The First Blight: Curse of Dumat [RP/Closed]

[FortyThree]

Diocles frowned.

"Aye, it does. I expect it will be a difficult task, perhaps an impossible one. Worrying does not help, but.."

He sighed. Thaedrin wouldn't take this well.

"..We can maximize our chances of success. I mean no disrespect, Constable, but the barbarians hate Tevinters, mages, and blood magic above all else. It might assist us in gaining their aid if you refrain from demonstrating your authority. It would do them well to think that we are lead by warriors. Perhaps, if you must give an order, you could phrase it as a polite suggestion?"

 

[Cinnonym]

"I do not think highly of the brigands, Komnenos, but I suspect they will find the 'suggestion' no less appalling coming from Constable Alrik." He fell silent a moment, rolling the words over his tongue before speaking, "I am indeed intended to keep my distance. I do not have the command, and am only present to provide cover if and when a swift escape is needed."

 

[FortyThree]

He nodded. Considering the seriousness of the situation, he chose tact.

"A wise decision, Constable. I too am not hopeful, but we must try our best regardless. We may have to find a bargain, something they wish."

 

[ShadowFolk]

Should I be here?

They had a very long ride ahead of them and that gave her too much time to dwell on less than positive thoughts. The chill was no better and it felt as if her uniform wasn't there at all for how little it did to shield her from the low temperatures. A long journey to go meet with people who hate almost all of them. Was anyone truly clinging to hope that all would go well? Maybe when they found what they sought and she didn't speak much at all when they arrived, Ghil's people wouldn't pummel her with her own staff.

 

[Cinnonym]

Thaedrin nodded, but his silence indicated he would accept no more on the subject. Embittered by the absence of his absolute authority in the field, he was even more unpleasant than at Weisshaupt. Vol Dorma rose up on the horizon, and then vanished again as the party met with the Imperial highway and rode south. The wind buffeted them when their mounts picked up speed on the even ground. It was there, in full gallop, that the blood mage felt the prickling on the back of his neck, the sense of boundless hunger.

"I feel them. Hold! If we fail to get rid of them, they'll find some township instead!"

 

[ShadowFolk]

Darkspawn. Here?

Of course they would have run into a horde. The darkspawn were on the move and so they could be anywhere. If Thaedrin was good for anything, it'd be sensing them. It was all unintelligible noise to her, but at least the group was not ambushed. She internally reassured herself that she'd survived thus far and she could do so again. And preferably without taking any more arrows to vital areas.

Sulahn'nehn began to slow her steed, looking for any sign of the creatures.

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles pulled his mount up short, drawing his bow and quickly nocking one of his new arrows.

"Eyes sharp, they'll feel us too, it won't be long. If you can't fight mounted, dismount now. Sul, stay on your horse-Ghil can't cover you on open ground, but you can outrun them and strike from afar. There's no healers out here, so everybody stay safe first."

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin slowed his horse as Theadrin gave the orders to hold. Of course they could not make it to their destination without encountering more Darkspawn; it was foolish of any of them to think that such a thing was possible. The elven rogue dismounted from his stead as Diocles' suggested. There was no way he could fight from atop his saddle.

 

[duckflesh]

The Wardens felt the full benefit of their heightened senses; they should be able to sneak up on whatever Darkspawn they were sensing. Oddly though, as they rounded the bend, they saw none, and there was not sufficient cover to hide in. Alrik frowned, shading his eyes with his hand. His horse whinnied nervously.

The Sharlock came out of nowhere, almost as though it was hidden beneath the earth itself; one moment there was nothing, the next Alrik's horse was dead and he was on the ground, a Shriek atop him. The thing had blades strapped to each of its arms, and it chittered as it gashed open Alrik's chest; a lithe, ever-moving creature, its most prominent features were its pointy elven ears.

There were more, of course; one came on Diocles, hacking into his legs. A third attacked Ulrin, slashing him across the shoulder.

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin pulled back hollering as the third Shriek came up and slashed into his body. The elf stumbled to recover his footing before pushing forward and attacking the Darkspawn. With his shoulder wounded from the start he missed his first attack and just barely landed his second into his foe's side.

 

[ShadowFolk]

"By the-", Sulahn'nehn started. The spawn were so fast! They seemed much more vicious than what they had already encountered and Arlik was stuck under one. As quickly as she could react, the elf took hold of her staff and whipped it in the direction of the one mounted on the barbarian. Her spell hit whatever the thing was square in it's face with enough force to knock it off the man. "Rise! Quickly!"

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles did not turn to face his attacker as he felt the pain of his wounds. Instead he dug his heels into his mount's flanks, sending it away from his attacker. Advancing toward the font of the line, he shot his bow at the Shriek attacking Alrik, only taking his hand off the bow after to grab the reins and bring his mount around for another pass.

 

[Cinnonym]

Thaedrin's horse reared at the sight of these new Darkspawn; they were so fast, he barely had time to shake off his shock and act like the Constable he was. He raised his staff and cast with a shout of effort, a pulse of dark energy striking down the Shriek that sought to pursue Diocles.

Ghil rushed in to help Ulrin, leaping down from the saddle and drawing her greatsword. Quick as the thing may be, it was too preoccupied with the elf to stand any chance against her swing. She took its head off with a howl.

 

[duckflesh]

Alrik stumbled to his feet, growling, rolling the dead Darkspawn off himself. He gripped his axe and charged the closest, burying the blade in the thing's chest, cleaving through both its armor and breastbone; it crumpled dead to the ground.

The third Shriek, bleeding badly but just as suicidal as any Darkspawn, moved at Ghil in a flash. One of its blades slashed her arm; the other, with preternatural speed, it forced between a joint in her armor and deep into her thigh.

"MORE COMING!" Alrik roared, and moments later he was proven correct as another trio of the creatures appeared.

The things seemed to smell Ghil's blood; they moved on her so that she was now surrounded on all sides, stabbing at her with frenzied passion, bloodying her badly despite their difficulty penetrating her armor.

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin rushed forward ready to try and aide the barbarian woman. However try as he might to break away at least one of the new Darkspawn from the group assaulting her, he couldn't manage to land a hit on the creatures. Just as quickly as they struck Ghil they dodged his attacks leaving him slashing wildly at them in frustration.

 

[ShadowFolk]

It was hard to keep her horse steady, certain that any second it would bolt or thrash. She steered it around to face the incoming spawn, though that also proved to be a difficult task. When the world stopped spinning from calming her panicked mount she saw Ghil and her eyes widened. It did not look good. The shrieks were tearing at her and not even the barbarian woman could take that for long.

Her arm flew up, raising her staff high. The elf cause three invisible bolts to rocket through the air and collide with the darkspawn cutting up her friend. One of them fell to their side and remained rigid.

 

[Cinnonym]

Ghil roared her rage and pain as she was assaulted on all sides by by the Shrieks; daggers bristled from everywhere. She swung her sword in a wide arc, with no more finesse than a club, but her only intent was to give herself some space. Bloodied, but not broken, she gave Sulahn'nehn a stiff nod for her help.

Thaedrin's ceremonial dagger sliced through his palm. With an incantation and the focus of his hate, three of the remaining Shrieks' limbs were suddenly wrenched into unnatural angles. The screaming that came next was an indication to where they got their names. It grated on his ears. "They won't last much longer, finish them off!"

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles reared his horse to a stop, pulling out one of his lovingly made arrows as he did so. He nocked, aimed, drew and fired in a single motion, releasing his shot into a Shriek that was surely about to pounce on Ghil. An arrow into the back of its head kept that from happening.

"Perish, you tainted freaks! I shall strike you down one by one!"

 

[duckflesh]

Alrik raised his axe and brought it down on the paralyzed Shriek, decapitating it; it could do nothing to resist.

The final Shriek, bleeding profusely, was discouraged by Ghil's heavy armor. Picking a new target, it loped across the ground and lunged at Sulahn'nehn.

Both of its blades pierced her, slashing into her arms.

 

[FortyThree]

Seeing Sul in danger, Diocles took another darkspawn arrow, going to shoot down the weakened shriek. But something was wrong. He aimed into the melee, but despite his proximity, he didn't see the clear shot, the easy path to hit foe but not friend. Sul bled, and his hands shook. like they hadn't in years.

The arrow released almost of it's own accord.. And went wide.

He had missed. For the first time in countless shots, he had missed completely. And she was still in danger.