword (a hark back to PM's lecture at Leipzig last year) it will get stuck in the wood, forcing you to fight with your legs or anything you can get your hands on. This also goes as far as being able to use literally anything to deal out some wup-ass. Imagine being in a bar, and picking up that chair, smacking that dude over the head, then when you do an unarmed move you fling him over the bar into the wall of glasses and mugs on the other side. There is no doubt that this is something to look forwards too...I mean games like Lord of the Rings: Return of the King managed to do it, by allowing you to pull stakes from the ground and fling them at your oppnents, impaling them with the 8ft long rods of iron. Legacy of Kain: Definace also did this by introducing the ability to fling your enemies (in Kain's case) onto spikes, basic interaction with the environment. This also stretches to the effect you have on the environment as a whole. When you cast that magic spell...it should FUCKING look like you unleashed hellish fire on your enemy, burning the ground around you, or knocking things flying...the joys of rag-doll tech ehh?
And theres where my mind goes blank, apart from constantly thinking and thinking about games I would love to make but would never get done...
This is my nice idea that me and my brother came up with, but to be honest we over did it a bit (pay no attention to the crap we put up there and enjoy the weapons and shizzle)
But anyway, since its the 14th of February...I wish you all a lovable day, and a link to a little gift from my favourite game developers...
Enjoy.....0.... 2月13日 Work that isnt too much work...So, hopefully I'll be doing some more news pieces for BXB. That is once I've got through my books and papers, as well as everything else. Shouldnt take too long, and I enjoy the whole news scene, even if I cant do any of the reviews or previews thanks to this annoying lack of Live connection.
As well as this, found a new favorite TV show after Top Gear. Life on Mars is a damn fine TV show...a copper stuck in the past, in a coma waiting to find his way back to the future. All amazing stuff, and so well done.
As well as this...I've done the Gun-Smith story as you can see below, hope you enjoy it, and I'll do some more on that at a later date.
Enjoying today...even in these wee last hours...so...lets keep it cool.
1.... Gun-SmithGun - Smith
Taka loosed the clips in his 9mm pistols and heard them clatter to the floor, shouting loudly across the room to his partner. “Haku, behind you!” He reloaded quickly, clicking the next magazines into his pistols and twisting round the pillar, firing a few slugger rounds into the nearest triad member ahead of him, seeing the mans body twist in the air as the rounds dug into him and exploded. ‘The joy of hollow points’ he thought. He crouched low and fired off a few rounds and as stepped back behind the pillar, breathing heavily and shaking the sweat from his brow. He looked to Haku across the room.
Haku had thrown his 9mm’s to the ground and pulled a shotgun from the floor, loading cartridges into the breach and ducking from the rounds whizzing around him. He stood and with a loud clap of thunder the shotgun roared and sent one of the triad members before him flying backwards, breaking unnaturally on the bar and flipping over it, crashing into the glass bottles behind him. The shattering filled the bar and was followed by screams and gunfire from ahead of them. Haku ducked back behind his cover and breathed in and out deeply, closing his eyes, his leg shaking. He always did this in a gunfight, never tried to get it sorted out, he said it ‘reminded him he was still alive’ and to Taka that was reason enough.
Taka heard something straight ahead of him and looked up just in time to see a goon slam through the metal doors ahead of him, an RPG pointed in his direction. ‘FUCK!’ he thought. He dove deftly over the couches nearby as he heard the whiz of the rocket leave the launcher itself. He fired his guns as he dove, the bullets slamming into the heavily armed goon who caught the bullets in his chest flying backwards through the doorway in a crescent of crimson blood. The rocket slammed into the pillar Taka had been next too only a few second ago and he huddled underneath a seat as the fragments of stone shattered around him, ripping the table above him into shreds as the shrapnel did its work. He clicked the clips out of his pistols and examined the sides, four rounds left in each, not too bad, but after this he was running on empty, and unlike Haku, he didn’t have any back up weapons.
Haku breathed in deeply, the smoke from the resultant explosion slowly wafting towards him, covering everything in a cloud of thick cover. He took the advantage and leapt round the corner, sliding across the floor aided by the alcohol slicked tiles firing round after round from his shotgun into the goons ahead of him. He heard the yelps of the enemy ahead of him and knew that the flashes of buckshot from his shotgun were indeed hitting their intended targets. Suddenly however, he felt a sharp pain in his side, and looked down, almost dropping his shotgun to the ground. A stray bullet ripped through his shirt and seered into his flesh. He crashed into the pillar on the otherside of the room, not being able to stop himself and crumpled, groaning at the pain. He looked back, his shotgun was in the middle of the room now, bullets pinging around him, all it would take was a goon to see where he was, and it would all be over. He felt his empty holster slung around his body, 'damn' he thought.
Taka heard the groans from the other side of the seats and knew it was Haku, he swore and clicked the clips back into his 9mm's. He looked up and breathed slowly, waiting for the sounds of clicking from around him. The goons after him stopped firing, all of them reloading, he stood and pointed his pistols in the direction of the goons ahead of him. He wasnt top of the academy for nothing, he caught two of them in his sights and with a double tap of the triggers both had two bullets lodged into their skulls. He rolled over the smoking couch and landed on the tiled floor, ducking as a bullet whizzed by and slammed into the pillar. He bent down and looked into Haku's eyes.
"Alright brother?" He said, almost comically.
"Does it look like I'm alright?" Haku said, guestering to the wound in his stomach, bleeding heavily. He looked up and shouted "Left!".
Taka pointed his gun over his shoulder and fired one of the last two round in that 9mm behind him, he heard the satisfying thud and scream of a man falling, smashing into the wooden tables behind him.
"Dont say I dont watch your back" Haku said and chuckled, grimacing as he realised how much that was hurting.
"Hey, no point in leaving me now partner" Taka said and lifted him onto up to his feet, wrapping an arm under his arms and heaving him to his feet.
The bullets started coming again, slamming into the surroundings around them, one bullet seering across Taka's cheek, spraying blood onto the wall behind him, he winced, but it was only a flesh wound, nothing major. He turned and pointed his pistol in the direction the shot had come, and loosed the last round into the thug above them on the balcony, the round ripped through his neck and the man spun on the spot, firing his light machine gun in his death throes. The 9mm emptied, he dropped it and threw the other from his left to right hand. He turned, jerking Haku with him and fired the last two bullets into the men still coming from the kitchen. The first bullet slammed into a target, sending him flying back into the ceramic sink behind them, smashing it with a crash. The second bullet, slammed into a fire extinguisher located near the feet of the men, it hissed for a second before exploding in a fountain of condensed pressure and white, sending the mend sprawling as the explosion did its work. Taka turned to Haku...
"We better get outta here before more of these meat heads show up" He moved as fast as he could to the entrance and kicked open the front doors.
Bright lights glared at them, slamming on like giant claps of thunder. It blinded the pair of them and they staggered back slightly. A megaphone blast out over the cold night air...
"Chief Inspector Taka...I should have know it was you"...
Taka smiled and closed his eyes to block out the glare "Oh course Sir...who else would try something as stupid as this?" Last word...James looked into the barrel of the gun and felt the sweat drip down his brow and sting the wound across his forehead. The blood had mingled with the mud beneath him and all he could feel was the hot searing pain of the bullet lodged in his side and the cold steel of the rifle aimed to his temple. He felt himself start to cry, his eyes wellling up with the emotion, the knowledge that this was going to be his final breath before he was taken from the mud and death below him and meet his maker. He closed his eyes and waited, the feeling of tens of years flowing through his mind. He waited and waited, it seemed like his whole life was flashing before his eyes, the cliche was right. He caught glimpses of his home, his family, his mother, his father, all of them smiling at him with arms open and waiting for him to come to them. Then his life sped up, shooting through his school years, blasting holes in his memories like the bullet through his clothes and flesh. His friends, his lovers all zooming past his gaze as if in a blur, matched with the sounds of wind rushing, the sound of the bullet cutting the air as it zoomed towards his body. The images stopped, stopped as he felt that pain of the bullet lodged in his stomach, that seering pain matched the image of a woman rejecting him, pushing him away and leaving him on the street corner, alone, his coat in hand with no where else to go but back the way he had come.
The warmth overtook his senses, the feeling of the blood oozing over his fingers and dripping into the very ground he had stood on for all of his life, waiting for it to finally flow from his body like a tidal wave and take the last of his short lived life with it, draining away into nature, back to where it had all began. He caught a glimpse of a woman in white, smiling at him through the guise of a veil, his wife, his love, his protector, now all alone, hundreds of miles away while he lay here looking at the sky, feeling the rain water splash over his face and drip down his skin, the tingle of sensation rushing through his body. Then he felt the pain leave him, the numbness took over and he realised where he was once more. He opened his eyes and looked ahead of him, the bodies of his friends lying peacefully, their flesh a pallid white, the crimson on their skin the only sign that there had once been life in those eyes, the cold dead eyes that stared blankly back at him. He blinked, the water from above mixing with the sweat and blood and blurring his vision. He tried to refocus, but the cold barrel to his forehead stopped him from raising his arms, he heard the click of the action as he breathed out slowly.
He turned and looked into the face of his enemy, the one about to take his life, his judge, his executioner. The boy was only twenty, young, a scared look on his face, staring back into the eyes of James with a look of sorrow and regret over what he had done washing from within him. The boy gripped the rifle tigher, the wood slipping beneath his finger as he decided what he was going to do. James looked down at his wound, it would not heal, he was gone, what happened next depended on the young man now pressing the cold metal into his forehead and struggling with his emotions. James sighed and felt the blood creeping into his mouth, his stomach was reacting, filling his insides with the very life force that had kept him alive, now, it was killing him slowly. He looked up once more and blinked once, feeling himself gag as the blood seeped into his mouth and he tasted it, warm flowing between his lips. The boy closed his eyes, and pressed the gun into James' forehead.
James never heard the gunshot, no-one ever does. He felt in that one moment the bullet pierce his skull, that one moment where every memory was erased in an instant and all life ceased to be. At that moment, it was over. All the pain, all the loss, everything...he was finished, he had served his time. James' lifeless body fell to the ground, his face slapping into the mud and sinking into it, his arms falling limp and his fists clenching around something as the life was extinguished...
The boy bent down and dropped his gun into the mud, the rain pattering off of his metal helmet. He reached forwards and unclasped Jame's hand, holding tightly to what ever scrap of his life was left in this world. He peeled back his fingers and took the small piece of yellowing paper from his enemies grip. He unfolded it and held it up, the rain starting to make the ink run. The boy took his helmet off and put it over the paper, shielding it from the rain. He felt the water run down his neck and into his uniform, but nothing would make him stop. He knew very little english, but the word written in pen, etched quickly, scrawled almost like that of a child. He looked closer, the sounds of the rain thudding in his ears and closed his eyes...the word glared through his eyelids and he knew what it was...he opened them again and felt the tears roll down his face.
...Sorry.... 2月12日 Bloody Mondays...Actually...not that bad really.
For the most part its been ok, if a little shocking at times...but like any normal monday I'd rather it hadnt happened, just skip to Friday again and I'll be happy enough with that.
One thing that has been bugging me ALL day is the fact that my 'W' key is sticky...so sometimes it works and sometimes it types out a line of w's and I cant do anything about it.
But anyway...back to work I guess...
2.... 2月11日 Additions...There has now been a Character Bio for Dorn Ironfist added to the ToD website...
Enjoy it, and there will be more in the future if I can be arsed to make them work...and thanks to the artist whom created the picture of Dorn, much appreciated.
4...
3... 2月9日 To come...Well...should really make another entry here after two days without one.
Heres some stuff on the horizon both from me...and bigger as well.
The Holy Sword - I will be doing a story on my Paladin character in my mind...so thats coming soon-ish in a short story format
Gun-Smith - A John Woo inspired short story which I'll finish soon as well...should be pretty cool, and takes a break from fantasy
Valdemar: Letter III - Nearly finished this, just got to make it more eerie and I'll have it done
Now some bigger things...
GDC '07 - Peter Molyneux will be speaking here in March, looking into the whole Fable 2 story and development on a whole...see Fable-2.com for details and more discussion on this.
Stranglehold - At the moment I'm looking forwards to this more than Halo 3 and Fable 2...I love John Woo and Chow Yun Fat, and this will be the jewel in the crown...looks like Max Payne on Speed...awesome.
Halo 3 Beta - I cant be in on it myself...but I look forwards to seeing the multitude of youtube videos when it does get released...come on Bungie.
As well as that...the roleplay on Fable-2.com is going well, despite a bump on the head for my character, hope it continues in the same vein and we have a lot more fun. Cant wait to see where it all goes story wise...keep it up Zombie David.
As for now...thats it really, just keep at it everyone and enjoy the snow (the later only applies to people in Britain...really)
6....
5.... 2月7日 Valdemar...5th September 1865My Dear Rosie,
5th September 1865
The cutting short of my letter previous to this was most regrettable, but my duty called me to Valdemar’s side once more. We spent a sizeable chunk of our night in the company of dread individuals but for the most part, we are safe and sound save the bitter cold that still seems to cling to my body. In future, we have planned to take more warming clothing, although despite this my companion does not seem to feel the cold at all. The work we do is most odd, but considering Valdemar’s profession I consider it normal and common place, after all there is always a fresh supply of his wants and needs, and so we take what we can, no one will miss them.
And yet I said I would give you more thought towards our trips across Northern France and to the boarders into the mountains. We made port early in the second month and spent the majority of time in transit, taking stage coaches and walking for the most part through the wilderness. We occasionally met a settlement along the way and Valdemar was kind enough to pay for lodging in these places. I must say that they were some of the finest dreams I have ever experienced while sleeping in the quiet of the woodland villages of the North. This is however, where I have also experienced some strange things that I would never have thought probable.
In my dreams a few days after we passed into a quiet little valley, I experienced the oddest sensation. I have never been one for superstitious nonsense as you know my love, but I felt many dark things watching me as I slept, and awoke several times in cold sweats and a feeling of dread over me always. However, do not worry, as these seem to have passed with the aid of my new companion. Valdemar seems to know much about these dreams I am having and has all but quelled my worries on the subject. It is most strange that these dreams should happen now, but I have put them to the back of my mind. I will, in all good fortune tell you of these dreams at a later date, but I must first try and figure out what they mean, as Valdemar suggested, even only to put my own mind at rest.
But this does not concern me so much now. I am more worried about your health my dear. I found your last letter to be most worrying on my heart and I will admit I cried to my friend about it. I…hope you understand that if I could be with you in our home I would most certainly take it, but Valdemar has made it painfully clear that I could do nothing to help and would get in the way, just say you said my dear. I still find it hard to be so far from you my dear…but for now…I will bare this pain. I look forwards to being with you soon, but for now I must concentrate on the work at hand.
One thing that I must say, that has…troubled me for many nights are the nature of our work that I mentioned only a few stages before this. It is, odd to say the least but seems right. If only the stink wasn’t so bad it would is more contenting a profession? I will not list the days I have come back from digging and fallen deathly asleep on my bed, not even bothering to get undressed! Still, it is what must be done…our travels have led us here to Berlin, and we have indeed worked hard to meet his plans. Only now will we know if the processes have worked.
This letter shall finish in the manner is started my dear…with love and compassion for you…I hope to see you soon, and for now…I bid you farewell until our next correspondence.
Forever yours
Jacques. Valdemar...2nd September 1865Dearest Rosie,
2nd September 1865
It feels as if I have not written to you in over three months, but I have regrettably had more…pressing, matters to attend to in my absence. London is a strange city my love, full of odd characters, and it is one such odd character that has forbidden me from sending these letters to you as I know I should have done. This strange fellow happened to my attentions in a tavern one night. He was garbed in the finest clothes I had ever seen, and was a true gentleman. He brought me one drink of the finest ale I have ever tasted, and we entered into light banter over the dwindling fire light. We spoke into the wee hours, and he revealed ever so little of his manner or how he happened to be here. Instead, he asked of me and my life back with you in France my dear. It was a strange night, and I regret it now but I fear I revealed something I should not.
However, it was not to be for the time being. We spent many days meeting each other by the bank of the murky Thames, discussing travel, my homeland and indeed the finer points of art and culture. He was a dashing man my dear, and in some ways I would have been jealous if we were to have met him with your company for fear of him seducing you with his rugged looks. But, I digress, and there is much to get through in this letter before I travel on my way.
You see my dear; we are no longer in England. As I write this I sit alone in a small room in Berlin, watching the street move below me, the hustle and bustle is most annoying at times, but I put up with it. The man I met eventually told me his name, revealing himself as Valdemar. He heralded from a small country I had never heard of, and still I have trouble recalling at this very moment, but he explained that he needed my help and guidance and I, apparently was the person to talk to on such matters. It surprised me that he knew of my work as a lawyer back home, but to his knowledge word spreads quickly in London, and I was the talk of the students of law for some reason or another. I decided to forgo the explanation and listened to his plea for help in whatever matter he wished to explore.
Valdemar it seemed was having trouble with a local land owner back in his homeland and wished my help in dealing with the problem. I enquired as to where this would be, and he explained that I would be back in France within the year. I felt a pang of guilt my love to not tell you of this earlier, but for the time being I was caught up in the excitement of journeying across the lands of France, and back into the cold lands to the north. It seemed like such an adventure and for the moment, it most defiantly was. He seemed delighted that I had accepted and we set off in the few days preceding this, taking a large boat out of port and across the British Channel to France once more…
The day grows short my love, so I will recount to you the following tale when I have more time, I must leave for the night but do not dismay, I will sleep well knowing you are in my heart.
Yours Forever,
Jacques
8.........
7........ 2月5日 How odd...Well...I didnt think it was possible. But, falling asleep at your keyboard is apparently something that does happen. It was...3am...and I just...dropped off into sleep, waking up this morning with my face firmly aching from the wood of my desk and the computer complaining as it whirred to recharge its batteries...so...kinda strange.
I feel like I havent actually been to bed, its very strange...everything seems the same and as if...I should be still in last night, odd isnt it...lol.
But anyway...cant delay, have reading to do that I said I'd do last night...as well as reading I'm being told to read, lol...so...yay...Frankenstein and Fantasy for my early morning...maybe I'll see if Everybody Loves Raymond is on and watch a bit o' tv....
9...... 2月4日 As Monty Python would say...Always look on the bright side of life my friends....
The End...
10.....
2月3日 Kazrak's Story...(short fiction)Part 1 - Kazraks’ Folly
By Jack Brown
The echoing cavern ceilings of Karak Ungor filled Kazrak Koraks’ heart with deep joy; the sound of dozens of blacksmiths at work, the sound of ale-filled laughter, the smell of dwarven fire, all of this, Kazrak was grateful for.
Yet, Kazrak had a tinge in his heart, his nobility was grand, that he can be sure of, but he had spent all of his life in Karak Ungor; right from a youth; the furthest he had been was Kislev on regular trade routes. He knew everything there was to know about his home; he had the urge for something greater.
His burning sensation and curiosity for expedition led him to Dwillen; an experienced runesmith in the western side of the halls. Kazrak slowly walked thru the main halls and side passages until he came to the rounded, black door. Kazrak gently (as gently as a dwarf can) pushed the door open.
Dwillen was sitting on an old, large wooden chair that had a wrought iron head on the top, in the shape of a fire symbol. Dwillen was dozing slightly, his pipe lolling out of his mouth, smoke pouring from it.
Smoke poured from his small, personal fire; Dwillen had managed to fashion a rudimentary “self stoking” bellow (which was helped on by empty barrels of Bugman ale rocking back and forth). Kazrak closed the door louder than his entry and Dwillen jumped with a start and knocked over a bottle of ink.
“Wha…what…ok, I’m awake, I’m awake” shouted Dwillen.
“Peace, old timer, you will wake the smith guard up” stated Kazrak.
“Aaaah, Kazrak. What brings you to my quarters? Not many people visit me you know; it’s usually if they want something. Tell your brother that his rune isn’t finished and won’t be for ages!”
“No, No…I’m here for counsel…” Kazrak knelt down on his right leg and bowed his head.
“Interesting; I’ve never had a noble bow to me…get up, get up!” Kazrak hastily got up and took off his helmet
Dwillen went over to a large, bronze urn and turned the cogs; the machine started to emit steam nearly instantaneously. The moment that the machine gave a reverberant whistle Kazrak put a dirty flagon underneath the tap and a stream of dirty, black tea poured out. He did the same for Kazrak, but in a cleaner glass.
“So” Dwillen mused “What is it that you seek?”
Kazrak looked around the room at paintings collected by Dwillen; massive rivers ran past fields of green, cities of epic proportion, market squares, farmland as far as the eye can see, and a land of yellow and blue which didn’t look familiar to Kazrak. Kazrak pointed at the picture of a city.
“That!” shouted Kazrak. Dwillen turned slowly to what Kazrak was pointing at. The cityscape was full of people coming and going, pulling different carts, full to the top of different items; weapons, armour, food, ale.
“You want humans?” asked Dwillen; this concept was unfamiliar to his aged mind.
“No, No. I want adventure. I want to see this! Different things; I want to feel other things than rock and fire; I want to see what is out there; I want to go further than Kislev”
“So why have you come to me?” enquired Dwillen; he knew why Kazrak was here, he was just testing his knowledge and bravery.
Kazrak leant forward, and took out a pack of tobacco with the family crest on it “You know why I am here”
Dwillen smiled, grabbed the bag and smelt it; a wave of euphoria washed over him that seemed to set his weary mind at ease.
“Ok; I must assure you though there is no guarantee of the reliability and truth of what will be said, it is just a possibility”
Kazrak drew breath and paused; his mind was running like a landslide down the greatest mountain. He had made his decision as Dwillen finished his tea.
“Ok, I want to know”
Dwillen cleared his desk of papers and empty flagons; underneath all the clutter was an odd diagram, with different lines and markings on it. Kazraks’ heart skipped a beat. Dwillen pulled a box from underneath his desk and opened it; inside were several runes, precious gems, two bones from a hand, the shape of a skull made from coal, and a golden coin.
The next half hour was the most nervous time of Kazraks life. Dwillen sat at his desk, musing and playing, mumbling to himself, holding the stones. He threw them in different directions, hitting each other, stones broke, bones landed off the desk, until Dwillen stopped and poured the contents of his pipe out onto the desk.
Dwillen looked up “You seek adventure dear Noble? Adventure is on your fate; choose wisely though, any false move made on your journey will result in a penalty of gigantic proportions, succeed…and there is untold rewards. You will need help though….”
Part 2 – The Warband Unites
Kazrak left the halls of Dwillen with wonderment. “Great adventure?” he thought; this he was happy with. He was worried more about how he would get help; and without being found out; he was sure that if he was to leave Karak Ungor, his younger brother would not be able to rule with a just and fair authority. He walked slowly, not paying attention to where he was going, until his journey brought him to the halls of Todryk.
Todryk was his best friend of years; a fine engineer, and very handy if he was in a spot of bother in combat. Although, as Kazrak walked to his door, there were sounds of conflict and worry. Kazrak opened the door hurriedly, to see Todryk packing up chests and boxes. Todryk turned sharply and pointed his gun at Kazrak.
“Lower it now!” Kazrak stated. “What is going on?”
Todryk continued to pack and hastily said “Well…Ah, yes here it is. Well, to put it simply, I am not safe here. I lost quite a lot of money in a game of cards…”
“How much? I’m sure I can help” Kazrak calmly said.
“Well…you see everything that I’m packing up?” Todryk said
“Yes……” replied Kazrak, with an air of ominous worry.
“Well…this is it, all of it. I owe it all” Todryk said, with an air of defeat. He stopped moving and sat on a small chest.
“I’m sure I can help; I can promise you a wealth beyond measure!” Kazrak said, as he patted his friend on the shoulder”
“Keep going” an interested Todryk said…
So, by under cover of night, a loaded cart and 2 of the Nobles horses, Kazrak and Todryk left the hold of Karak Ungor, with the inseparable duo making haste for the hold of Karak Kadrin.
A day had passed before the pair had left their homelands borders. Kazrak looked back with a sense of despair. Todryk turned to Kazrak.
“What is the matter?” Todryk asked.
“To be honest Todryk, I do not know where I travel with you; I do not know how we are to gain our wealth…”
“WHAT?!” Todryk stopped the cart with a jolt. So much that Kazrak nearly fell off.
“What do you mean…?”
“Well, before I met you last night, I consulted…”
Todryk jumped from his seat and stood on the driving chair.
“YOU CONSULTED WITH DWILLEN!? You should know better! He is a senile old kook; his stories are as long as the beard on his face!”
“I trust his judgment…We are heading to Kadrin for a reason!” shouted Kazrak.
Todryk covered the mouth of Kazrak.
“Shut up!” Todryk whispered “I think we are being watched.
The cavernous passage echoed with the sound of frosty winds and rumbling debris. Todryk and Kazrak froze as much as the wind bit at their exposed faces did. The silent sound of slight movement echoed over head. Todryk and Kazrak looked up to see a black shadow descend into the pathway, with a gleaming silver light following its path.
“HA, YOU HAVE ENTERED THE TERRITORY OF THE BLADED BROTHERS!”
A second figure jumped down from the roof of the pathway.
“ONCE YOU ARE IN, WE SHALL TAKE…oh, hello!”
In the pathway stood two identical dwarfs that each held a halberd of large size.
Kazrak shouted at the top of his voice “THIS IS CHEAP TRICKERY! COME OUT SOOTHSAYER! LET ME SEE YOU, STOP PLAYING TRICKS ON MY MIND!”
Todryk looked at Kazrak, and then looked at the dwarfs standing in the pathway. Their hair was as bright as the sun itself, a glowing orange, with faint vision of their original brown hair colour.
“Kazrak, look, there is no magic involved. Look at their halberds”
Todryk was right about this; near the blade of the weapon, each had an initialed rune on a string.
“You are correct about this gunsmith! I am Borryn, this is my brother Halvas. We are the bladed brothers of this pass, and you have entered our territory! Since you are kin-men though, we will not ask of a toll!”
Kazrak got off the cart and walked towards them. “Why do slayers as yourselves spend your days demanding toll though? Shouldn’t you be adventuring? Killing what you can find that stands higher than any tree?”
Borryn looked at Halvas and Halvas stepped forward “To be honest, we have lost our sense of adventure; we have killed nearly all manner of troll in this area, and live separate from civilization, we are bored, we need more! This is just our way to get by”
Kazrak looked at the pair with a glint in his eye “So you seek adventure? If you want adventure, I can offer you one of a “noble” cause” Kazrak chuckled to himself. “I am Kazrak, a noble of Karak Ungor, and to you brothers, I offer the chance to join my gunsmith partner a chance of one thousand lifetimes!”
Todryk looked a little worried “Kazrak. A word, please.” Kazrak walked back to the cart. “What?”
Todryk whispered to Kazrak “Can we trust this wayward pair? Look at them! They do not belong with our nobility!”
Kazrak leant into Todryk “I think we would stand more chance of success on our expedition with 2 veteran slaughterers on our side! And think about it…they just seek the glory of battle; no need for gold!
The slayers shouted back “What is it? Whats wrong?”
Kazrak turned around “Yes, sorry. Borryn, Halvas. Do you wish to join us for the right to stand aside us and deal blows with whatever foe stands in our way?”
Borryn and Halvas crossed their blades and cut open part of their skin with each others halberd and joined their hands together. “We stand here and make a blood pact with your allegiance. We shall join you and vanquish anything that stands in our way and cause!”
Part 3 – Little Trouble in Karak Kadrin
The Slayer brothers joined the cause of the nobility and headed for the fortress of Karak Kadrin. There, they would ask for any alleging beard-kin to join their party.
Through the risky track of the mountain pass, the quadrant party slowly traveled through crag and crevasse. Kazrak felt like something was watching them though…
2 days past before they saw the spools of smoke coming from the mountainside; the vagrant party entered through the main gate and paid the fee for Todryks’ accessories.
“Where do we head now Kazrak?” asked Borryn, with an air of worry. Halvas though, was running off in no real direction.
Todryk hurried after him “Halvas! Where are you going?! Come back!”
Halvas stopped by a signpost, pointing to different buildings and scanned the different signs. Todryk joined them, following Borryn and Kazrak.
“There, that one sounds good!”
Halvas pointed at a sign that read “The Rusty Anvil”
“It’s this way; I say we get a room for the night and see if any inebriated dwarf is up for an adventure!”
Borryn pushed past Halvas “Good Plan! I haven’t had a drink in weeks!”
“Wait for me! I have waited longer, you stole my last flagon!” accused Borryn as he ran after him.
Todryk and Kazrak walked slowly behind the fiery slayers.
“Is something bothering you Kazrak?” asked Todryk.
“Not really no; its something that Dwillen said that’s all, about if I fail”
“If failure plagues your mind, then maybe an adventure is not what you should be thinking about…” said Todryk with an air of disappointment.
“No, No. I am very confident in our abilities, and see that we will succeed. I am just worried about home.”
“Whatever state we left Karak Ungor in, I’m sure it will be the same when we get back”
Todryk and Kazrak walked through the large, green, double doors of The Rusty Anvil. Astonishingly, Borryn and Halvas were on their 2nd flagon of ale already, and 4 full flagons were placed on the table for them.
“How did you get these?” asked Kazrak; it was pretty obvious from the lack of clothes that the pair possessed that they had no money.
Borryn eyed towards the bar; standing behind it was a very amorous looking barmaid, who was waving with a dishrag; she also dropped the flagon she was cleaning.
Kazrak looked with bewilderment at her and back at Borryn and Halvas; he had never seen such an approach to relationships.
The night went on, with a continuous rapture of alcohol hitting the mouths of the intrepid party of four. The bar was about to close for the evening when Todryk decided to stand on the table
He waved two flagons of ale about in the air and shouted over the sound of drunken banter;
“ANY…ANYONE, ANY DWARF!...WILLING…TO JOIN MY FRIENDS, AND OUR CAUSE! COME OVER HERE! WE WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT! I SAY, THAT, IF YOU ARE WAITING FOR THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME, WE…WE ARE….IT! YES YES YES!”
Todryk fell off the table; luckily, his helmet saved him from a thunderous smack off the stoned floor. 3 dwarfs picked him up by his cape and hands to sit back down on his chair.
Kazrak turned to the shortest of the trio. “Thank you very much; I didn’t think my friend could ever get this drunk!”
The smallest dwarf nodded his head “It is no problem; we were interested by his drunken ramblings, but we wanted to confirm it. We seek adventure as a party, and as we saw his pistol at his side, we took him as your engineer”
Kazrak smiled “This is true” “I am Kazrak of Ungor, on a noble adventure, seeking out a wealth beyond comparison; if you would like to join our cause, then we leave tomorrow for Kislev”
The smallest dwarf held out his hand and Kazrak shook it. At this point, there were sounds of commotion from behind his shoulder. He turned over as Borryn and Halvas were in the midst of a fight between 3 other dwarfs and the previously mentioned barmaid.
“YOU SHOULD HONOUR A WOMAN! THAT IS NO WAY TO TREAT HER!” Borryn shouted as he jumped from the table into the 2 chests of large dwarfs.
“MY BROTHER IS RIGHT! HE SHOULD BEAT YOU TO WITHIN AN INCH OF HIS BEARD LENGTH!” Halvas, at this point, has landed a sweet sucker punch to the face of the third dwarf and shields the barmaid from this fracas.
Kazrak walks over to the other side of the bar with his three new compatriots.
“Brothers! What is going on?”
Halvas and Borryn get up, leaving the three dwarves on the floor. “They were being crude and inappropriate to this fine woman!” shouted Halvas
“I saw her first!” shouted Borryn
“NO WAY! I did, I got into the bar first!” Halvas roared
Kazrak stepped in between the hot headed pair.
“Stop it! We have a plan to see through!” Kazrak stepped past the brothers towards the defeated trio of brawlers, who shuffled back into their chairs.
“If you would rather have these men fight as your leaders instead of them slicing your stomachs apart, I can offer you that option. Join me, under their command, and I can offer wealth and survival!”
“Sounds alright to me…” piped up.
“I could do with the money” “I’ve got nothing here to stay for” stated the other two.
“Good” said Kazrak; meet us all by the stables; we leave at sunrise for Kislev.
Part 4 – The Painful Trek
The slayers awoke in the morning, and found themselves in the hay of Kazraks horses. Borryn woke first and pushed Halvas into the mess in the corner. He didn’t really care; in their adventures, the pair had smelt things that were indescribably worse. Kazrak, Todryk, and the newly recruited members joined the slayers at the stables and set off for Kislev.
The group made good time to Kislev; crossing the small starts of rivers, with the mountains in the backdrop warmed the heart of Kazrak, he was finally doing what he set out to do; adventuring. The journey was a peaceful one, with most people getting on; the slightly bruised clansmen were keeping their distance from the slayers, as they didn’t want to go through what had happened the previous night. Todryk was teaching his Thunderers about improving their bows. Everything was going according to plan.
By dusk, the band had made it to the borders of Kislev. The band stopped in an alcove in a rock formation, set by some rocks and a set of ragged old trees. Kazrak lit a fire and the slayers were sharpening their skills with the clansmen.
Todryk had left to find some provisions in a nearby farm house they had spotted, but shortly after he left, he returned, running back towards Kazrak. He was very out of breath and looked panicked.
“What is it Todryk?” exclaimed Kazrak.
“Over the ford by the farmland…Kislevites heading south; something is up Kazrak; they traveled with full guard and equipment. I couldn’t quite make it out though, but they also travel with one that is not human”
Kazrak look perplexed “What do you mean?”
Todryk froze on the spot. The stars had been blanketed out; Kazrak had been plunged into darkness. He turned slowly on his left side, as he saw a crude handgun pointing at his face.
Standing in his wake, an ancient beast of a figure; his face wrought with puzzlement, tattoos and scars adorned his chest, and over his back, a large cannon filled with weapons and debris from buildings of various assortments.
The beast spoke; “Wha’ manner of thing arr ewe?”
Todryk stood firm with his gun pointed at the face of this beast. Kazrak grabbed Todryks gun without taking his vision from the colossus.
Kazrak spoke “We are dwarves, giant sir…”
The colossus laughed a tickled laugh “HA! I am no giant. I be of Ogre!”
Kazrak and Todryk looked at each other; they had obviously never seen an ogre before. At this point, from behind the noble and engineer, Todryk and Halvas steamed forward, halberd blazing. The Ogre seeing this took one deft swipe with his foot and knocked all four to the ground. The clansmen and Thunderers helped the leaders off their feet. The ogre sat down and grabbed the slayers by their weapons.
“NOW… ewe av’ shown anger to me; I cud eat these 2 and be done wiv it!”
The warband shouted with furiousness “NO NO!”
The ogre dropped the brothers on their heads, but the ogre held their weapons.
“I need help, from group like you likkle folk! Av’ you seen any uvva big folk lik’ me?!”
Todryk stepped forward “Yes, er, there was one traveling with a band of Kislevites westward way”
“Wha’ did ee look like?” said the ogre.
“Err, I couldn’t tell, they were too far away, I didn’t want to get spotted”
“Ok, It doesn matta reely. I don’t imagin’ ‘im to settle for jus norveners!”
Kazrak stepped forward and shouted at this, hulk of a beast “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, TUBBY!?”
The ogre leant forward and grabbed Kazrak and brought him so that the pair were nose to nose.
The ogre whispered with his booming voice “Eva ‘eard ov a place called…Mordheim?” |
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