Making a Monk - Intermission
Posted on 03/07 00:35
I'll be bringing regular updates back to my design blog tomorrow. Until then, here's a treat.
-Geoff
-Geoff
Making a Monk Pt.3
Posted on 24/06 15:04
The Tiger
Last time we discussed the stance mechanic in a very general sense, now its time to talk about specific stances. The first is going to be our offensive based stance. Tiger stance is the epitome of offensive Monk capability in such that it mimics the properties of the fire element of the world. Tiger stance monks will be fast, ferocious and unrelenting in their assault. So let’s take a look at the Tiger Stance Power.
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Tiger (Base Stance) Monk Feature
Your stance emulates the strength of a tiger; aggressive, fast and strong. You take the fight to the enemy standing at the front of the battle.
At-Will * Martial
Special: Linked Weapon : Katar
Move Action Personal
Effect: You gain +2 to your attack and damage rolls using Monk Powers and +2 Reflex Defense.
Sustain Free: This power remains active until you switch stances.
--------------------
The most important thing to note is that to assume the stance is a move action. I did this intentionally so that if you want to switch between base stances it is going to require slightly more planning. It also allows me to work in some specific feats to get around this and such. Next Is the fact that it has a linked weapon. Monks in stances do not gain proficiency bonus’ for weapons they are proficient with while in a stance that is not linked with that weapon and they suffer a -4 penalty when using an unlinked weapon that they are not proficient with in a stance. This enforces the ideal that certain weapons are meant to be used with certain fighting styles.
Now it’s time to look at some of the base powers that will be associated with the Tiger Stance that will be available early on.
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Twin Paws Monk Attack 1
You strike with both weapons felling enemies around you.
At-Will * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Requirement: You must be using two melee weapons.
Targets: One or two creatures.
Attack: Strength vs. AC (main hand and offhand weapon), two attacks.
Hit: 1[W] damage per attack
Increase damage to 2[W] at 21st level.
Special: While in Tiger Stance or deviants you may add your Strength bonus your damage.
--------------------
Here we’ve got an adaptation of the Ranger Twin strike. While it mirrors this ability the Monk gains the ability to add his strength modifier to the damage while in the Tiger stance.
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Twin Rip Monk Attack 1
You strike with your fists at a single foe breaking his will.
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Requirement: You must be using two melee weapons.
Target: One Creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (Main hand and Off hand weapon)
Hit: 1[W] per attack. If both attacks hit you deal additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Special: While in Tiger Stance or deviants you may add your Strength bonus your damage.
--------------------
Again the adaptation of a ranger ability, while this one is not as powerful at its base as its counterpart standing in Tiger stance does bring it up to par.
--------------------
Jaws of the Tiger Monk Attack 1
You push your attacks against your opponent allowing for a window of weakness, there you strike driving him back.
Daily * Martial, Melee Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Requirement: You must be using two melee weapons.
Target: Once Creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (Main hand and Off hand weapon), Strength vs. Reflex (unarmed strike, three attacks.
Hit: 2[W] per attack. If your unarmed strike his you may push the target one square away from you.
Miss: Half damage and the target cannot be pushed.
Special: While in Tiger Stance or deviants you may add your strength modifier to the damage and you unarmed strike knocks the target prone if it hits.
--------------------
Here we have an adaptation of a Ranger daily power. While this power is stronger then its ranger counterpart it does limit the monk in his versatility when compared to what the other stances will have to offer. This gives you a glimpse into what I have planned for the other stances but now I want to talk about deviant stances. Deviants stances are intended to be a modification of a base stance to slightly emulate another stance. For example a Tiger Stance that takes upon some of the hit and retreat style of a viper stance would have full use of all the Tiger stance abilities that are open to stance deviants but would also pick up some of the mobility of the Viper stance. Since both stances are dual wield stance they blend nicely when it comes to using each others powers. Here’s an example.
--------------------
Panther Stance (Tiger Stance Deviant) Monk Feature
Your stance emulates that of the Panther, quiet, swift and deadly.
At-Will * Martial
Special: Linked Weapon : Katar
Requirement: You must be trained in either Stealth or Bluff.
Minor Action Personal
Effect: You add +2 to all of your attack and damage rolls when using Monk powers.
Sustain Free: This power remains active until you switch stances.
--------------------
Panther stance loses some of its defenses in Reflex but it gains the ability to use Viper Stance powers that refer to it. In my next entry I’ll go into the Viper stance some more and show off what I am talking about with its relation to the Panther Stance.
-Geoff
Discuss this entry here.
ps. Here's a little treat for those of you actually reading this blog.
Last time we discussed the stance mechanic in a very general sense, now its time to talk about specific stances. The first is going to be our offensive based stance. Tiger stance is the epitome of offensive Monk capability in such that it mimics the properties of the fire element of the world. Tiger stance monks will be fast, ferocious and unrelenting in their assault. So let’s take a look at the Tiger Stance Power.
--------------------
Tiger (Base Stance) Monk Feature
Your stance emulates the strength of a tiger; aggressive, fast and strong. You take the fight to the enemy standing at the front of the battle.
At-Will * Martial
Special: Linked Weapon : Katar
Move Action Personal
Effect: You gain +2 to your attack and damage rolls using Monk Powers and +2 Reflex Defense.
Sustain Free: This power remains active until you switch stances.
--------------------
The most important thing to note is that to assume the stance is a move action. I did this intentionally so that if you want to switch between base stances it is going to require slightly more planning. It also allows me to work in some specific feats to get around this and such. Next Is the fact that it has a linked weapon. Monks in stances do not gain proficiency bonus’ for weapons they are proficient with while in a stance that is not linked with that weapon and they suffer a -4 penalty when using an unlinked weapon that they are not proficient with in a stance. This enforces the ideal that certain weapons are meant to be used with certain fighting styles.
Now it’s time to look at some of the base powers that will be associated with the Tiger Stance that will be available early on.
--------------------
Twin Paws Monk Attack 1
You strike with both weapons felling enemies around you.
At-Will * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Requirement: You must be using two melee weapons.
Targets: One or two creatures.
Attack: Strength vs. AC (main hand and offhand weapon), two attacks.
Hit: 1[W] damage per attack
Increase damage to 2[W] at 21st level.
Special: While in Tiger Stance or deviants you may add your Strength bonus your damage.
--------------------
Here we’ve got an adaptation of the Ranger Twin strike. While it mirrors this ability the Monk gains the ability to add his strength modifier to the damage while in the Tiger stance.
--------------------
Twin Rip Monk Attack 1
You strike with your fists at a single foe breaking his will.
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Requirement: You must be using two melee weapons.
Target: One Creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (Main hand and Off hand weapon)
Hit: 1[W] per attack. If both attacks hit you deal additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Special: While in Tiger Stance or deviants you may add your Strength bonus your damage.
--------------------
Again the adaptation of a ranger ability, while this one is not as powerful at its base as its counterpart standing in Tiger stance does bring it up to par.
--------------------
Jaws of the Tiger Monk Attack 1
You push your attacks against your opponent allowing for a window of weakness, there you strike driving him back.
Daily * Martial, Melee Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Requirement: You must be using two melee weapons.
Target: Once Creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (Main hand and Off hand weapon), Strength vs. Reflex (unarmed strike, three attacks.
Hit: 2[W] per attack. If your unarmed strike his you may push the target one square away from you.
Miss: Half damage and the target cannot be pushed.
Special: While in Tiger Stance or deviants you may add your strength modifier to the damage and you unarmed strike knocks the target prone if it hits.
--------------------
Here we have an adaptation of a Ranger daily power. While this power is stronger then its ranger counterpart it does limit the monk in his versatility when compared to what the other stances will have to offer. This gives you a glimpse into what I have planned for the other stances but now I want to talk about deviant stances. Deviants stances are intended to be a modification of a base stance to slightly emulate another stance. For example a Tiger Stance that takes upon some of the hit and retreat style of a viper stance would have full use of all the Tiger stance abilities that are open to stance deviants but would also pick up some of the mobility of the Viper stance. Since both stances are dual wield stance they blend nicely when it comes to using each others powers. Here’s an example.
--------------------
Panther Stance (Tiger Stance Deviant) Monk Feature
Your stance emulates that of the Panther, quiet, swift and deadly.
At-Will * Martial
Special: Linked Weapon : Katar
Requirement: You must be trained in either Stealth or Bluff.
Minor Action Personal
Effect: You add +2 to all of your attack and damage rolls when using Monk powers.
Sustain Free: This power remains active until you switch stances.
--------------------
Panther stance loses some of its defenses in Reflex but it gains the ability to use Viper Stance powers that refer to it. In my next entry I’ll go into the Viper stance some more and show off what I am talking about with its relation to the Panther Stance.
-Geoff
Discuss this entry here.
ps. Here's a little treat for those of you actually reading this blog.
Making a Monk Pt.2
Posted on 21/06 10:17
Let’s Talk Features
While the base stat block really gives you some insight into what kind of car you can drive on a monk road but its doesn’t tell you must about where that road goes. This is where the class feature come into play. Features are what really give a class its shape. While Powers give you the tools that your class needs to survive and grow the features are really what tells you how your class fits into the groups. The Monk has two basic sets of class features, its passives and its stances. The passive feats are the easiest to develop as they are baseline and once established are easy to measure and compare against he others classes.
Currently these are the features that I’m looking at for my Monk class. Now not all of these will make it into my final design but I want to review and go over each of them in turn.
Focused Healing
When determining the number of Healing surges per Day you receive you may choose to use either you Wisdom Modifier or your Constitution modifier whichever is higher.
-Coming from the nearly nonexistent armor that the Monk is going to be toting around in while in the thick of combat having extra healing surges is something that is going to be needed. While a Monk will obviously have some weight to his constitution score for HP determination the Monk should have more in wisdom as it will be more of a determinant of many of his abilities. This allows the Monk to gain a few extra surges out of this.
Deft Reflexes
The Monk adds his Wisdom Modifier to his AC bonus. Anytime the Monk is denied his Dexterity Bonus to AC the Monk is denied this bonus.
-Again with the Monks focus on his wisdom. This one is intended to deal with the monk lack of AC and his general exposure to combat damage. This has a lot of similarity to its 3E cousin.
Focused Mind
The Monk gains an additional +2 to defenses against Fear, Psychic, Illusion and Charm abilities.
-The Monk is a focused character. Relying more on his inner power and knowledge of energy flows the Monk can see through things that either aren’t there or attempting to influence him. It’s not fool proof however as beings of power or just plain bad karma can work against your Monk.
While those are the front runners for possible passive class features we now get into the meat of the class when it comes to features. Stances are what is going to be the focus of the mechanic for my Monk. My monk is designed as a gap filler in a party situation. While unable to replace any member of any class they can pick up some slack in some situations. That is where a stance comes into play. Stances are these gap fillers. Here are some ideas I’ve been kicking around.
Tiger Stance
Offensive Attack stance.
DW Melee fist weapons. (Katar)
Powers drawn from Fighter and Ranger DW lists.
Tiger Focused Powers Deal extra damage or attack more then one opponent.
Viper Stance
Strike and Retreat stance.
DW Melee Weapons. (Nunchuku)
Powers Drawn from Rogue and Ranger DW Lists.
Viper Focused Powers involve movement during attacks and exploiting combat advantage.
Crane Stance
Debilitating Stance
Two Handed Weapon (Spear)
Powers Drawn from Warlord and Rogue lists.
Crane focused powers allow others to increase their damage against targets and create combat advantage.
Monkey Stance
Really Annoying Stance
Two Handed Weapon (Staff)
Powers Drawn from Fighter and Rogue lists.
Monkey powers confuse, daze and distract opponents while giving the Monkey evasion and dodge.
Dragon Stance
Chi powered Stance
Unarmed focus stance.
Powers drawn from Cleric, Warlord and Warlock lists.
Dragon powers focus on daily and encounter powers making large dramatic effects.
Now you might be wondering what I mean by drawing from another classes power lists. This only means that I am going to use powers from those lists as base line an example would be Deft strike from the Rogue list and its Monk equivalent Slip Strike.
Deft Strike Rogue Attack 1
At-Will*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee or Ranged Weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a crossbow, light blade or a sling.
Target: Once Creature
Special: You may move two squares before the attack.
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] +Dexterity modifier damage at 21st level.
And now its conversion:
Slip Strike Monk Attack 1
At-Will * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Target: One Creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Special: You may move one square before the attack.
Hits: 1[W] + Dexterity Modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Dexterity modifier at 21st level.
Special: While in Viper Stance or deviations you gain combat advantage against the target until the targets next turn.
A you can see the monk gets a slightly toned down version of the rogue ability though it gets a boost when in the correct stance. This way a stance becomes an empower effect instead of an enable effect. That ties up this entry, next time I’ll delve a little more in depth into the individual stances and how they are going to flesh out as well as how deviant stances will work.
-Geoff
Discuss this entry here.
While the base stat block really gives you some insight into what kind of car you can drive on a monk road but its doesn’t tell you must about where that road goes. This is where the class feature come into play. Features are what really give a class its shape. While Powers give you the tools that your class needs to survive and grow the features are really what tells you how your class fits into the groups. The Monk has two basic sets of class features, its passives and its stances. The passive feats are the easiest to develop as they are baseline and once established are easy to measure and compare against he others classes.
Currently these are the features that I’m looking at for my Monk class. Now not all of these will make it into my final design but I want to review and go over each of them in turn.
Focused Healing
When determining the number of Healing surges per Day you receive you may choose to use either you Wisdom Modifier or your Constitution modifier whichever is higher.
-Coming from the nearly nonexistent armor that the Monk is going to be toting around in while in the thick of combat having extra healing surges is something that is going to be needed. While a Monk will obviously have some weight to his constitution score for HP determination the Monk should have more in wisdom as it will be more of a determinant of many of his abilities. This allows the Monk to gain a few extra surges out of this.
Deft Reflexes
The Monk adds his Wisdom Modifier to his AC bonus. Anytime the Monk is denied his Dexterity Bonus to AC the Monk is denied this bonus.
-Again with the Monks focus on his wisdom. This one is intended to deal with the monk lack of AC and his general exposure to combat damage. This has a lot of similarity to its 3E cousin.
Focused Mind
The Monk gains an additional +2 to defenses against Fear, Psychic, Illusion and Charm abilities.
-The Monk is a focused character. Relying more on his inner power and knowledge of energy flows the Monk can see through things that either aren’t there or attempting to influence him. It’s not fool proof however as beings of power or just plain bad karma can work against your Monk.
While those are the front runners for possible passive class features we now get into the meat of the class when it comes to features. Stances are what is going to be the focus of the mechanic for my Monk. My monk is designed as a gap filler in a party situation. While unable to replace any member of any class they can pick up some slack in some situations. That is where a stance comes into play. Stances are these gap fillers. Here are some ideas I’ve been kicking around.
Tiger Stance
Offensive Attack stance.
DW Melee fist weapons. (Katar)
Powers drawn from Fighter and Ranger DW lists.
Tiger Focused Powers Deal extra damage or attack more then one opponent.
Viper Stance
Strike and Retreat stance.
DW Melee Weapons. (Nunchuku)
Powers Drawn from Rogue and Ranger DW Lists.
Viper Focused Powers involve movement during attacks and exploiting combat advantage.
Crane Stance
Debilitating Stance
Two Handed Weapon (Spear)
Powers Drawn from Warlord and Rogue lists.
Crane focused powers allow others to increase their damage against targets and create combat advantage.
Monkey Stance
Really Annoying Stance
Two Handed Weapon (Staff)
Powers Drawn from Fighter and Rogue lists.
Monkey powers confuse, daze and distract opponents while giving the Monkey evasion and dodge.
Dragon Stance
Chi powered Stance
Unarmed focus stance.
Powers drawn from Cleric, Warlord and Warlock lists.
Dragon powers focus on daily and encounter powers making large dramatic effects.
Now you might be wondering what I mean by drawing from another classes power lists. This only means that I am going to use powers from those lists as base line an example would be Deft strike from the Rogue list and its Monk equivalent Slip Strike.
Deft Strike Rogue Attack 1
At-Will*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee or Ranged Weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a crossbow, light blade or a sling.
Target: Once Creature
Special: You may move two squares before the attack.
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] +Dexterity modifier damage at 21st level.
And now its conversion:
Slip Strike Monk Attack 1
At-Will * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Target: One Creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Special: You may move one square before the attack.
Hits: 1[W] + Dexterity Modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Dexterity modifier at 21st level.
Special: While in Viper Stance or deviations you gain combat advantage against the target until the targets next turn.
A you can see the monk gets a slightly toned down version of the rogue ability though it gets a boost when in the correct stance. This way a stance becomes an empower effect instead of an enable effect. That ties up this entry, next time I’ll delve a little more in depth into the individual stances and how they are going to flesh out as well as how deviant stances will work.
-Geoff
Discuss this entry here.
Making a Monk pt. 1
Posted on 20/06 16:29
Making a Monk
So the other day a friend of mine was looking over the 4E rules and my campaign notes and wondered about the lack of monks though my campaign setting alluded to them. After some discussion and thought I decided to go ahead and write up the class for 4E until a satisfactory replacement is added via the core rules. Furthermore I thought that it might be a good thing to add to my site since it has been dormant for a while and would give it some new found purpose.
Basic Design
When visualizing the monk class it took me a bit to come up with how it would fit in the 4E party. With the idea being centered on mystic Chinese monks and martial artists it would silly to put them as anything but Striker role characters. However there is already a plethora of strikers in 4E. You have range strikes of mundane (Ranger) and magical (Warlock) sources along with good melee strikers (Rogues and DW Rangers). When designing the monk I wanted a class that would be well rounded and have its own place in the party without stepping on the toes of any of the preexisting classes. With this in mind I visualized the monk as a lightly armored melee hitter that focused being able to deal with several enemies at once through avoidance and general dirty tricks. Additionally the monk would have a few powerful abilities that will allow him to deal with solos and elites as well but just not with the consistency of rogues and rangers, enough to make him worthwhile during the boss fight and not completely useless. Finally I wanted to add a flavorful flair to the monk by using stance based bonuses and abilities to reflect the varied fighting style of the iconic monk. This would allow the monk a bit of specialization and flexibility in design.
As the monk advances he’ll be able to gain additional stances of deviancies on his current stances allowing him to fine tune his abilities some more. As the monk progress into the higher tiers he’ll gain more of the abilities of the iconic mythical Chinese monk with the abilities to channel his chi and harness the power of the elements to turn him into a more fearsome warrior. The monk however would have drawbacks that many that very much fit with his background, for instance the lack of the ability to deal damage at range in the early stages of the class. As he advances he will overcome this with the ability to channel and harness his chi but will never as effective as a Warlock or Ranger at dealing with enemies from afar.
From design to Paper, The First Look
Monk
“Enlightenment is the understanding of the world and all things in it. To understand one must experience.”
Class Traits
Role: Striker. You dodge and weave through the wave of enemies, softening targets for others to fell.
Power Source: Martial. You talents depend on strenuous practice, inner harmony, and an understanding of the flow of energy.
Key Abilities: Dexterity, Wisdom, Strength. Though a Monk considers all of his abilities important.
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
Weapon Proficiencies: Staff, Nunchuku, Spear, Katar
Bonus to Defense: +1 Reflex, +1 Will
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution Score
Hit Point per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution Modifier
Trained Sklls: Acrobatics and Athletics. From the class skills list below, choose four more skills at 1st level.
Bluff (Charisma), Endurance (Constitution), Heal (Wisdom), History (Intelligence), Insight (Wisdom), Perception (Wisdom).
Build Options: Martial Monk, Subtle Monk
Class Features: TBD
So here it is the stat block for my monk class. As the design develops I’ll keep updating this block at the bottom of every blog and eventually will post it as a download in our Accessories section.
Hope you enjoy.
-Geoff
Discuss this Item Here.
So the other day a friend of mine was looking over the 4E rules and my campaign notes and wondered about the lack of monks though my campaign setting alluded to them. After some discussion and thought I decided to go ahead and write up the class for 4E until a satisfactory replacement is added via the core rules. Furthermore I thought that it might be a good thing to add to my site since it has been dormant for a while and would give it some new found purpose.
Basic Design
When visualizing the monk class it took me a bit to come up with how it would fit in the 4E party. With the idea being centered on mystic Chinese monks and martial artists it would silly to put them as anything but Striker role characters. However there is already a plethora of strikers in 4E. You have range strikes of mundane (Ranger) and magical (Warlock) sources along with good melee strikers (Rogues and DW Rangers). When designing the monk I wanted a class that would be well rounded and have its own place in the party without stepping on the toes of any of the preexisting classes. With this in mind I visualized the monk as a lightly armored melee hitter that focused being able to deal with several enemies at once through avoidance and general dirty tricks. Additionally the monk would have a few powerful abilities that will allow him to deal with solos and elites as well but just not with the consistency of rogues and rangers, enough to make him worthwhile during the boss fight and not completely useless. Finally I wanted to add a flavorful flair to the monk by using stance based bonuses and abilities to reflect the varied fighting style of the iconic monk. This would allow the monk a bit of specialization and flexibility in design.
As the monk advances he’ll be able to gain additional stances of deviancies on his current stances allowing him to fine tune his abilities some more. As the monk progress into the higher tiers he’ll gain more of the abilities of the iconic mythical Chinese monk with the abilities to channel his chi and harness the power of the elements to turn him into a more fearsome warrior. The monk however would have drawbacks that many that very much fit with his background, for instance the lack of the ability to deal damage at range in the early stages of the class. As he advances he will overcome this with the ability to channel and harness his chi but will never as effective as a Warlock or Ranger at dealing with enemies from afar.
From design to Paper, The First Look
Monk
“Enlightenment is the understanding of the world and all things in it. To understand one must experience.”
Class Traits
Role: Striker. You dodge and weave through the wave of enemies, softening targets for others to fell.
Power Source: Martial. You talents depend on strenuous practice, inner harmony, and an understanding of the flow of energy.
Key Abilities: Dexterity, Wisdom, Strength. Though a Monk considers all of his abilities important.
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
Weapon Proficiencies: Staff, Nunchuku, Spear, Katar
Bonus to Defense: +1 Reflex, +1 Will
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution Score
Hit Point per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution Modifier
Trained Sklls: Acrobatics and Athletics. From the class skills list below, choose four more skills at 1st level.
Bluff (Charisma), Endurance (Constitution), Heal (Wisdom), History (Intelligence), Insight (Wisdom), Perception (Wisdom).
Build Options: Martial Monk, Subtle Monk
Class Features: TBD
So here it is the stat block for my monk class. As the design develops I’ll keep updating this block at the bottom of every blog and eventually will post it as a download in our Accessories section.
Hope you enjoy.
-Geoff
Discuss this Item Here.
Blind, Chooser of Destiny
Posted on 27/08 20:23
Blind stepped out from the doors of the meeting hall and instantly the town became very aware of her presence. After the initial clamor an uneasy hush fell over the city. The merchants and traders whispered in hushed tones as to the nature and meaning of Blind’s presence. Despite themselves even the craftsmen stopped their work to watch the events surrounding the seer unfold. Blind stepped out in front of the others her dark curls bouncing with each step. With all eyes on her Blind self consciously felt the need to itch the bandage that covered the wound on the left side of her face. With her one good eye she looked at the face of each of the townsperson in turn, slowly making her way through them. The crowd parted to let her pass as if a bubble of awe separated them from her, the ambassadors found it difficult to follow as the crowd was eager to close regardless of their presence.
Blind stopped in the city square near the entrance to the merchant’s corridor. She stepped forward slightly gesturing at a knight standing amongst the smiths. His armor was in pieces and being fitted by the apprentices, blotches of blue steel over black chain mail gave the appearance that sections of his skin had been melted off his body. The deverenian ambassador stepped forward looking for confirmation from Blind, a simple nod was all he received.
“Captain Jaldais Rellion!” The ambassadors bellow rang over the crowd, the knight snapped to attention at the sound of his name, a motion from the senior deverenian brought him out of the shop and into the clearing of people.
“What can I do for thee Ambassador?” Jaldais’ short dark hair was pulled back and sleek, beads of sweat glistened on his forehead from the heat of the heavy armor. An ornamental scabbard clasped a blade at the knight’s side; is swayed as if eager for use.
“You will accompany this maiden as one of the Destined of Nine. You will aid and protect in her in any manner seen fit to accomplish the mission that has been set forth.” The man’s tone was clear and unwavering, any doubt he had hid behind his teeth. The Knight opened his mouth to protest but a stern look from the senior man kept his tongue from moving.
Blind turned from the deverenian to look at the crowd once more. She moved slowly again still looking into the eyes of each person she passed. She stopped in front of the stockades that held the nothrog. The females calculating eyes sized up each other as Blind motioned to the captive. Gasps came from the assembled audience at the thought that a murderous and treacherous race as the nothrog could be involved in the Destiny. Several dwarfs stepped forward with keys and began to unlock the mechanism that kept the stockade securely around the nothrog’s neck and wrists.
“My lady this creature is a murdering savage and a crafty one at that. Even with others to guard you I would be concerned for your safety.” Though considerate the ambassador’s words did little hide his malice to nothrog. Long had he been asking for the execution of the captives though the dwarves protested it.
“She is little different then you or I. Her destiny lies with us.” Blind’s words did little to soothe the assembled masses.
“If only her presence is needed then may I suggest that she be remanded to the custody of Sir Jaldais, he will look after the captive without releasing her fully. Her safety would be assured and she would still travel with thee.” Out maneuvered Blind bit at her lip and nodded once. The nothrog was chained at her wrists and leashed to a pole while the deverenian knight returned to have his armor finished.
Blind smiled slyly to the nothrog as she moved back towards the crowd. She had barely moved before she stopped again her eye caught on a foreigner that was slowly moving towards the city gates. She pointed at him and the crowd parted, the man stopped short peering over his shoulder at the source of the commotion. He turned slightly slipping his bow over his shoulder and resting a hand on a knife in his quiver’s baldric. Several dwarves stepped forward with hands on weapons. A large fox slipped between the legs of the spectators and brushed up against the hunter. He gave the creature a quick look before lowering his hand from his weapon, Blind matched eyes with the fox passing a knowing glance.
“What is it you want with me?” Then hunter spoke in deverenian, a thick accent passing across his lips. Blind stepped towards him signaling her would be protectors off with a wave of her hand.
“Your destiny lays with us my foreign friend.” She paused sizing him up once more; the fox tilting its head in anticipation. “All I ask is that you travel with me for the time of three moons. After which you are free to travel where ever you see fit.” The fox yipped at the hunter once before returning to the sanctity of the crowd. The hunter nodded slowly in approval, his hand moving to rub a beard that wasn’t there.
“I require compensation.” “Done.” Blind’s answer nearly left her lips before the man had been able to speak. He withdrew slightly, taken back by her swift reply.
“My name is Inari ibn Hazdath.” He stepped forward, offering his hand to her.
“You may call me Blind.” She clasped at the man’s wrist as she had seen both deverenian and human alike do in the past though the custom was so unfamiliar to her. “We leave at dusk, please ready yourself.” He nodded once and returned to the crowd.
As Inari moved into the crowd Blind moved her sight back the crowd. Her eyes were met with those of youth and naiveté. She stepped towards the boy who stood amongst the tradesmen. His clothes were covered in blood and gristle, his breathing was heavy and fear played in his eyes at the thought of what the seer might say. Before Blind could twitch her hand a man stepped between them. His hear balding and large black chops framed his mouth. Their clothes so similar in wear and grotesque that she could do little but assume that his man be the boy’s father. Where the boy was fearful and slight of frame this man as defined with eyes as dark and determined as the mountains.
“The boy must come with us, it his purpose on this world to do so.” Blinds tone was even and measured, she new well not to provoke a beast in the defense of its young.
“I don’t what you have seen milady, nor do I care. My boy’s place is here, not on some fairytale goose chase.” As the haggard man spoke the crowd parted allowing Jaldais to come to the seer’s side. The knight’s armor was finished and polished against the cooling mountain air, his hand immediately pulling the long blade from its sheath.
“Cut your tone peasant. At the order of the Ambassadors of Phyrgai those of the destiny of nine are to be gathered for this journey. Lest you believe it or not this Seer has proclaimed your son as one of their number.” The knight held his blade at arms length poised at the butchers throat. The father made no change to his demeanor and yet let a measured amount of humility play across his features.
“As thee wish mine lord.” His archaic deverenian was enough to let the knight feel his contempt. Jaldais withdrew his blade relaxing it at his side. “Though I request to accompany my son on this journey, lest he be a burden to you.” Blind’s sightless eye saw a trail of smoke and shadow pass over the man revealing aging bones as they crumbled to dust. A chillness crept up her spine and soft words whispered into her ears.
“This destiny is your son’s. Not yours. Take this path and understand the consequences for defying the strands of fate.” She held a reserved amount of contempt for the man in her words though he seemed not to care.
“My family makes its own destiny, keep your threats to yourself.” He spat at the dwarfs feet before turning to his son motioning for him to go inside. Jaldais stepped forward bringing his sword to ready over his left shoulder, ready to cleave the peasant’s insolent head from his shoulders. The father quickly pulled a butchers cleaver from the fold of his apron and stepped into the knights reach poising to remove the knight from his manhood. A deathly silence fell over the town as the two men stood in a stale embrace.
“That pathetic excuse of a weapon stands no threat to deverenian steel.”
“It cuts a basilisk from shoulder to thigh, scales and all, in a single stroke just fine.” Doubt flashed across the knight’s eyes as the butcher’s cold and calculated words bite in. “And if you’re so confident then why did you stop your swing?” Tense moments passed between the two men as the sun crossed its apex in the sky. Blind finally stepped forward placing comforting hands on the shoulders of both men.
“Enough. You intentions are known and understood, you and the boy will accompany us.” Her eyes moved from the butcher to the knight, a gentle solidity stretched through her voice. “Now let us lay down are arms, we have much still to do before the day grows tired and others to find before it ends. As both men stowed their weapons the bitter cold of the air between them became caught up in small whirlwind that danced in their tension.
The butcher turned away from the knight walking towards the small building that served as his business and home. The boy stood in the doorway his body half concealed by the old wooden door. His eyes were wide and shaken; while cold sweat flowed from his brow in a river of fear. His father approached, cold and measured, assuring his son that everything was fine and hurrying him inside to pack his things. Jaldais turned back to Blind, his countenance reflected his displeasure of the peasants that he would be forced to share company with. Blind brushed off his displeasure with a calming glance turning once more to the assembled masses. Over half of her companions had been made known; the others still huddled amongst the eager and befuddled citizens of New Goldenaxe.
-Geoffrey Lykken
If you would like to discuss or comment this story you may do so here.
Blind stopped in the city square near the entrance to the merchant’s corridor. She stepped forward slightly gesturing at a knight standing amongst the smiths. His armor was in pieces and being fitted by the apprentices, blotches of blue steel over black chain mail gave the appearance that sections of his skin had been melted off his body. The deverenian ambassador stepped forward looking for confirmation from Blind, a simple nod was all he received.
“Captain Jaldais Rellion!” The ambassadors bellow rang over the crowd, the knight snapped to attention at the sound of his name, a motion from the senior deverenian brought him out of the shop and into the clearing of people.
“What can I do for thee Ambassador?” Jaldais’ short dark hair was pulled back and sleek, beads of sweat glistened on his forehead from the heat of the heavy armor. An ornamental scabbard clasped a blade at the knight’s side; is swayed as if eager for use.
“You will accompany this maiden as one of the Destined of Nine. You will aid and protect in her in any manner seen fit to accomplish the mission that has been set forth.” The man’s tone was clear and unwavering, any doubt he had hid behind his teeth. The Knight opened his mouth to protest but a stern look from the senior man kept his tongue from moving.
Blind turned from the deverenian to look at the crowd once more. She moved slowly again still looking into the eyes of each person she passed. She stopped in front of the stockades that held the nothrog. The females calculating eyes sized up each other as Blind motioned to the captive. Gasps came from the assembled audience at the thought that a murderous and treacherous race as the nothrog could be involved in the Destiny. Several dwarfs stepped forward with keys and began to unlock the mechanism that kept the stockade securely around the nothrog’s neck and wrists.
“My lady this creature is a murdering savage and a crafty one at that. Even with others to guard you I would be concerned for your safety.” Though considerate the ambassador’s words did little hide his malice to nothrog. Long had he been asking for the execution of the captives though the dwarves protested it.
“She is little different then you or I. Her destiny lies with us.” Blind’s words did little to soothe the assembled masses.
“If only her presence is needed then may I suggest that she be remanded to the custody of Sir Jaldais, he will look after the captive without releasing her fully. Her safety would be assured and she would still travel with thee.” Out maneuvered Blind bit at her lip and nodded once. The nothrog was chained at her wrists and leashed to a pole while the deverenian knight returned to have his armor finished.
Blind smiled slyly to the nothrog as she moved back towards the crowd. She had barely moved before she stopped again her eye caught on a foreigner that was slowly moving towards the city gates. She pointed at him and the crowd parted, the man stopped short peering over his shoulder at the source of the commotion. He turned slightly slipping his bow over his shoulder and resting a hand on a knife in his quiver’s baldric. Several dwarves stepped forward with hands on weapons. A large fox slipped between the legs of the spectators and brushed up against the hunter. He gave the creature a quick look before lowering his hand from his weapon, Blind matched eyes with the fox passing a knowing glance.
“What is it you want with me?” Then hunter spoke in deverenian, a thick accent passing across his lips. Blind stepped towards him signaling her would be protectors off with a wave of her hand.
“Your destiny lays with us my foreign friend.” She paused sizing him up once more; the fox tilting its head in anticipation. “All I ask is that you travel with me for the time of three moons. After which you are free to travel where ever you see fit.” The fox yipped at the hunter once before returning to the sanctity of the crowd. The hunter nodded slowly in approval, his hand moving to rub a beard that wasn’t there.
“I require compensation.” “Done.” Blind’s answer nearly left her lips before the man had been able to speak. He withdrew slightly, taken back by her swift reply.
“My name is Inari ibn Hazdath.” He stepped forward, offering his hand to her.
“You may call me Blind.” She clasped at the man’s wrist as she had seen both deverenian and human alike do in the past though the custom was so unfamiliar to her. “We leave at dusk, please ready yourself.” He nodded once and returned to the crowd.
As Inari moved into the crowd Blind moved her sight back the crowd. Her eyes were met with those of youth and naiveté. She stepped towards the boy who stood amongst the tradesmen. His clothes were covered in blood and gristle, his breathing was heavy and fear played in his eyes at the thought of what the seer might say. Before Blind could twitch her hand a man stepped between them. His hear balding and large black chops framed his mouth. Their clothes so similar in wear and grotesque that she could do little but assume that his man be the boy’s father. Where the boy was fearful and slight of frame this man as defined with eyes as dark and determined as the mountains.
“The boy must come with us, it his purpose on this world to do so.” Blinds tone was even and measured, she new well not to provoke a beast in the defense of its young.
“I don’t what you have seen milady, nor do I care. My boy’s place is here, not on some fairytale goose chase.” As the haggard man spoke the crowd parted allowing Jaldais to come to the seer’s side. The knight’s armor was finished and polished against the cooling mountain air, his hand immediately pulling the long blade from its sheath.
“Cut your tone peasant. At the order of the Ambassadors of Phyrgai those of the destiny of nine are to be gathered for this journey. Lest you believe it or not this Seer has proclaimed your son as one of their number.” The knight held his blade at arms length poised at the butchers throat. The father made no change to his demeanor and yet let a measured amount of humility play across his features.
“As thee wish mine lord.” His archaic deverenian was enough to let the knight feel his contempt. Jaldais withdrew his blade relaxing it at his side. “Though I request to accompany my son on this journey, lest he be a burden to you.” Blind’s sightless eye saw a trail of smoke and shadow pass over the man revealing aging bones as they crumbled to dust. A chillness crept up her spine and soft words whispered into her ears.
“This destiny is your son’s. Not yours. Take this path and understand the consequences for defying the strands of fate.” She held a reserved amount of contempt for the man in her words though he seemed not to care.
“My family makes its own destiny, keep your threats to yourself.” He spat at the dwarfs feet before turning to his son motioning for him to go inside. Jaldais stepped forward bringing his sword to ready over his left shoulder, ready to cleave the peasant’s insolent head from his shoulders. The father quickly pulled a butchers cleaver from the fold of his apron and stepped into the knights reach poising to remove the knight from his manhood. A deathly silence fell over the town as the two men stood in a stale embrace.
“That pathetic excuse of a weapon stands no threat to deverenian steel.”
“It cuts a basilisk from shoulder to thigh, scales and all, in a single stroke just fine.” Doubt flashed across the knight’s eyes as the butcher’s cold and calculated words bite in. “And if you’re so confident then why did you stop your swing?” Tense moments passed between the two men as the sun crossed its apex in the sky. Blind finally stepped forward placing comforting hands on the shoulders of both men.
“Enough. You intentions are known and understood, you and the boy will accompany us.” Her eyes moved from the butcher to the knight, a gentle solidity stretched through her voice. “Now let us lay down are arms, we have much still to do before the day grows tired and others to find before it ends. As both men stowed their weapons the bitter cold of the air between them became caught up in small whirlwind that danced in their tension.
The butcher turned away from the knight walking towards the small building that served as his business and home. The boy stood in the doorway his body half concealed by the old wooden door. His eyes were wide and shaken; while cold sweat flowed from his brow in a river of fear. His father approached, cold and measured, assuring his son that everything was fine and hurrying him inside to pack his things. Jaldais turned back to Blind, his countenance reflected his displeasure of the peasants that he would be forced to share company with. Blind brushed off his displeasure with a calming glance turning once more to the assembled masses. Over half of her companions had been made known; the others still huddled amongst the eager and befuddled citizens of New Goldenaxe.
-Geoffrey Lykken
If you would like to discuss or comment this story you may do so here.
The Warden
Posted on 24/08 17:48
Warden stepped from the doors of the clergy barracks in New Goldenaxe. The fresh mountain air kissed his lungs as he straightened his belt and stepped out into the captured city. He pulled his arms back stretching out the leather straps that held the studded leather pauldrons in place over his shoulders. The joints in his foeshredder creaked slightly as he flexed his hand forming in and out of a fist. The weapons was a recent addition to his armament having been given to him a few days earlier after its previous owner expired during a nothrog attack. The taloned cestus fit him well though it took some time to get used to fighting with it, even now he would still prefer the hand a half axe strapped to his back.
Warden let his grey gaze fall once more over his new home. It had been under cooperative dwarf and deverenian control for less then a few days and already the town was busy with activity. Hunters brought in game to be sold to the city, a butcher and his son carved the carcasses, salting some and dry smoking others. Trappers brought furs and pelts to be sold to the growing number of smiths that were busy repairing weapons and forging armor for the guards out on the city walls. Quacks and charlatons sold elixirs and magic trinkets in shaded tents, while a gypsy woman read people’s fortunes with cards and bones.
In the city square several nothrog were bound in stockades, prisoners of war. Their fate was uncertain as the leadership of the city was held in sway until it was decided as to whose law would apply in the walls. Two of them were large dark green skinned savage warriors. Scars marked their bodies in such a riddled fashion it could be confused with a tattooist’s handiwork. Their eyes were shot with their hatred for the new denizens of the city but despite it all Warden paid them no heed. It was the third that caught his eye, the pale green skinned female bore no sign of contempt or vengeance in her gaze. Instead she was calm, quiet and reserved. Her eyes darted from each person in the city studying each in turn. Occasionally she muttered words that Warden could barely make out as bits of dwarven or deverenian.
Turning his mind from his worries he set out down the main section of the city street towards the out walls. Mortar was there reinforcing the towns defenses had he was eager to check up on his old friend. As he passed through the crowds that lined the street eagerly trading for whatever they could from dwarven and deverenian merchants. Through the clamor he could he the whispers of the crowd talk about the recent discussion between the two ambassadors. The destiny of nine was fresh on their minds and worried as to what would happen when the seer emerged from the Temple of Kor to choose. Warden knew of what they spoke, he knew a deverenian seer died in a fever dream babbling of the every same series of events. The same things had been witnessed by him, spoken from the mouth of a blind child in the caverns under the earth during his escape from Ironhall.
Warden already knew he would be called to undertake this journey; it was the reason he wore is armor and weapons. Even now his hammer swung at his side and his blessed axe lay strapped to his back, wrapped in white cloth to shade it from the light of prying eyes. He did not wish to dwell on the comings of tomorrow and chose to focus only on his wish to see an old friend. The wind changed ever slightly washing a warm breeze over the dwarfs face and carrying a whisper into his ears.
“A marked dwarf, how interesting.” The voice was low, sweet with a cunning edge. Warden stopped in his tracks looking to the crowd in all directions and seeing none that could have whispered the words so clearly over the noise of the crowds. A light panting brought Wardens eyes to the ground where a canine sat staring at him with pale blue eyes while it tasted the winds with its slavering tongue. The creature was as large as a feral wolf though it resembled more of a fox in form and figure. The creature stopped its panting tilting its head at the dwarf who gazed it with marked regard. A hunter turned from his bartering with a merchant having taken notice of the animals change in demeanor. The man’s brown eyes fixed on the dwarf as Warden and the beast stared at each other.
Neither had time to mutter a word between them before the crowd broke out into an uproar. Blind had emerged from the city hall with both ambassadors in tow, it was time for her to find those faces she saw in her vision. Warden met the hunter’s eyes for but a moment as he shifted his weight and stepped away coolly taking in the countenance of the man’s light chocolate features framed by ragged brown hair. He had heard only rumors about these people from the southern kingdoms but he had no words as walked away at a marked pace. He made his way towards the edge of town once again set find Mortar and beleaguered by the thoughts of the mornings events running through his head.
---
Geoff Lykken
Warden let his grey gaze fall once more over his new home. It had been under cooperative dwarf and deverenian control for less then a few days and already the town was busy with activity. Hunters brought in game to be sold to the city, a butcher and his son carved the carcasses, salting some and dry smoking others. Trappers brought furs and pelts to be sold to the growing number of smiths that were busy repairing weapons and forging armor for the guards out on the city walls. Quacks and charlatons sold elixirs and magic trinkets in shaded tents, while a gypsy woman read people’s fortunes with cards and bones.
In the city square several nothrog were bound in stockades, prisoners of war. Their fate was uncertain as the leadership of the city was held in sway until it was decided as to whose law would apply in the walls. Two of them were large dark green skinned savage warriors. Scars marked their bodies in such a riddled fashion it could be confused with a tattooist’s handiwork. Their eyes were shot with their hatred for the new denizens of the city but despite it all Warden paid them no heed. It was the third that caught his eye, the pale green skinned female bore no sign of contempt or vengeance in her gaze. Instead she was calm, quiet and reserved. Her eyes darted from each person in the city studying each in turn. Occasionally she muttered words that Warden could barely make out as bits of dwarven or deverenian.
Turning his mind from his worries he set out down the main section of the city street towards the out walls. Mortar was there reinforcing the towns defenses had he was eager to check up on his old friend. As he passed through the crowds that lined the street eagerly trading for whatever they could from dwarven and deverenian merchants. Through the clamor he could he the whispers of the crowd talk about the recent discussion between the two ambassadors. The destiny of nine was fresh on their minds and worried as to what would happen when the seer emerged from the Temple of Kor to choose. Warden knew of what they spoke, he knew a deverenian seer died in a fever dream babbling of the every same series of events. The same things had been witnessed by him, spoken from the mouth of a blind child in the caverns under the earth during his escape from Ironhall.
Warden already knew he would be called to undertake this journey; it was the reason he wore is armor and weapons. Even now his hammer swung at his side and his blessed axe lay strapped to his back, wrapped in white cloth to shade it from the light of prying eyes. He did not wish to dwell on the comings of tomorrow and chose to focus only on his wish to see an old friend. The wind changed ever slightly washing a warm breeze over the dwarfs face and carrying a whisper into his ears.
“A marked dwarf, how interesting.” The voice was low, sweet with a cunning edge. Warden stopped in his tracks looking to the crowd in all directions and seeing none that could have whispered the words so clearly over the noise of the crowds. A light panting brought Wardens eyes to the ground where a canine sat staring at him with pale blue eyes while it tasted the winds with its slavering tongue. The creature was as large as a feral wolf though it resembled more of a fox in form and figure. The creature stopped its panting tilting its head at the dwarf who gazed it with marked regard. A hunter turned from his bartering with a merchant having taken notice of the animals change in demeanor. The man’s brown eyes fixed on the dwarf as Warden and the beast stared at each other.
Neither had time to mutter a word between them before the crowd broke out into an uproar. Blind had emerged from the city hall with both ambassadors in tow, it was time for her to find those faces she saw in her vision. Warden met the hunter’s eyes for but a moment as he shifted his weight and stepped away coolly taking in the countenance of the man’s light chocolate features framed by ragged brown hair. He had heard only rumors about these people from the southern kingdoms but he had no words as walked away at a marked pace. He made his way towards the edge of town once again set find Mortar and beleaguered by the thoughts of the mornings events running through his head.
---
Geoff Lykken
Destiny of 9 - Prologue
Posted on 14/08 17:35
Mortar ran his rough thick fingers through the receding hair on his scalp. Cold sweat kissed the mason’s hands as the last strands of graying hair fell from his fingers. His eyes peered through the darkness once more as he wiped his hand clean on his trousers. The bodies of his eight companions lay huddled in the small clearing a few feet below him. The strange rock lay in the center of camp; it gave off no light or smoke but provided the heat of roaring campfire. It was something the elf brought with her, he didn’t trust her but he would admit that her baubles had proved useful so far. She stirred in her sleep as if knowing she lay on his mind at that moment. He shook his head violently to toss the image of her strange amber eyes from his mind.
When he was sure that the memory was gone once more he opened his eyes to find them resting on the seer as she lay fast asleep, exhausted from the previous days trials. Blind, her mind came to the forefront of his mind. She was the source of the damned journey that he had been dragged into. The swift motion of his hand wiped the grimace from his face and he made his way down to the camp. His watch for the night had been long over but he could not bring himself to wake the boy, he needed his rest. In the darkness of the moonless night he slipped on a loose rock sliding a short distance. The dwarf quickly pulled his pick from back when he came to a stop, his eyes scanning the forest line like a possessed hawk.
The only movement came from within the camp as his youngest companion stirred from slumber. Mortar relaxed his guard and walked to the boy’s side. The young deverenian shook the sleep from his eyes and looked up at the older dwarf seeing the fist signs of the lightening horizon behind him.
“Mortar, I’m sorry I’ve overslept. I can take my watch now.” His dwarven was broken and simple but he made attempts to learn whenever possible. The boy tried stand, almost collapsing in the process.
“Rest yourself Cayden. I’ve stood your watch for you. Get some more rest.” The dwarf placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder gently forcing him back to the ground. Exhaustion overwhelmed him and Cayden settled back down onto his bedroll.
Once he was sure the boy was asleep once more Mortar moved through the camp stopping at the bed roll of the elder deverenian. He stood there for a second looking with disgust over the knight. With a measured amount of malice in it he kicked at his feet. The man woke with a start, his hand flashing to the long blade next to him. His motion didn’t stop when he recognized the dwarf instead waiting a moment to be sure the pick in the dwarf’s hands was not meant for him. The knight’s eyes flashed to the form of the sleeping boy before returning to the aged dwarf.
“The peasant was supposed to stand watch before me, what happened.” The knight rose slightly and clipped the sword sheath onto his belt.
“His name is Cayden and I took his watch. Thou would do much to remember the sacrifice he has endured at thine expense.” Mortar’s deverenian was cold, cruel and perfect. It bit at the iron heart of the knight as he hastened to put his armor on.
“The boy will never grow to be anything other then a pest if you don’t stop coddling him like a child.” The deverenian sneered as he spoke in the dwarf’s native tongue; Mortar spun the pick in his hand as he set his jaw. The knight froze as he caught motion out of the corner of his eye. The dwarf surpassed in years and combat experience, he knew full well the dwarf could swing before he would have a chance to pull his blade free.
“Watch thine self Jaldais. Know well that a hundred other ways had crossed mine mind when it came to waking you, be thankful I chose the one I did. I might not be so generous the next time.”
Mortar turned away from the knight heading to his own bedroll to catch what few moments of sleep he could before the dawn. Jaldais’ hand trembled and he shook it release the nervousness, moving away from the camp to the small knoll where Mortar was moments before. The old dwarf settled his bones to rest against the soft earth as the memories of days past began to sweep over him.
-Geoffrey Lykken
When he was sure that the memory was gone once more he opened his eyes to find them resting on the seer as she lay fast asleep, exhausted from the previous days trials. Blind, her mind came to the forefront of his mind. She was the source of the damned journey that he had been dragged into. The swift motion of his hand wiped the grimace from his face and he made his way down to the camp. His watch for the night had been long over but he could not bring himself to wake the boy, he needed his rest. In the darkness of the moonless night he slipped on a loose rock sliding a short distance. The dwarf quickly pulled his pick from back when he came to a stop, his eyes scanning the forest line like a possessed hawk.
The only movement came from within the camp as his youngest companion stirred from slumber. Mortar relaxed his guard and walked to the boy’s side. The young deverenian shook the sleep from his eyes and looked up at the older dwarf seeing the fist signs of the lightening horizon behind him.
“Mortar, I’m sorry I’ve overslept. I can take my watch now.” His dwarven was broken and simple but he made attempts to learn whenever possible. The boy tried stand, almost collapsing in the process.
“Rest yourself Cayden. I’ve stood your watch for you. Get some more rest.” The dwarf placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder gently forcing him back to the ground. Exhaustion overwhelmed him and Cayden settled back down onto his bedroll.
Once he was sure the boy was asleep once more Mortar moved through the camp stopping at the bed roll of the elder deverenian. He stood there for a second looking with disgust over the knight. With a measured amount of malice in it he kicked at his feet. The man woke with a start, his hand flashing to the long blade next to him. His motion didn’t stop when he recognized the dwarf instead waiting a moment to be sure the pick in the dwarf’s hands was not meant for him. The knight’s eyes flashed to the form of the sleeping boy before returning to the aged dwarf.
“The peasant was supposed to stand watch before me, what happened.” The knight rose slightly and clipped the sword sheath onto his belt.
“His name is Cayden and I took his watch. Thou would do much to remember the sacrifice he has endured at thine expense.” Mortar’s deverenian was cold, cruel and perfect. It bit at the iron heart of the knight as he hastened to put his armor on.
“The boy will never grow to be anything other then a pest if you don’t stop coddling him like a child.” The deverenian sneered as he spoke in the dwarf’s native tongue; Mortar spun the pick in his hand as he set his jaw. The knight froze as he caught motion out of the corner of his eye. The dwarf surpassed in years and combat experience, he knew full well the dwarf could swing before he would have a chance to pull his blade free.
“Watch thine self Jaldais. Know well that a hundred other ways had crossed mine mind when it came to waking you, be thankful I chose the one I did. I might not be so generous the next time.”
Mortar turned away from the knight heading to his own bedroll to catch what few moments of sleep he could before the dawn. Jaldais’ hand trembled and he shook it release the nervousness, moving away from the camp to the small knoll where Mortar was moments before. The old dwarf settled his bones to rest against the soft earth as the memories of days past began to sweep over him.
-Geoffrey Lykken
