 Posted:
Thu Jul 06, 2006 6:23 am |
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Astrof Razorleaf had just finished purchasing some rather expensive arrows from the halfling fletcher Neflin, when he was informed he could inquire about another quest from Prince Karame in Kelrath. He felt it was his duty as a protector of Druidkind and the wood to attain these quests and do his best to complete them. Now, Prince Karame isn't known for his discression when it comes to quests...he gives them to you and you get them done or you are a failure in his eyes and not likely to get one for a while.
It sounded simple enough, "Go and retreive for me a golden statue held by the mud monster in the swamps near Nosfer." the prince had said with a smirk. Astrof simply nodded and dutifully headed to his temple to acquire some protectional spells from one of Gaea's priests. Then he headed to the Kelrath stables to pick up his wonderful, but expensive pegasus for the ride to Nosfer. It wasn't the most eventful of rides, even though he made a complete ass of himself falling off every so often, and he was soon past Mt. Haledor and at the black gates of Nosfer.
He dismounted and ordered the winged pegasus to sleep, and proceeded with the duties of a ranger by attempting to track the mud monster east into the swamp, but to no avail....a swamp leaves no traces. He sneakily and stealthily trekked through the swamp passing terribly large anacondas, snapping turtles that could crush one's arm in two, and hungry crocodiles that somehow he could sense knew he was there.
In the upper east corner of the swamp he came across a large open area clear of the other creatures of the area, but still smelling horrible. There was a low rumble, and some ancient thing....a Swamp Thing....barrelled down upon him. Instinctively the ranger grabbed a handful of muck and tried to blind the mud monster, but the beast only grinned slightly and retaliated with a blast of its mud into Astrof's face.
He was blinded, and yet the battle still went on.
With both of the mighty dragon teeth pilfered from Wyrm drawn, Astrof dealt blow after blow to the monster until his sight cleared. Even with his mighty strength, the Swamp Thing's will was just too overpowering for the ranger and he retreated to regroup and meld some earth for his wounds.
And so the battle went on as thus for days, maybe weeks with barely even a dent in the monster's armor. Astrof soon began to lose heart and began thinking of alternatives to slaying the monster.
A ranger is not the most social of all callings, but eventually Astrof realized he could not do it alone and called for the help of an acquantice of his to help slay the mud monster. Ciroth was more than happy to join in the wanton slaughter, as those that are called into the darkness are, and soon met up with Astrof outside the swamp. The two exchanged greetings and ventured back into the bog to beat down their foe, but to Astrof's surprise the mud monster had fled his sanctuary. No one hides from a ranger forever and they soon found its position in an area of the swamp full of turtles.
The battle began swiftly with Ciroth attempting to backstab the mud monster, but he deftly dodged the attack. Astrof let fly with a series of blows that still did nothing, but Ciroth soon joined the fray and the Swamp Thing was starting to weaken ever so slightly. Sensing its master's doom the turtles began snapping their gaping jaws at the two and Astrof and Ciroth were soon overwhelmed. The two began bleeding awfully from huge wounds left by the turtles and started looking for a way to flee the fight.
Astrof managed to retreat, but Ciroth failed to flee and was slain. The ranger ran quickly to his fallen comrades corpse and grabbed his equipment, fleeing quickly from the battle. Ciroth spent a while in the Mortal Planes of Anguish, but was called back to his temple and caught the armored wagon back to Diablous to retrieve his things where Astrof was waiting just outside. The ranger's accomplice struggled with his breastplate and helm, losing them to the place where such items go but was able to wield 1 of the 10 dragon's teeth Astrof had stashed along with a crystal dagger. With hardly a word, the two spelled up and ran headlong back into the swamp.
'Let's kill all the crocodiles and turtles first, and then the mud monster." Ciroth said, and the two of them cleaned the swamp of the beasts. The turtles proved an easy prey in small numbers away from the mud monster, but the crocodiles' death rolls were ferocious and tore chunks of flesh from the ranger and Ciroth's bones. Needing time to regroup and recharge the two reconvened in Nosfer and Astrof melded their wounds with the earth.
They returned to the swamp to see the monster alone, and quickly plunged their daggers into its muddy torso. The Swamp Thing began to bleed from open wounds and once again called for assistance in the form of a giant Anaconda. With help from its minion, Astrof and Ciroth were soon overwhelmed again and fled with success.
And so it went....for weeks the two fought the mud monster and his minions, fled, earth melded, and returned to battle. Astrof no longer cared he had failed to complete his quest in time, the only thing that mattered was to destroy the monster utterly and completely. "Just die!" became his battlecry, and Ciroth just cackled gleefully.
Eventually the two gained ground on the monster and isolated him away from his turtles, snakes and crocodiles and fell it with all 4 of their daggers sinking deep into the murky green blood that spilt from its wounds.
The golden statue, a bloody lung from the monster, its left hand, and a few coin lay there on the swamp floor, their trophy for their labors.
"I'm going to keep these as a momento." Astrof said whilst poking at the hand and lung from the monster.
"They'll only decay" Ciroth said dismissively.
"Well then..." Astrof grabbed the golden statue and continued, "This will be my trophy then."
"Yes it will make a fine trophy for your house's shelf when you get one." Ciroth stated, and the two parted ways confident in the death of a truly tough adversary for their skills.
So the next time you venture out on one of the realm's many fine quests, remember that completing them in time is the goal.....but sometimes its the moral victory that is the most rewarding.
 *Die Swamp Thing Die* |
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Anonymous
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