Balandar Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 NBBN: 16661-02040 It wasn't long after meeting with Drocis that Schneider DragonFang and I left to Rats Nest to test the security of Drocis's keep. My hand tingled a bit when arriving on the island, a reminder of whom I am contracted to... Rats Nest is surrounded by a massive dark stone wall with gates along each stretch. Rather than entering through the main gate, Schneider and I made our way around to the west gate, stealthed of course. We did not wish to be seen by any residents considering Drocis's warnings of death. Namely Drocis himself. Standing on a large hill west of the town, we could not see any movement or activity within and felt safe to proceed. We made our way to the center of town, towards the necromancer's keep. The place is massive! It has grown significantly since I last visited. Rather than just one tower, there are several! The entire compound is surrounded by spiked walls with only two entrances, blocked by black iron gates teeming with magical energy. Surrounding the keep are ruins and a four-story stone row house. But otherwise, very sparse. It doesn't look promising on breaking into his keep. The main entrance walkway is surrounded by twisted dead trees and lighted by obsidian lamps, giving off a purple glow. We spent a day (one earth hour) searching for a way into the keep. The walls couldn't be scaled, the ruins near the keep were too far away. The trees not tall enough to allow us to breach or leap to the walkways. I attempted magic as well, trying to blink into and past the gates. We even tried to hoist each other up. Our grappling hooks couldn't grasp the spikes on walls and just slipped off, probably due to some magical protection. The row house was locked and also protected from our attempts at scaling the walls. We discussed hiding and waiting for Drocis to show and sneak in when the gates opened but decided it was too risky and wouldn't be accepted for reward. Eventually, we split up to look for clues on how to get inside. It was starting to feel hopeless… I was standing at the rear entrance to the keep, not hiding, not stealthed, as I felt safe that he was not home, pondering how to get inside. There was no warning… I felt a sharp sting in my back, then an overwhelming feeling of dread before I truly recognized the pain. It was as if death itself had touched me. It was Drocis! His hand was glowing black if that's even possible. I could feel my life being tugged on, draining away. Schneider must have heard my scream, I didn't even realize I had screamed! He came charging in at the necromancer. Drocis was distracted by Schneider for a moment, allowing me to pull my bow and gain some distance. Schneider was in his full plate, brandishing a large two handed sword ignited in flame, battling the necromancer. Drocis was casting a black bolt at Schneider and using the same black glowing spell he had used on me. I fired arrow after arrow at Drocis and they didn't seem to faze him, not even my aimed shot. Schneider was losing and quickly. It was fascinating to watch on some level. This man, if he was a man, casting only two spells, was draining the life out of Schneider. He was toying with us, not even trying. Such power... Schneider fell, the last of his life flowing into Drocis. The necromancer was casting again, the magical bolt flying towards me. I couldn't dodge, it hit me full force. The death magic both knocking the breath out of me and flowed through me, pulling at my life force. Despite the pain and utter hopelessness that magic imparted, it pulled at me in other ways, ways that I would not understand or appreciate until later. I focused on the issue at hand, coming back to my senses, and blurted out the incantation to dash and took off. As soon as I rounded the corner of his keep, and was out of sight, I stealthed. I could see Drocis looking for me, trying to reveal me, getting closer. How could he know where I was? I panicked and ran, getting lost in the alleys of Rats Nest but also losing the Necromancer in the process. Schneider eventually made it back to me after being resurrected at an ankh nearby. We stealthed to the main gate and went over the wall to escape the town, taking a boat back to Novia, Schneider to recover and for me... to look inward… ….. To be continued Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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