Hordes of the Tower of Ishido - Chapter One
Wine flowed and danced hand-in-hand with tales of heroic deeds and passed glories within the walls of the Leafy Green Inn. Young and old alike sang songs to themselves of the many incredible wonders they had seen, unbeatable challenges they had bested, and legendary monsters they had slain.
Some danced, most drank, and a good time was had by all as Sessilé filled the air with a sweet fragrance that reminded all of home. But good things never last, and the brave were always the first to die.
The Hero's Journey: The Cutthroat & The Vixen, Chapter Six
Group A: Assassins?!
Spoiler
Markhala
Duty. Friendship. Mercy. What do these human words mean to an orc? It seemed at least that to Markhala, there was some sliver of meaning in those terms as she spared Julius' life and broke the curse she was under.
Opening her eyes then, Markhala began rubbing her forehead as the strange dream slowly faded from her mind. In it's place it left behind a dull ache, a clear sign of sorcery -- or drunkenness.
Before she could fully question this strange turn of events, Markhala's ears were greeted by a 'gasp' and a 'thud' as someone stumbled a bit before falling flat on their backside next to her. Turning, she found herself face-to-face with a member of the Cheonyeo Gwishin assassins.
An ancient order, the Cheonyeo Gwishin is a group of deadly females who dress mainly in white and wear their hair down. The white color symbolizes their acceptance of death as a constant companion, while their hairstyle signifies that they have successfully severed all earthly ties. This is usually done by killing their remaining family members or any group of people that the order deems a worthy representative and sacrifice.
Cursing from behind her porcelain mask of a baby's face, the cheonyeo gwishin witch glared back at Markhala and demanded to know how she had freed herself from the witch's magic so successfully.
"What is this noise," asked another voice.
This new, harsh voice came from a room whose door was now slowly slipping open. Inside was a blonde adventurer clutching desperately at his throat, trying vainly to keep the last of his blood in as it gushed out, and over his fingers. Falling to his knees then, the unknown man died looking to Markhala for help. His last wish? That he'd had more ale to drink.
Walking past the blonde man who had died kneeling, the leader of this particular group of assassins ignored the orc as more sounds sprang up of other people dying or struggling with the invaders.
The woman was tall and wore a black mask that covered her nose and mouth. Near the top of her head, which was the start of a long pony tail that reached down to her calves, she wore the three, small skulls of her children that she had personally killed.
"Ah! Forgive me, mistress. Some how she broke my spell and..."
"It doesn't matter now," the mysterious woman said to the witch. "Slay the beast. Then join me downstairs."
A moment later she was gone as three more assassins stepped into the hall to replace her, each with fresh blood staining their snow white uniforms and each wearing a porcelain mask of an animal.
"Step aside weakling, let us show you how it's done!"
Two of the three stepped forward, already swinging their katanas at Markhala's head. The battle had begun.
Tama
"Every last one of them will die," Tama nearly shouted as she wrestled with her sheets before finally breaking the enchantment placed upon her.
Eyes tearing open, Tama quickly caught sight of the assassin-witch dressed in white just as she brought down her silver dagger. Throwing her hands up, she caught the witch's blade between her palms, inches above her flesh and heart.
It seems the vile spell used by the witches was meant to suppress an adventurer's survival instincts, placing them under a deep sleep built of their hopes, dreams and desires. Basically, it kept it's victim from waking up by giving them their heart's desire -- before then ripping it away.
The person would then chase their desire deeper into the dream, dulling their battle senses as the witches plunged a dagger into their victim's heart.
"You should have stayed asleep! Now we get to cut you up," the assassin spat from behind the porcelain mask of an old woman.
"What's wrong," a second voice called from the shadows of Tama's room.
"She's awake. Quickly! Come help me with her," the witch cried, not sounding nearly as confidant as she did before.
Two others rose up out of the shadows as the second woman grabbed her spear while the witch pressed her body down on the dagger hovering just above Tama's heart. That made for a total of four.
Julius
Despite crafting a cage forged of pure desire that should have held Julius until well after his death, Julius' unwillingness to submit totally to the dream-prison created fissures in the magic that quickly began unravelling the spell.
This was not unexpected however, as his assassin was much more experienced than the two sent to kill Markhala and Tama. As such she had kept a close eye on Julius' progress even after the curse was cast on him.
Pleasure-dreams were her favorite form of hexes to use on sleeping victims, and if there was enough time -- and there always was enough time -- she would peak in and see what desires they had.
Julius' own was certainly an interesting one and worthy of further indulgence, but the male personality Julius had constructed was rejecting the dream and unraveling the enchantment.
The witch wondered briefly if Julius truly believed herself to be a he, before ultimately discarding the thought and aiming a killing blow between Julius' bosom -- only to pierce his shoulder as he scrambled out of bed.
He had woken faster than she had expected but no matter. This was exactly why they had sent four assassins after every adventurer. Adventurers had a knack for avoiding danger and getting out of trouble after all.
Not this time however. Julius' wound was deep and would hinder the movement of left his shoulder.
Aurora & Tiazu
As the priestess and monk began slipping under the waves of slumber, the shadows around them began twisting and moving until they formed human-like shapes.
Once they had settled, a total of eight Cheonyeo Gwishin assassins were now inside the room: 2 witches, 2 spearmen, and 4 blade acolytes. The acolytes moved to attack first, two on either side, katanas draws and slicing forward.
Markhala
Duty. Friendship. Mercy. What do these human words mean to an orc? It seemed at least that to Markhala, there was some sliver of meaning in those terms as she spared Julius' life and broke the curse she was under.
Opening her eyes then, Markhala began rubbing her forehead as the strange dream slowly faded from her mind. In it's place it left behind a dull ache, a clear sign of sorcery -- or drunkenness.
Before she could fully question this strange turn of events, Markhala's ears were greeted by a 'gasp' and a 'thud' as someone stumbled a bit before falling flat on their backside next to her. Turning, she found herself face-to-face with a member of the Cheonyeo Gwishin assassins.
An ancient order, the Cheonyeo Gwishin is a group of deadly females who dress mainly in white and wear their hair down. The white color symbolizes their acceptance of death as a constant companion, while their hairstyle signifies that they have successfully severed all earthly ties. This is usually done by killing their remaining family members or any group of people that the order deems a worthy representative and sacrifice.
Cursing from behind her porcelain mask of a baby's face, the cheonyeo gwishin witch glared back at Markhala and demanded to know how she had freed herself from the witch's magic so successfully.
"What is this noise," asked another voice.
This new, harsh voice came from a room whose door was now slowly slipping open. Inside was a blonde adventurer clutching desperately at his throat, trying vainly to keep the last of his blood in as it gushed out, and over his fingers. Falling to his knees then, the unknown man died looking to Markhala for help. His last wish? That he'd had more ale to drink.
Walking past the blonde man who had died kneeling, the leader of this particular group of assassins ignored the orc as more sounds sprang up of other people dying or struggling with the invaders.
The woman was tall and wore a black mask that covered her nose and mouth. Near the top of her head, which was the start of a long pony tail that reached down to her calves, she wore the three, small skulls of her children that she had personally killed.
"Ah! Forgive me, mistress. Some how she broke my spell and..."
"It doesn't matter now," the mysterious woman said to the witch. "Slay the beast. Then join me downstairs."
A moment later she was gone as three more assassins stepped into the hall to replace her, each with fresh blood staining their snow white uniforms and each wearing a porcelain mask of an animal.
"Step aside weakling, let us show you how it's done!"
Two of the three stepped forward, already swinging their katanas at Markhala's head. The battle had begun.
Tama
"Every last one of them will die," Tama nearly shouted as she wrestled with her sheets before finally breaking the enchantment placed upon her.
Eyes tearing open, Tama quickly caught sight of the assassin-witch dressed in white just as she brought down her silver dagger. Throwing her hands up, she caught the witch's blade between her palms, inches above her flesh and heart.
It seems the vile spell used by the witches was meant to suppress an adventurer's survival instincts, placing them under a deep sleep built of their hopes, dreams and desires. Basically, it kept it's victim from waking up by giving them their heart's desire -- before then ripping it away.
The person would then chase their desire deeper into the dream, dulling their battle senses as the witches plunged a dagger into their victim's heart.
"You should have stayed asleep! Now we get to cut you up," the assassin spat from behind the porcelain mask of an old woman.
"What's wrong," a second voice called from the shadows of Tama's room.
"She's awake. Quickly! Come help me with her," the witch cried, not sounding nearly as confidant as she did before.
Two others rose up out of the shadows as the second woman grabbed her spear while the witch pressed her body down on the dagger hovering just above Tama's heart. That made for a total of four.
Julius
Despite crafting a cage forged of pure desire that should have held Julius until well after his death, Julius' unwillingness to submit totally to the dream-prison created fissures in the magic that quickly began unravelling the spell.
This was not unexpected however, as his assassin was much more experienced than the two sent to kill Markhala and Tama. As such she had kept a close eye on Julius' progress even after the curse was cast on him.
Pleasure-dreams were her favorite form of hexes to use on sleeping victims, and if there was enough time -- and there always was enough time -- she would peak in and see what desires they had.
Julius' own was certainly an interesting one and worthy of further indulgence, but the male personality Julius had constructed was rejecting the dream and unraveling the enchantment.
The witch wondered briefly if Julius truly believed herself to be a he, before ultimately discarding the thought and aiming a killing blow between Julius' bosom -- only to pierce his shoulder as he scrambled out of bed.
He had woken faster than she had expected but no matter. This was exactly why they had sent four assassins after every adventurer. Adventurers had a knack for avoiding danger and getting out of trouble after all.
Not this time however. Julius' wound was deep and would hinder the movement of left his shoulder.
Aurora & Tiazu
As the priestess and monk began slipping under the waves of slumber, the shadows around them began twisting and moving until they formed human-like shapes.
Once they had settled, a total of eight Cheonyeo Gwishin assassins were now inside the room: 2 witches, 2 spearmen, and 4 blade acolytes. The acolytes moved to attack first, two on either side, katanas draws and slicing forward.
Group B: Battle for The Leafy Green Inn
Spoiler
Devon, Lissandra, Master Wona, Kahn, and Shin
"With all due respect, Lord Graves... She is more a charming petal than ball and chain," Devon said, his gaze already returning to Sessilé.
Graves could hardly take offense, he had acted much the same when he had first met the dryad years ago. Of course, she had trapped him in her web of thorns and was threatening to pluck his eyeball from his skull at the time, but still...
Regardless, Graves' chest could only swell with pride and love for his wife at the sight of such an honest, young man as Devon trying to defend Sessilé's honour. He imagined that this was probably what it felt like to be a father.
"You take your lady with you? She strikes me as someone who knows how to care for wounds. You look like you've survived quite a few."
"My lady goes where she pleases," Graves replied. "I am just lucky that I'm usually not too far from her side. But yes, she's quite good at healing wounds. Hmm, that's quite the eye you have there. How did you gue..?"
A familiar-sounding scream soon cut across the merriment as all eyes turned to see Sessilé impaled on a black blade. The leader of the assassins stood behind her, eyes cold and unfeeling as she removed her blade while Sessilé slumped to the ground behind the bar.
Raising her arms an army of assassins suddenly jumped forward from every shadow, few as they were, and began slaughtering everyone within the bar.
Lissandra, Master Wona, Kahn, Devon, and Shin were quickly surrounded by twenty assassins as the other adventurers fell all around them.
Backs together, they prepared to defend themselves as Graves, enraged, charged the leader of the assassins.
Devon, Lissandra, Master Wona, Kahn, and Shin
"With all due respect, Lord Graves... She is more a charming petal than ball and chain," Devon said, his gaze already returning to Sessilé.
Graves could hardly take offense, he had acted much the same when he had first met the dryad years ago. Of course, she had trapped him in her web of thorns and was threatening to pluck his eyeball from his skull at the time, but still...
Regardless, Graves' chest could only swell with pride and love for his wife at the sight of such an honest, young man as Devon trying to defend Sessilé's honour. He imagined that this was probably what it felt like to be a father.
"You take your lady with you? She strikes me as someone who knows how to care for wounds. You look like you've survived quite a few."
"My lady goes where she pleases," Graves replied. "I am just lucky that I'm usually not too far from her side. But yes, she's quite good at healing wounds. Hmm, that's quite the eye you have there. How did you gue..?"
A familiar-sounding scream soon cut across the merriment as all eyes turned to see Sessilé impaled on a black blade. The leader of the assassins stood behind her, eyes cold and unfeeling as she removed her blade while Sessilé slumped to the ground behind the bar.
Raising her arms an army of assassins suddenly jumped forward from every shadow, few as they were, and began slaughtering everyone within the bar.
Lissandra, Master Wona, Kahn, Devon, and Shin were quickly surrounded by twenty assassins as the other adventurers fell all around them.
Backs together, they prepared to defend themselves as Graves, enraged, charged the leader of the assassins.
Additional Information
Spoiler
- There are four assassins for every player.
- Each player can normally kill one assassin per post. Markhala and Tama are allowed to kill two assassins (per post) for escaping the dream-prison. Everyone else is either too tired/drunk, or too injured to accomplish the same feat.
- Every player has 10 health. This means that if I attack them ten times with the assassins, they will loose consciousness and be taken out of the fight. Once knocked out, they can not be revived until the fight is over.
- Sessilé can heal and revive players during a fight. For now, Sessilé will be the only one that can revive players during the fight.
- Master Wona can also heal players. Healing a player gives them three health. That goes for every player that can heal or drink a potion.
- Players with healing potions can only use five of them per fight. Healing/drinking a potion stops you from attacking for one post.
Good luck. Remember to use the environment to your advantage if you're outnumbered. And help keep your fellow players from getting ko'd. This is just the first wave of three.
- There are four assassins for every player.
- Each player can normally kill one assassin per post. Markhala and Tama are allowed to kill two assassins (per post) for escaping the dream-prison. Everyone else is either too tired/drunk, or too injured to accomplish the same feat.
- Every player has 10 health. This means that if I attack them ten times with the assassins, they will loose consciousness and be taken out of the fight. Once knocked out, they can not be revived until the fight is over.
- Sessilé can heal and revive players during a fight. For now, Sessilé will be the only one that can revive players during the fight.
- Master Wona can also heal players. Healing a player gives them three health. That goes for every player that can heal or drink a potion.
- Players with healing potions can only use five of them per fight. Healing/drinking a potion stops you from attacking for one post.
Good luck. Remember to use the environment to your advantage if you're outnumbered. And help keep your fellow players from getting ko'd. This is just the first wave of three.
Edited by Naifu, 04 June 2016 - 11:45 PM.