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Abyssal Road Trip - 118 - Rock and a hard place
🕑 Added 2021-09-22 11:00:56 +0000 UTCKi Movement had levelled during their journey, and though Teleport was always an option, she didn’t want to risk its use being taken as an insult. A toppled Elder tree supported at an angle by the canopy’s branches provided the last leg of their route down to ground level. As they reached towards the base of the tree, its roots angled upwards and displayed blunted shards of their road-sized diameters. The foliage at ground level didn’t hamper the Giants, but creeper vines sought to entangle Amdirlain at every step. When a few tried to wrap thick cables around one ankle, she moved first and stomped. The cracking of the greenery earned a glance from a few of the Giants as they drifted soundlessly through the same foliage that hampered her movements.
When they came around out of the shadow of the last broken root, the chewed ends were clear. Holes where the massive roots had once run through the earth showed remnants of sawdust and wood pulp. Pools of a mauve fluid slowly steamed and evaporated, leaving behind more of the wood pulp, tinted a solid black. Those areas where the acid hadn’t smoothed the wood appeared as if a stump grinder had gone to work. The party’s Scout didn’t hesitate in moving ahead, but when Amdirlain crunched another vine snaking up her leg, he shot her a frown and motioned her back.
N’Oye signalled for her to follow him and guided her back along the path they’d taken. After she pulled her foot from another vine, he moved to scoop her up and only precog’s warning stopped him from getting hit. As he slipped between ferns, he set Amdirlain to sit on his forearm as if he was carrying a child.
“What is it you need from here?” Amdirlain asked softly when N’Oye had stopped moving. While it was tempting to float in the air, she didn’t know how they’d take it, and the vines didn’t seem restricted to horizontal movement.
“A rock worm egg,” N’Oye stated. “We’ll bait it from its burrow and share its distraction between us while N’lan retrieves it. He is trying to listen for the old root tunnel it is in. The Ancestors said the eggs likely will be within the chamber off that tunnel.”
“I thought you were seeking medicine,” Amdirlain said.
“It is the key for a draught our Shaman’s daughter needs,” N’Oye said grimly. “If we do not gain it, she will perish painfully.”
“What if the chamber isn’t off that tunnel?” probed Amdirlain, wondering about the risk in their plan.
“Then N’lan will die as we can only expect to distract it so long,” declared N’Oye grimly.
“Why don’t we just kill it?” Amdirlain asked.
“It would kill us all,” snorted N’Oye, his fingers flicking dismissively. “While we might injure it, we’d still be dead.”
“Can I kill it for you as my amends?” asked Amdirlain
“Doubtful, and if you die in the attempt, we have no tie to keep your spirit free,” replied N’Oye. “You may certainly aid in distracting it you cause enough noise. Hush now, we wait.”
Amdirlain glanced back at the hunting party to remind herself that some of its members were clearly female, though it seemed it was more her height that was the issue.
“One question, is it alright with you if I use spells and powers that aren’t those of a Ranger?”
“As long as no harm comes to my people, I would not hamper another’s hunt,” declared N’Oye calmly.
“Good, you can let me go then,” Amdirlain said, when she floated in mid-air N’Oye’s eyes widened, but he simply nodded before returning his focus to N’lan.
Signals exchanged between Giants had them scatter in the undergrowth around the hole. When N’Oye signalled, they all disappeared except for N’Oye. He loosed an arrow in an arching shot that dropped into the pit and a flash of energy exploded through the jungle. Birds and animals screeched and fled as a roar came out of the pit, followed by the sound of motion.
The head that peered over the pit’s rim a few minutes later wasn’t like any worm she’d seen before, but Wyrm was perhaps what they had meant. Black ram horns and spikes crested the rim before its eyes rose into sight. Black scales crusted a wide snake-like maw that looked able to swallow a ute whole, as cat-like eyes the size of car windows looked around. The malevolent fear emanating from the Dragon matched the foulness visible to Amdirlain within its Soul. Before the first hunter acted, Analysis confirmed what they were dealing with, not that its nature was in doubt, but the numbers were good to have.
Analysis
[Name: Shêrgîonth, the Wrathful Mist
Species: Abyssal Black Dragon (Adult)
Class: Behemoth / Sorcerer
Level: 12 / 54 / 54
Health: 14,976
Defence: 840 (Fortified)
Magic: 168
Mana: 1680
Melee Attack Power: 1,612 (Siege Class)
Ranged Attack Power: 412 (Breath Weapon)
Combat Skills: Bite [M] (16), Claws [M] (49), Tail Strike [M] (1) Wing Buffet [M] (1) - Breath Weapon [M](15), Spell Forms - various (Plane: Ooze), Innate Powers
Details: Shêrgîonth is just over a century old, having both recently left her mother’s nest and laid her first clutch. Her like all Black Dragon lairs not immediately built in a swamp will end up submerged using the nearest water source.
]
They need a Dragon’s egg? How is that a fucking rock worm? Don’t they have a word for Dragon?
Another member of the hunting party loosed an arrow, and she watched them vanish among the undergrowth even as it was still in mid-air. Runes flared as it struck, sending lightning crackling across scales as the arrow’s mass went ricocheting away. True Sight showed Shêrgîonth clearly outlined within the clearing, suddenly cloaked in mist. Instead of the Giants, Shêrgîonth’s gaze fell where a large fern concealed her as a breeze served up her scent, and Amdirlain peered into her mind. The Dragon already looking forward to mauling everything that dared approach her. As Shêrgîonth exhaled, Amdirlain was already ready to teleport two Giants still close to her clear, when instead of a torrent, the mist grew into a killing smog.
An Elven scum smells more troublesome than Giant. Bitch! I’ll give her trouble.
The sound of cooking grease brought with it the odour of seared plants as Shêrgîonth flapped her wings. Amdirlain teleported those in the mist’s path away a moment before acidic vapours stripped the ground bare. Even as they reappeared, Shêrgîonth’s head turned towards them and Amdirlain teleported again, alone. Her appearance on the pit’s rim brought its turn to a halt and the Dragon’s lip curled into a cruel smile as it swatted at her. The claws ripped apart all the foliage in its path, but as it passed, she reformed from a flattened rock.
“Missed me.”
She didn’t speak aloud, but the Psi effect slapped Shêrgîonth’s mind, inciting her rage. As a sedan size paw backhanded towards Amdirlain, a barricade shaped spike met it. Dragon scales impacted Ki ladened metal, and both fractured. The force ripped the barricade’s ground spikes through hard packed earth as Shêrgîonth’s paw flinched up, the motion spun Amdirlain away, while the rush of health sealed her form’s fractures.
[Siege Weaponry effect: Non-Fortified Defence bypass applied.
Health: -1,612
Ki Strike, Armour Breach Failed: 44 (Fortified armour effect only single attack by non-siege rated flurry applied - physical damage reduction 90%)
Energy drain - Willpower Critical Success - Health drain: 1,956, Stat penalty applied Strength, passive effect applied.
Ki Infusion, Defence Intact - Failed
Ki Aura, Destruction - Willpower Critical Success: 489
]
Notifications off.
Flight halted her motion before she was between the Dragon and any Giant. Amdirlain resumed her Wood Elf Form as she flew back towards it, seeking to keep its attention turned from the wounded N’Lan about to drop into the pit. Mana shone around it as a gush of energy soared her way. Warned by True Sight, the Wall of Steel her spell formed hissed and frothed but blunted the torrent of acidic ooze. As more Giants loosed lightning arrows across its back and flank, she grabbed for its attention.
“Was that butt spit?”
The Psionic taunt hit harder the second time and turned the Dragon’s mind red with rage. Despite the pain in its injured paw, it moved on her and Amdirlain shot forward, suddenly shaped into a steel ballista bolt. Snake-like reactions were all that helped the tail connect, and the impact slapped her away. The force cracked her steel form again but didn’t distract. Stabilised in mid-air, she changed again, and her fist met a grabbing paw. Scales and bones cracked as Energy Drain leeched away health from the already injured paw. A hissing noise was all the warning she got before the gush of acid hit.
Not risking the shadow vines’ destruction, she drew them into inventory and bore the brunt on bare skin. As she blinked healing eyes, another tail strike smacked her into acid, dripping off a paw. Arms turned into tentacles, tied her to its movements. Braced securely, she pulled on the leverage and her knee strike broke a hole in a cracked scale. Telepathy’s hold on Shêrgîonth’s mind felt her shift to a life draining spell. An instant before the spell completed, the Psi taunt hit again, and her concentration broke amid the evoked fury.
Shêrgîonth smashed her prey down onto stone and screamed as the flesh she held became a metal spike. Pain raced through both of them as Amdirlain’s form broke off, and a scale gave way. Raw wounds were still healing as Amdirlain reformed, while acid hissed and scoured flesh. The Giants’ minds screamed as the Dragon’s Fear Aura amplified with its rage, but it didn’t cause her to flinch as she fired herself into the pit. Flight pushed and hooks on her shifted form caught against a leg scale’s edge just after her mass increased a dozen times or more. Arrested momentum transferred the force into the Dragon’s scale as tons of steel weight held against the abrupt stop. The sound of tearing flesh filled the air, as her weight tore the scale partly free.
Shêrgîonth’s maw snapped towards the tick clinging against her leg, and Amdirlain teleported into her open maw. Even without its hardened scales, the muscle of the Dragon’s tongue proved hard to breach. Bounced off the roof of Shêrgîonth’s mouth, when Amdirlain came down, her form extruded hooks carrying Ki Strikes. Motion rolled her across the salvia and acid slicked muscle, the hooks twisted their alignment to drive into flesh and let Energy Drain harvest health.
Stimulation made Shêrgîonth’s mouth a torment, even as the Psi taunt provoked her rage to greater heights. Her focus crumbled under Amdirlain will when flesh blackening pain amplified with her memories of Ascending’s pain. Desperation caused her to spew the breath weapon dry as Telepathy’s hold allowed no release. The acid etched steel, along with the tip of the Shêrgîonth’s tongue, fell away as she tried to bite the tic free. At last, the Dragon’s corpse crashed to the ground, with the nine Giants still loosing arrows, having raced to keep line of sight. Their lightning runed arrows cascaded energy across her flanks hoping to hasten Shêrgîonth’s demise.
[Combat Summary:
Abyssal Black Dragon (Adult) x1 (x9%)
Total Experience gained: 15,638
Fallen: +3,127
Scion: +3,127
Sora Master: +3,127
Psion: +3,127
Warrior Monk: +3,127
Resistance: Acid [I] (7->9)
Advanced Telepathy [Ad](6->7)
Ki Armour [S](16->17)
Ki Aura [Ad](2->4)
Protean [M](22->23)
Stimulation [Ad](19->20)
]
Did it count N’lan in as well? A hundred divided by eleven is what nine point something repeating. Still, experience stealing again, maybe it just rounds down to whole points?
Doubt I’ll ever get an answer on that one.
Teleport shifted her across the acidic and bile laden ground. As her flesh hissed with the remaining acid, she sheathed herself in Water Walls until she’d flushed it clear. Raw flesh sealed over as she re-donned the shadow vines again. A glance showed her the trail of devastated foliage that Shêrgîonth’s rampage had left. Too pain ridden to fly, her panicked ground-bound rush had crushed the foliage between the Elder trees as she’d fled.
“Maybe there is a sister or brother around to play with next.”
N’Oye blinked, confused both by her words and attitude
“You want to fight another?” N’Oye asked after a moment, gazing at her in astonishment.
“Sorry for the change in your plan. Next time I’ll fight one alone,” Amdirlain said light-heartedly, not wanting to do the maths on how much experience Shêrgîonth could have been. “If that’s proved my worth, what would you like me to do to make amends?”
“It might be fair considering that done as well,” N’Oye said, and she caught his equally dry sense of humour.
“Only if that’s suitable,” Amdirlain said, the odd clicks of their language easily conveying her amusement. “Though might I keep some scales and meat?”
“Smells wrong, doubt rock worm tastes good,” stated N’Oye, scrunching his nose at Shêrgîonth’s corpse. “Perhaps it’s rock hide would make interesting armour.”
I get he finds it easier to consider a fallen foe an ‘it’ rather than an individual. Even though she was evil, lessening her doesn’t make us better.
“Her scales likely would. Was thinking of feeding chunks to the devouring blooms,” Amdirlain replied and N’Oye’s confusion was clear.
“I’d say to be cautious, but they are what need the warning,” said N’Oye, his gaze turning curious.
“Is N’lan alright?” enquired Amdirlain, wanting to avoid an explanation. “I saw him drop into the pit and he looked injured.”
“When you shifted places that way, the worm’s wing struck him when it turned to follow you,” K’Rya replied, the Giantess sounding proud as she continued. “He went for the egg despite being hit.”
“Let’s ensure he’s okay,” Amdirlain stated, and headed back towards the hole. “Dealing with the corpse can wait. What do you need an egg for?”
“The Ancestors told our Shaman how to make an elixir. She was seeking a way to purge a Demonic grub from her daughter, N’lan’s is her eldest,” K’Rya answered, expanding on their normal truncated explanations, as pride turned to genuine concern.
“Harvest what you need. Scavengers will arrive shortly,” N’Oye said, and cut off Amdirlain’s protest. “Even if you can deal with them easily, I wouldn’t wish us to remain close. They carry much in the way of diseases and decay.”
Amdirlain moved to Shêrgîonth’s corpse, and a large section of chest scales and flesh vanished into her Inventory.
It lets me carve them up once they’re dead, but I couldn’t even take armour off a Fire Giant. The unborn worked—though was it because I took them intact from their host? Still glad I didn’t have to figure out another option. The healers wouldn’t have been able to get through all of them before some would have torn their way out.
“Let’s get N’lan. I can move everyone back to where we met,” proposed Amdirlain, cutting off her train of thoughts.
N’Oye glanced meaningfully at the suddenly exposed interior of Shêrgîonth’s body, and Amdirlain shrugged.
“It only works on something that big once they’re dead.”
A nod was N’Oye only response, and at his gesture most of the hunting party headed back to the pit. Some Giants moved ahead of N’Oye’s pace, but Amdirlain matched her speed to his. A pair of giants moved to cut at the sections of hide she’d exposed by removing scales.
They found a blood splattered N’lan in a chamber where four Dragon’s eggs sat in a hollow shaped from nuggets and ore, most of it either copper or silver. The simple nature and size of her horde was a clear sign of Shêrgîonth’s age—if Amdirlain had needed any confirmation. Amdirlain winced at the malevolence of the Soul already present within the eggs and wondered if there were ever innocents found among Chromatic Dragons. O’Lpa had already helped him remove a bracer, the flesh underneath swollen from the impact he’d taken. A gash that started just below his helm’s edge, and ran down his jawline, was the only obvious source of the blood. The appearance of the injury made him look fortunate that the blow hadn’t shattered bone.
“If you don’t have any magical healing, I could assist,” Amdirlain offered, gesturing to N’Lan’s wounds, when O’Lpa went to prepare a splint.
“We have some, but we save them for serious injuries,” N’Oye replied, giving her a surprised look. “You do not have the look of a Shaman.”
“I’m not, but I have means to heal. Might I assist N’lan?” asked Amdirlain hopefully.
“N’lan?” N’Oye questioned the bloodied Scout.
“She killed the rock worm. She could kill us easily,” N’Lan replied, giving a careful shrug of his uninjured side.
Though his statement wasn’t a clear vote of confidence, she moved up beside O’Lpa who seemed hesitant to move away. As the golden light washed over N’Lan’s arm, the visible lump along the bone disappeared, and the swelling in his arm quickly reduced. Under the blood stains, abraded flesh sealed as smoothly, but she continued till Analysis showed him at full health.
[Universal Life [M](31->32)]
“I feel much better, my thanks stranger,” N’Lan declared, flexing his fingers freely and O’Lpa gave her a nod.
“My name is Amdirlain.”
After N’Lan and the others all failed to pronounce it, she had to wave them off before their frustration grew.
“You have a hard name, stranger,” N’Oye stated apologetically.
“Your style of speech is very different. You can shorten it,” Amdirlain replied, and gestured to the eggs. “If you need to get them home quickly, I could move you to where we met to speed your journey.”
“As you moved the others around the entrance?” N’Lan asked and smiled when Amdirlain nodded. “The quicker we get the egg to mother, the better. I’m sure she will want to reward you with the hospitality of the Clan as thanks.”
* * *
Greater Teleport [M](40->41)
It was good only two had been close when Shêrgîonth wafted the mist her way, as returning to their meeting point had taken a few trips. The Giants hadn’t been interested in the Dragon’s horde, but they secured all the eggs. Their size made Amdirlain shake her head just considering their plan had been to sneak back out with one. Their size would be large enough for her to crouch inside without even needing to curl tight.
As four of the party were occupied carrying eggs it had put the rest of the Giants on edge. None had unnotched their arrows as they moved along, ensuring each of the egg carriers was monitored at all times. When they reached the doorway, only N’Lan and the others carrying eggs slipped inside as N’Oye motioned for her to wait with the rest.
“Shaman K’Lan will need to invite you in, otherwise the Ancestors would react badly,” explained N’Oye, as the others kept their focus outwards from the doorway.
The Giantess who emerged from the doorway a short while later had a steel-grey gaze at odds with the consistent brown of the others. Amdirlain recognised seeing her inside the Giant’s home but had only glimpsed her while apparently sleeping. The strength in her gaze left no doubt she was used to deciding how high others would jump.
Analysis
[Name: K’Lan
Species: Jungle Giant
Class: Ranger / Shaman / Adept
Level: 70/ 67 / 69 / 62
Health: 11,574
Defence: 198
Magic: 184
Mana: 17,820
Melee Attack Power: 244
Combat Skills: Bow [S](2), Dagger [M) (42), Spear [M](74) - Various Blessings, Various Spell Forms - Affinities: Water, Air, Nature, Life, & Death.
Details: K’Lan is currently the sole surviving Shaman of Clan N’Isa. All the others having died in spirit quests or fulfilling duties to their Clan. Her youngest daughter is the only remaining member of the Clan to have shown the talent in four generations. Other Clans consider her predecessor’s death ill-omened, and have been avoiding marrying into her Clan, leading to an increasing exodus from the Clan.
]
[Adept:
This base class is a primitive culture’s version of a Wizard. They gain control over Mana through a mixture of self-experimentation and oral traditions, often leading to ineffective spell forms and practices. These individuals do at times have practices that more ‘advanced’ cultures disregard yet provide remarkable results.]
As Amdirlain considered the information from Analysis K’Lan looked her over silently. K’Lan’s thoughts clearly noting the absence of the Demonic energies and malice her spells sought on the stranger.
“I bid you welcome, stranger. May our Ancestors find your actions favourable while you are within our chambers,” announced K’Lan formally. “My son says your name is difficult to say. Might I call you A’ain? It is all he could manage of it.”
The Giantess mangled even the simple compression of her name, but Amdirlain kept a straight face.
Their clicks are so different from anything I’ve heard before.
“You honour me with your welcome, Shaman,” Amdirlain replied. “That name is fine with me, or even just A from your tongue. How should I address you?”
“A is much easier, very well. After the help you gave, call me K’Lan,” answered K’Lan, her tone friendly though her expression was a closed lip smile. “Please enter so our Ancestors might see you by my side. You have not even a faint connection of blood for them to know.”
K’Lan stepped back into the passage and beckoned for Amdirlain to follow. Her surface thoughts were just focused on a proper introduction of the strange child to the Ancestors, so Amdirlain followed her inside. The Ancestors hadn’t been visible to Clairvoyance, but as Amdirlain crossed the threshold, she saw them clearly. In Soul Sight, they filled the corridor and the link from them to K’Lan was clear. Unlike the Orc Souls she’d seen bound, these seemed glad to serve, and she considered the closest with Analysis.
[Entity Species: Ancestral Spirit (Giant)
Level: 97
Health: 4,390
Mana: 1,940
Magic: 438
Defence: 275 (Incorporeal - Requires enchanted weapon to hit - maximum 50% of enchantment bonus damage)
Melee Attack Power: 312 (Bypass unenchanted physical defence)
Ranged Attack Power: 291 (Bypass unenchanted physical defence)
Combat Skills: Mana Disruption [M] (50), Spirit Strike [S] (102), Spirit Bow [S] (92) - Additional Innate Powers
Details: They willingly serve their Clan as conduits of Nature’s energy to allow the Clan’s Rangers to gain Mana and maintain a connection to Nature on this Plane. In return, the bond to the Clan’s Shaman keeps them from being absorbed by the Abyss.
]
K’Lan said nothing aloud but held her hands up, and a energy pulse passed along the link between them. The Ancestors nodded to her, and turned their gaze on Amdirlain for a time, one of them looked puzzled and an energy pulse went back to K’Lan.
“The Ancestors say they will recognise your deeds,” K’Lan stated, and paused before adding curiously. “One asks how it is you see them?”
“I can see Souls, both living and deceased. My respects to your Ancestors, they endure much for your Clan,” Amdirlain stated politely.
“A curious ability; while a Shaman can see the deceased, the living we see as others do,” pondered K’Lan.
“How goes the preparation for the draught?” Amdirlain asked, hoping to change the subject.
“It will be days yet before it will be ready for the fluid from the rock worm’s egg. I hope it is ready before the Demon grows too strong in her.”
“Perhaps I might offer my help,” Amdirlain said. “There are things I can do to help her against a Demon.”
K’Lan considered her seriously, and Amdirlain could see the conflict she tried to conceal.
“We can speak of what help I can offer,” offered Amdirlain. “the choice of which—if any—might assist will be yours. I would take no action without your permission and observation.”
“You are so child-like, yet the rock worm is dead,” K’Lan stated. “Our warriors wouldn’t have managed such a deed alone. Let us talk, please come with me.”
Comments
Eyes wide
Yep I'd say u fixed it just got the chapter on email . Thanks again for the chapter made my day
Glenn Wright
Appreciated - Will see if I can trigger something - will have to watch for the options next time I publish something. Learning curve :)
Eyes wide
Thanks for the chapter I noticed I didn't get an email so maybe no one knows it's out yet.
