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#Post#: 352--------------------------------------------------
429 AC The Rogue Knight of the Skull Book Two: The Death of Lydi
a Ravenheart
By: Dungeon Master Date: August 26, 2023, 12:04 am
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[center]The Rogue Knight of the Skull
Story Two
Chapter One Alive
The Titan-Dark Knight War continues [/center]
East Central Ansalon,
Khur
The first beam of energy went through the Black Fort. The next
shoots down a Dragon and rider over Hengriff’s head. The dragon
crashes moments later near the marching dark knights.
The blast did not kill the dragon, but the landing did.
A large army is marching North and has taken the Black Fort.
Undead ogres and goblins walk ahead of the Ogre army.
Hengriff is enraged. The Ogre Titans have figured out the true
plan to eliminate the elves and they will eliminate the Titans.
The Knights are out of position and out in the open. He sent
half the airwing to destroy Tur resistance. Hengriff calls for
the Dragons to attack, but the dragons have seen the blasts.
They don’t know how many more times they can unleash that blast,
but they are not going to try to find out. He calls for Lord
Sargonnas to aid the Knights, but Sargonnas has been caught
flat-footed in this. He did not see the Titans entering the
fray. The Dark Knights begin to retreat North, towards Tur. The
Ogres cut off the supply wagons and the Knights headed into the
deep desert. It is doubtful they will survive, even if they make
Tur. Hengriff sees his army running away. They should have
attacked, not retreat.
Undead march towards him and he dispatches any that come near
him.
Then comes ogres and he fights. Uses a fireball on them. He sees
a Titan for the first time with his own eyes. The Titan advances
until it sees Hengriff. They consider one another for a moment,
Then Hengriff attacks the titan. A build-up of energy in the
chest of the Titan erupts forth and blasts the Death Knight,
destroying the dead flesh that had been rotting on Hengriff’s
body. He is taken to his knees. The Titan is weakened from
sacrificing a great amount of his life force to power the blast.
The Titan begins collecting life force from the undead around
him. The Death Knight, in a weakened state, is also plundered
for negative life energy the Ogre Titan can power to heal
himself. The Death Knight is nearly destroyed. He feels he does
not have much negative life energy left, and certainly can’t
withstand another blast. He gives a prayer to Sargonnas so he
may continue the fight. There is an explosion and the Titan has
to avert his eyes. A Knightmare stands at the heart of the
crater left by the explosion. Hengriff takes this as a sign and
climbs into the crater and climbs on the Knightmare’s back. The
two ride forth north and away from the Ogre Army.
Elsewhere, across the burning sands to the Northeast,
Lydia Ravenheart lying face-first in the sands of the Khur
Desert. She is bruised, and burned from the sun, she strains to
lift her head and look around. Terrex lays on the ground where
he crashed. They were not high up when they were hit. The hole
through Terrex is still simmering the dragon meat. She pulls
herself up to her knees. She reaches out with her mind around.
Terrex yet lives. They are the only ones alive in the area but
this does not account for undead that may be in the area.
No weapons. She looks around. Desert all around her. Dunes
behind her. The Undead would come from the direction of the
dunes
She gets to her feet. Her ankles hurt her. Well, she won’t be a
Rogue knight much longer. The desert will kill her within days.
She hobbles over to check on Terrex.
She looks through the hole and sees through the other side. It
does not look good. She calls his name.
“I am done for Ravenheart. I’m not sure I would survive the
transformation to two legs.”
“Don’t bother, nothing around here in the way of water. Thank
you for saving me.”
“Don’t, we are both dead.”
“Can you fly?”
Terrex snakes his head around to observe his wounded wing. "I
don’t know, I don’t know how long I would last in the air.”
“I want to ask you Terrex how long do you think we will last out
here where we are? We are surely dead if we stay here.”
A time later, Terrex begins running, Lydia on his back. The
Dragon gets some lift and they fly north towards the mountains.
The wing rips over time and it is the end of his flying until or
unless he is healed.
They are a lot closer to the mountains. They both rest.
#Post#: 369--------------------------------------------------
The Rogue Knight of the Skull Story Two Chapter Two: At the Pill
ers of Heaven
By: Dungeon Master Date: August 31, 2023, 12:02 am
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[center]Rogue Knight of the Skull
Story Two
Chapter Two: At the Pillars of Heaven
[/center]
East Ansalon
Northern Khur
Foothills of the Khalkist Mountains
Hachakee Khanate Province
The sun is going down on a disastrous day for the Dark Knights.
Lydia Ravenheart and the Blue Dragon Terrex are located near the
foothills of the Khalkist mountains. No water here either. Both
Dragon and Rider are parched, having been without water all day.
The Dragon complains that he should have left her behind. Now he
is going to die for her, the traitor.
Aware that the Dragon may still try to kill her with its last
breath, even if she has found water for them. She either has to
put the dragon out of its misery or just leave it behind. She
wrestles with this decision, made only harder by his actions
earlier in the day. Does she try to save him as he saved her,
even if he meant for her to die at the start of the day?
She does feel bad for him. While he had an attitude, he was a
good mount and a believer in the cause. So was she, once upon a
time. The Knighthood is falling apart. It is listless, and
while the New Lord of Night is competent and honorable, he is a
near-puppet for the Lord Adjudicator. She does not know what
would have happened if she had refused the mission; nothing
good. Even if she wanted to be honorable, it would have been
used against her. She was put into an impossible position. She
has never cared for the elves before. But the message from the
Knight that was returned from the Elven land reported that Godly
magic had restored the Valley and protected it. It gave the Dark
Knights pause for a time, but they soon took it as a challenge.
Perhaps they did not believe it was so.
So, is she worried for herself or herself and the Dragon? She
decides she has to worry about herself.
She is aware of the dangers of the desert as well as any
foreigner can. She climbs a hill and sees that their passing has
been observed from the Tribe camp to the Northwest of their
current position. What’s up here? She thinks back to her
reports on the region.
Ak-Baral
The Hachakee Tribe
The night will be upon them soon. She is safe from the sun for a
while, but she has to get some protection for her skin, some
covering before the sun comes up. She had been effectively
stripped of her armor and most of her clothes. Just bits of
cloth covering her most sensitive parts. It was a harrowing day.
Her skin is blistered, and only now is she starting to cool
down. She was without her overclothes, but she would trade them
all for some water and a blade
She will have to avoid the tribe search party long enough to
take one out. She awaits the coming torches.
#Post#: 373--------------------------------------------------
The Rogue Knight of the Skull Story Two Chapter Three: Goodbye
By: Dungeon Master Date: August 31, 2023, 9:06 pm
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[center]Rogue Knight of the Skull
Story Two
Chapter Three: Goodbye[/center]
Northern Khur
Foothills of the Khalkist Mountains
Hachakee Khanate Province
Lydia watches as the party from the Hachakee Tribe walks past
with their torches. Straight towards Terrex. She can feel that
he is still alive, but barely. Hell of a surprise they are going
to get. She has to get one of the Tribesman’s attention, it is
now a matter of life or death. She thinks about how she can
accomplish this without getting herself killed by the sword. She
plays through several scenarios in her mind, and each leads to
the same place. She decides can’t do it safely without her
Dragon. So, she creeps, from behind the dune, out of sight, but
not far away.
The first bolt of electricity arcs between five of the Tribesmen
and their feet in the sands, melting into the dragon glass that
is formed.
He’s panicked, but you have him. His mind. The Tribesman is
running and jumps down the dune and sees Lydia. This burned skin
ghost. He finds he can’t speak or yell, then he drops his sword
as his sword hand just opens involuntarily. He’s in complete
shock, he can’t bend over to pick it up. Lydia walks over,
picks up the sword, and has him take off his robe. She wadded
the clothes up and throw the balled-up material a distance from
her and drove the swords through his heart. He falls backward as
she releases the blade from his chest. She wipes the blood from
herself with her top. She dons the man’s robe and takes his
sandals, which are larger than her feet, but she makes it work
for her. She grabs his head covering and his water skin. She
hides the body in the sand. She kicks sand over the blood. She
is going to leave tracks, but she hopes she gets far enough away
before the deed is found out.
She looks back to where she knows Terrex is, and says in a
hushed voice, “I wish things could have been different. Thank
you for saving me. I’m too much of a coward to face you. You
were right about me. Goodbye.” She takes a couple of drinks. She
doesn’t care what it tastes like. She instantly wants more and
wishes she could grab more, but not even with a blade does she
think that can happen.
She thanks the gods; she doesn’t care which one.
She runs west, as quickly as she can.
#Post#: 394--------------------------------------------------
The Rogue Knight of the Skull Story Two Chapter Four: Destiny
By: Dungeon Master Date: September 4, 2023, 10:23 pm
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[center]Rogue Knight of the Skull
Story Two
Chapter Four: Destiny [/center]
Foothills of the Khalkist Mountains
Nearing the Skyfire Mountains
Lydia swore an oath. Every step takes her further from her old
life. She does not know what awaits her, she does not know if
they will even take her in.
Her Human father had been a Knight of Takhisis. She knew next to
nothing about her elven mother, or how she came to be. It was
not something that was held against her. She was indoctrinated
young, but she has lived long enough to see the rot almost
destroy the Knighthood from within. She just tried to be the
best soldier she could be. When she became a Dragon Rider,
morality just didn’t seem to matter anymore. Up there, she could
almost be free of everything. She was good at her job. She has
interrogated hundreds of people over her years of service.
She always tried to do her best to achieve the mission success.
So, now she is loosened from that authority structure and cast
adrift into the Sea of Sand into a survival situation. The last
thirty-two hours have been brutal. She limits her travel in the
sun and travels overnight.
The Next morning, she is ambushed and surrounded by an elven
scouting party. Bows and arrows are trained on her as she
removes her headpiece revealing her elven ears. This causes the
Elves to reassess their prisoner. Three elves are assigned to
take the prisoner in for questioning.
She knew this was coming.
Lydia is partly relieved, partly terrified. She is either
walking herself into a prison, or she may get her foot in the
door. She still thinks of herself as a Knight… but those days
are behind her. She does know what awaits her. What will her
life be like now?
Epilogue
Many miles back,
The Dragon Terrex lays where Lydia left him. Passing in and out
of consciousness, he lies there cursing the Half-Elf.
Terrex becomes aware of a figure standing over him.
The Dragon seems to be aware of who the figure is.
"We do not serve you..." Terrex wheezes
"You do now." The God of Dark Vengeance answers.
#Post#: 415--------------------------------------------------
The Rogue Knight of the Skull Chapter Five: Ye of Little Faith
By: Dungeon Master Date: September 8, 2023, 3:16 am
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[center]
Rogue Knight of the Skull
Story Two
Chapter Five: Ye of Little Faith
[/center]
Northern Khur
The Dead Zone
The Burning Sands
A string of dead knights leads a path to the bulk of the
surviving Dark Knights that ran into the desert from the
overwhelming force and power of the Ogre Titans. Seeing Dragons
blown out of the sky did nothing for their morale.
Hengriff sees more of his men dropping around him. The Horses
are dead. His outsider steed left him here. It's over. The army
has been decimated by their cowardice. He remembers he ran too,
but one more blast like that would have ended him. The Dragons
have deserted him, What I fool I was… He drops to his knees. He
sees the Fortress of Tur, it's so far away. It laughs at him
mockingly.
The Sun moves ever so slowly westward.
True despair sets in, not since he was on that bench bleeding
out has this feeling hit him. So many feelings. If I’m dead, how
am I feeling this range of emotions? I should be cold and
unfeeling. A voice enters his head, “Then how could you feel
rage and hate? “
He sees bodies around him begin to rise up and face him.
Hengriff stands up and sees that his army has risen, ready to
serve him.
Northwest from Hengriff’s position many, many miles
Lydia and her elven guards are traveling, coming to mountains on
the right, and the left. an outlying part of the Khalkist
Mountains?
The ones on the left look familiar, those are the Sierra Khur,
which is south, The Mountains on the right must be North, and we
are traveling west, She looks up and sees any stars that she can
triangulate. There, that star is a part of the Morgion
constellation. Interesting. Her thoughts are interrupted by one
of her guards asking her ironically “Is it going to rain? Eyes
front, unless you see a Dragon. You don’t see a Dragon, do you?”
Lydia thinks to herself, you have no idea. If there was, he
would be very angry.
They keep walking.
Eventually, they come to a small stream coming from a green
area. She is amazed the grass is coming this far into the dead
zone. They hear noises, but the elves don’t seem to be
concerned. Soon they come across an army of Draconians. Then
Lydia remembers seeing them for herself from Dragonback, what
seems to be years ago.
Lydia has no idea what this army thought its was doing going up
against Dragons. Committed. One could say fanatical.
She hears commotion behind her. She turns and it is Horsemen, a
good number of them heading straight towards her. She questions,
and then she remembers, they found the body.
Then the Elf guard beside her says it as Lydia is gladdened, she
does not have to.
“The Hachakee Tribe”
“Well,” Lydia asks “Can I at least have a blade to defend myself
please?”
#Post#: 441--------------------------------------------------
429 AC The Rogue Knight of the Skull Story Two Chapter Five: Vio
lence
By: Dungeon Master Date: September 12, 2023, 11:31 pm
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[center]
Rogue Knight of the Skull
Story Two
Chapter Five: Violence [/center]
Northern Khur
Foothills of the Khalkist Mountains
The Hachakee Tribesmen on Horseback are known for their
thoroughbred horses, horsemanship, exceptional sword making, and
swordfighters. They are one of the few truly independent tribes
in the Khur Region. Their settlement is the closest human tribe
to the Valley of the Blue Sands.
They all yell and scream in intimidation as they run down their
target.
It is a bit intimidating when looking down a charge. Lydia does
not know if they mean to run her down, kill her, or capture her.
She would like a horse, but is not sure that it is the right
choice. I’m sure more elves are watching everything that is
going on.
The Elves ready themselves for the attack. One takes pity or is
a pragmatist; they cut her hands free and elect to give her her
sword back.
Thank the Gods, Lydia thinks. She says “thank you” in elven.
The Horsemen bear down on them, and the Defenders decide how to
meet them.
The first Horseman comes between the elves, they dodge the
blades and one jumps on the horse that rides by and drives her
blade into the horseman’s back and throws him from the horse. It
was done in a series of precise moves that boggled the mind.
Several more come in, The elves are loath to make strikes on the
animals and focus on protecting Lydia, while the other one
flanks the incoming horsemen and the elf kicks that rider off
his Horse and she drives her sword into another rider.
The People knocked off their horses and came for Lydia. The
Half-Elf and the Elf fight against these skilled swordsmen. The
Hachakee really are dangerous with swords and keep the Elf and
the Rogue Knight busy.
Lydia tries to create stutters in the attacks, she tries to
retard his reaction time. But it’s not working on him, he’s too
fixated and committed to the fight.
The Draconian Army that is nearby watches as the scene unfolds.
The horsemen do not attack the Draconians, but they are going
after the elves.
The Elven Ambassador and his guards tell the Draconians they
will be back. They brought food, and water as gifts from the
Elven Nation.
The Ambassador sends his guards to help the elves. Some of the
Draconians want to help, but they are commanded to stay where
they are by the Commander.
The one elf that was doing the most damage is killed by a sword
in the back, and the elf falls to the ground between the horses.
Elves are running in from the hills, they begin releasing arrows
at the horsemen. The elf beside Lydia is knocked out with the
pommel of the Hachakee sword.
Lydia's mind blasts the four Hachakee around her and falls to
her knees, major overload in her mind, her nose pours forth
blood into the sand. She has reached her limit. She just keeps
breathing and is fuzzed. She doesn’t know what is happening. It
is all a blank.
She is grabbed by an elf and thrown down an embankment. Lydia
opens her eyes and sees the sky dividing and going four
different ways. The elf slaps her, and she hears again. She
blinks a few times, and she hears the Elf say, "Get down."
#Post#: 459--------------------------------------------------
429 AC The Rogue Knight of the Skull Story Two Chapter Six: Inat
h-Wakenti
By: Dungeon Master Date: September 16, 2023, 6:09 am
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[center]Rogue Knight of the Skull
Story Two
Chapter Six: Inath-Wakenti [/center]
Northern Khur
Foothills of the Khalkist Mountains
The Horses and Horsemen run and ride away from the Dragon
Terrex looks for his old rider. Being healed by Sargonnas and
brought back into the game. So much confusion going on down
there. Riders moving those ways, Elves moving, that rider is
without a horse, and they are with the elves, can that be? And
all these Draconians. How stupid are they? He flies over them
and causes disorder.
He has lost her in the panic. Damn. “I’m going to keep looking
for you, I will find you, if not now, then on the battle field.
I will find you.
His Dragonfear crashes down up them. He can not find her.
He blasts elves and draconian in frustration.
Griffons attack the wings and are blasted with Lighting breath
weapon, but he was successful in damaging the right wing.
He has lost her.
The elves and Lydia make a run for it, they reach the Lioness
Creek and the First Gate of Inath-Wakenti.
They are let through the First Gate. Lydia sees that it is
distinctly Elven in appearance. They are allowed through the
Gates; Lydia sees elven archers by the dozens patrolling the
area.
They pass through the Fourth Gate and beyond is what she never
dreamed of. The most beautiful land in all of Krynn. Tears come
to her eyes, and she finds herself weeping, for the beauty here,
and for surviving her Dragon again. She falls to the ground and
lays back. It is so peaceful.
“Up, you said you had information for the Speaker, we are going
to talk to somebody that will judge your word’s worth.”
“The Ambassador?” Lydia remembers.
“A Windrider picked him up, I saw it happen during our escape.”
“I’m sorry so many of your friends died,” Lydia tells the Elf
that saved her.
“The cost for living on the border with barbarians.” The Elf
tells her.
They are taken to General Taranath, the name sounds vaguely
familiar from some briefing or another. She is offered a seat
and a drink of water. We will have someone along to look at
those burns. Who are you and why are you here?
“My name is Rian, I’ve escaped from my slavers.”
“From Khur?” Taranath asks.
“They captured me Khur. I was captured during the exodus to
Inath Wakenti.” Lydia/Rian answers.
“What is this information you think the Speaker needs to know?
Taranath asks
“The Dark Knights were attacked at the Black Fort by Ogre Titans
and their Ogre army and vast hordes of Undead.” Lydia/Rian says
“I know about the Ogre Titan attack on Neraka” General Taranath
discloses. Lydia did not know about that.
She says, “This is a different army, they were last seen chasing
the Dark Knights in the Burning sands, and the Dark Knights are
headed to the Tur Fortress. If any of them make it. These Titans
are blasting Dragons out of the Sky. I don’t know what their
goal is, but they are headed this way.”
[center]
End of Story II
The Continuation of this story in Inath-Wakenti in Rian
Half-Elven Rogue Knight of the Skull Book Three
HTML https://thedamnforum.createaforum.com/inath-wakenti-elven-refuge-20/rian-half-elven-rogue-knight-of-the-skull-book-three/msg480/#msg480[/center]
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