A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

[Mind Flayer]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

The place was most definitely abandoned, or looked it at least as she made her walk around the perimeter of the place, curious about the structure before she made her way inside. After clearing the threshold of the gates, and making her way inside a bit, Lena looked back to find the gates had all but disappeared in the fog, and she couldn't help but feel that maybe she had walked into a trap. "Well shit, this just feels Really bad," Lena muttered to herself before she decided to go to the left, keeping her shield pulled up and at the ready.

 

[Tyragor]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

The fog was thicker as she walked, stepping off the path she wasn't sure if she'd even be able to find it again. She eventually found the entrance to the stables she had wanted earlier, and from the entrance, it seemed the fog didn't penetrate, she could see inside perfectly. As she neared she felt a gentle warmth permeate the entrance and within, between rows of empty stalls a light cast from a low crackling fire.

But the barn was not empty, a figure leaned against the wall, regarding her with a curious glance as she entered.

Spoiler

He smiled at first then leaning off the wall he let out a weary sigh. "Damnit. I guess there's another soul trapped here. Are you alright? You don't look like you've run into anything yet." The man was tall, a little over six feet. He wore formal robes, somewhat strange in a style that Lena had not really seen before. At his hip was a sheathed sword and resting against the wall was a spear.

He stepped towards the small fire and grabbed a seat, motioning across from it. "Sit, if you'd like. I think we're going to be here a little while.

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

Spotting the stables, Lena sighed and bit back a curse, inwardly thinking had she just managed to get her horse in here, then she could have tied the mare up in the stables. Spotting the glow of the fire within, Lena's eyes narrowed a bit and she readied her spear and shield just in case as she stepped inside, and spotted a man within. "Wait... what? Trapped? And no, my horse just ran like crazy just outside of the gates, terrified it seemed, but of what I don't know. Other than that, nothing else has accosted me yet," Lena replied after a few moments regarding the man, looking around in the process.

"And honestly I've sat More than enough today on my horse, before she bolted. My ass is Kind of sore from it," Lena commented with a chuckle as she came over. "So... I'm guessing that you're one of two things. Either you were sent by the marquis or some of his soldiers to investigate the place, or you're one of said soldiers that was trapped here when... This happened," Lena said, looking around again.

 

[Tyragor]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

He raises a brow at Lena and shrugged. "You haven't noticed then huhn? Well, I suppose I'm happy to explain." He stretched out, warming his hand over the flame. "Neither, actually. I'm not familiar with the Marquis. My name is Akemi. I'm...a traveling warrior or sorts. I came seeking out the source of the spreading Miasma, only to find myself caught up within it."

Akemi motioned out the door of the stables. "Whatever you wanna call it, the fog that surrounds us, or Miasma as I know it. It's a pretty recent disaster facing this land and spreading fast. I don't know what's causing it, but here's what I know. Those trapped in it, aren't going to be able to walk back out once it's taken hold like this, monsters, dangerous ones, are both drawn and created within it and there's a source to it."

He taps his chin rubbing it for a moment in thought. "Oh, and it's toxic to the mortal races like us humans."

He motioned to the fire. "This will keep it at bay, maintaining it's about all I've been able to do, I was considering exploring but to be honest I'm pretty beat."

"Oh I didn't catch your name?"

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

"Oh, I see... well then, that's intriguing to say the least," Lena replied, before giving him a nod and eagerly awaiting the explanation, so she would know what was really going on here. "My name's Lena, Lena Weiss. And it's really That dangerous? I hadn't noticed it to be perfectly honest. I mean those fairies I met in the woods yesterday morning said that this place was dangerous, but I didn't realize it was quite This dangerous. And only fire keeps it at bay? Or light in general?" Lena replied, introducing herself after listening to Akemi's explanation, looking back out through the stable doors at the miasma as he called it.

"And... how toxic? Like deathly toxic? And if so, how long until a person succumbs to it?" Lena asked curiously as she stared out at the stuff, hoping that their fire didn't go out on them.

 

[Tyragor]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

"I wouldn't expect many to know much of it. This phenomenon is new in this land," he noted casually. When asked about the fire he paused for a moment before finally replying cryptically, "No, just this fire, in particular."

"Lena Weiss, it's nice to meet you, in spite of circumstances, and no, not deathly. Just over time it will sap your strength and wear you down. You'll recover from it quickly enough if you spend some time somewhere free of it. I'd say...you'd probably start feeling some mild fatigue within a few minutes, an hour or so you'd be lethargic and within a few hours basically helpless."

"With that in mind, what's the plan? I wish I could say I could handle this, but I wasn't prepared to handle a place like this, especially not alone. Maintaining a sanctuary will be pretty much it for me. Truth told I was kinda screwed before you showed up." He let out a little laugh and rubbed the back of his head.

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

"I came from Farnshold not too long ago, just about a week or so ago now, where there was a massive attack by some strange cult of people. They were trying to indoctrinate everyone to their... deity or something," Lena replied and nodding with a smile as she offered her hand to shake Akemi's.

"And that quickly huh... damn... that's a pretty powerful miasma. And do you know if anyone else is trapped here? If so, then I could Definitely try and find them," Lena then said after a few moments, scratching her chin a bit. "And I don't mind going out there to investigate, it's why I'm here after all," she added after that.

 

[Tyragor]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

He lets out a dry chuckle at your recount of Farnshold. "This whole country is ablaze and everyone's too busy reaching for the valuables to try and put it out."

As she talked about people remaining he sighed. "The keep's been like this for...likely a month or more. If that's what happens in a few hours, you wanna guess what happens after a month? If there's anyone else out there, they're dead or just as good as."

"If you're here to investigate, here's what I know. The keep has three floors, maybe a basement. Across from here is a guardhouse, that's west, you entered from the north. If you go further east you'll find stairs leading to the second level, but they're barred, might be able to climb past but I'm not sure. South ease you'll hit the bridge over the inlet leading to the keep's inner courtyard and the main entrance."

"Monsters of all type wandering around, not sure what I could warn you about. Just keep on your toes, trust nothing, that sort of thing. If you're out for more than an hour, I'm coming to find you."

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

"Well, I fought those cultists and drove them out of Farnshold, killed their leader with my lover Jaime. She... didn't make it though herself, in the end. I've been trying to carry on with my life though because I know she wouldn't want me to mope and stay in Farnshold from now on," Lena replied after a few moments. "And I don't even Want to know what'll happen after a month in this. I'd likely be dead, if I had to guess," she added with a frown.

"Alright, thanks Akemi. And... does any sort of light work to drive the miasma back, or only fire? And does it spread indoors without fire or light?" Lena replied, preparing to head out.

 

[Tyragor]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

"I'm sorry to hear, I recently lost someone very close...I know knowing of my suffering doesn't ease your own, sorry. You have my sympathy." He chuckled. "Chin up, Miss Weiss, if things don't change many of us don't have much longer."

He motioned once more to the campfire. "It is solely this flame that I must maintain, no other, not ones you produce, will suffice. It will be through this keep and less densely spread in the surrounding land."

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

"It's alright, and thank you for sharing that with me. I'm not going to say it's Good to know of someone who knows my pain, because nobody should have to know that pain. But... it does help a little, really it does," Lena replied with a sad, but genuine smile. "And I see... so I need to head back here shortly after I investigate some and get a little rest before trying to go back out again then," she added with a nod, before sighing.

"Welp, wish me luck Akemi. Hopefully I'll be back soon. With any luck at least, and hopefully I won't run into Too many monsters," she then said before venturing out into the fog once more, heading towards the garrison, where she'd hope to find maybe something of interest, hopefully in the garrison captain's office, should it be there.

 

[Tyragor]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

"Sounds good, stay wary, shout if you need help but I may not hear, eheh. I'll come looking before too long, but if I leave the fire unattended too much or for too long it may go out and then, well, we're fucked." He tried to sound cheery at the end but it fell a little obviously flat.

Lena stepped out of the barn into the fog that surrounded the keep. Ahead of her lay the path to what Akemi described as the guard house, to the left lay the way to the outer wards courtyard and the path to the inner sections of the keep.

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

Lena nodded to Akemi and headed on out towards her first objective, which she decided on being the garrison, hoping that that fire would in fact Not go out. Moving quickly, she headed into the garrison to check it out, but would head to the outer courtyard and the inner sections of the keep after checking the garrison out for a couple of minutes, just to make sure nothing noteworthy was in there.

 

[Tyragor]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

It wasn't a long journey, the uneasy silence that settled over the keep creating a disconcerting feeling of loneliness. Glancing back of her shoulder even ten steps away from the stable made it invisible, she didn't hear the crackling flame nor feel its warmth. She reached the wooden door into the guardhouse and with a firm shove pushed the stuck door open and stepped inside. The fog cleared a bit here, allowing her to see the four corners of the 50x60 foot guardhouse. There were rows of bunks stretching across the room, with a long table on the opposite end and footlockers at the foot of each of the beds.

Satisfied Lena turned to go only to find a thick fog gathered at the doorway, if she extended a hand the fog resisted making it hard, maybe impossible to exit through the doorway. A groan echoed through the room.

Lena turned to the sound and saw the fog coalesce on the opposite wall as two figures, human in shape, pulled themselves through the fog and lumbered a few feet towards her! Each wielded a broken twisted blade, skeletal like figures with bits of rotting flesh hanging still to their bones. For a moment Lena wonders if this is the fate of soldiers who did not make it out, she finds not a symbol of the Marquis domain on their worn rusted armor but it does little to allay the concern.

They charge forward.

Spoiler

FP 10/10, 0/8AP, Exhausted MP
Undead Soldier A 0/?? FP
Undead Soldier A 0/?? FP

Notes, +2 FP from Necklace, +1 FP from level up at the end of the Farnshold

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

Lena was Really creeped out by the mere silence of the place, making it feel totally... dead, like a ghost town almost. The sounds of the bonfire that Akemi had going in the stables, and the sight of the stable itself disappeared about ten to twenty feet away from the stables. When she got to the guardhouse, she put the butt of her spear against the door and shoved it open after a couple of good pushes. After taking a quick look around, she found that the place was deserted, and that there didn't seem to be anything of note in there, so she turned to leave and noticed the thicker fog gathering near the doorway.

"Oh shit..." Lena muttered to herself, hefting her shield and leveling her spear, preparing to fight.

Seeing the figures stepping forth through the dark fog at the doors, Lena grimaced at the sight of the two undead soldiers, and could only believe that these two were fallen soldiers when this place went silent. "Don't worry, I shall grant both of you release," Lena muttered softly, not really certain if they Were the marquis' soldiers, but feeling that it was a good bet that they were, stepping forward and taking a stab at the nearest of the two, aiming for the thing's head to knock it clean off its shoulders with any luck.

 

[Tyragor]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

Both lumber towards Lena, spreading out to begin flanking her. She backs up to keep up her defenses as one lunges towards her. It's unusual movement provokes her into thinking the gesture was a feint, as she goes to strike it slams its jagged blade along her arm, she moved to keep it from being a more fatal wound but a long cut is still delivered.

She retaliates swiftly with a solid jab to its head, sending it clear off as the creature crumbles to the ground with a groan cut short by the blow.

The second lunges violently in but Lena is quick, bringing her spear up to bear the brunt of the assault, protecting herself from the wild slash narrowly and pushing the creature back into one of the beds. It staggers momentarily.

Spoiler

FP 8/10, 0/8AP, Exhausted MP
Undead Soldier A -4/?? FP! Defeated!
Undead Soldier A 0/?? FP

Undead Soldier 1 Attacks! +++b! 2 Damage!
Lena attacks! +b+b! Success! 4 Damage!
Undead Soldier 1 Attacks! --bb! Miss!

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

Lena was surprised that the duo was spreading out to flank her, and backed up a bit to prevent that from happening. The first one lunged at her, and she wasn't sure if it was a true attack or not, so she assumed it was a feint, since if these things were smart enough to flank her, they might be for that too. But she only ended up getting her arm cut a bit, worse than she'd imagined something like these things could manage to say the least. She lunged her spear out right into the thing's head though in retaliation, the undead man falling dead once more as its head flew across the room from the blow from Lena.

The other attacked quickly after, and Lena was barely left any time to block with her spear, but thankfully she managed it, and she thrust the thing back a bit, where it stumbled on one of the beds. Lena was quick on the uptake and jumped over the bed and stabbed her spear straight down into the thing's chest, while pressing her foot down on its arm that had the blade, Just in case. "D-Die again... already you bastard," Lena growled.

 

[Tyragor]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

Lena threw herself towards the thing as it stumbled back, only to see that it's stagger was actually a powerful uppercut of its blade towards her. Lena caught her footing at the last second and leaned ouf ot the way of the cut managed to thrust her spear into its chest.

It swung and caught the tip of her spear pushing it aside taking only a shallow wound and advancing on her!

Spoiler

FP 8/10, 0/8AP, Exhausted MP
Undead Soldier A -4/?? FP! Defeated!
Undead Soldier A -1/?? FP

Undead Soldier attacks! b-+b! Miss!
Lena attacks! +--b! Glancing blow! 1 Damage!

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

As Lena jumped towards the thing, she gasped and leaned back at Just the last second to avoid being slashed right across her chest in an upwards swing. She then managed to thrust her spear outwards into the undead bastard, splitting its chest open a bit as the tip of her spear cut into the thing, but it didn't go all the way through as the undead soldier managed to swing its sword around a bit to avert her attack somewhat, but she'd still managed to hurt it. "Alright, I've got to come up with a better way of dealing with these things if there's too many more," Lena muttered to herself, stepping back and raising her shield to keep the blade from connecting with her, and stabbing her spear outwards in a quick thrust to take the thing out from behind cover hopefully, aiming again for its chest.

 

[Tyragor]

Re: A Brave New World (Mind Flayer)

Lena's follow up was immediate, the creature surged at her but she rushed past its defense batted the blade to the side with her spear and rammed the creature through with the spear. Panting, unusually tired from the effort both beasts were felled leaving her alone in utter silence as the last of its pitiful cries of death faded away. Both of their bodies had dissolved, the first by the time the second had been felled and the second moments after.

She was left alone in the vacant foggy guardhouse, the fog near the door cleared when she examined it last, tied to the denizens she defeated perhaps?

Spoiler

FP 7/10, 0/8AP, Exhausted MP
Undead Soldier A -4/?? FP! Defeated!
Undead Soldier A -4/?? FP Defeated!

Undead Soldier attacks! -bb+! Glancing blow! 1 Damage!!
Lena attacks! b++-! 3 damage!