Well howdy everyone. What to say? I've not been good for a long while, things getting back on track now, so hopefully Nomekast will see updates again for those of you sticking around. I'm rather determined to finish one day after all.
enso8 - Added! Had a free dwarf, so no need to wait for migrants, ignore the "Romantically involved" said other dwarf died long ago.
!!pyrodwarf!! - Certainly flattering, but no need! I write because I enjoy it and like to share, no need for that.
15th Malachite 679The community was already a hive of activity by the time dawn arrived, preparing for the festival that would start at noon. Stronghammer's plan had been to try to draw the diverse community closer with an exposition of various cultures within the new auditorium, filled with music, song, dance and stalls showing off the many cultures of the races that inhabited Nomekast, drawing to an end in the evening with a celebration where the food and drink would run aplenty. The day had begun with a service at each temple: Ibruk leading the dwarven, Nathaniel the human, Imiwa the elven, while the goblins preferred to pray without priestly guidance, the kobolds themselves had seen the newcomer Norkas set up a new statue of Deebus at the small shrine.
By the afternoon the community had warmed up to the sound of music drifting through the open cavern, and the auditorium was seeing a steady growth of people coming and going, growing ever more packed.
It was as everyone was busy in the celebrations that the Thieves' Guild moved, Atis keeping guard near the temple while Stas, Bax and Konith moved on in, through the garden and down into the crypt, standing before the red-gold door of orichalcum that had guarded the entrance to the locked temple room for 3 years now. Stas drew out the key they had taken from Kadzar, sliding it in and turning it with an acute clickering noise that seemed far too loud in the silence.
"Right," he murmured to his kobold and goblin colleagues as he put one hand onto the cold metal door, "no need to waste time. Get in, take the gem and anything else we might need, and out. We can't get caught by Nathaniel, last thing we need is for the fall guy to end up a witness against us." The pair nodded and with a small grunt Stas pushed against the door. He was stopped however as a small figure barrelled into him: Atis.
"Someone's coming!" Bax hissed, drawing back.
"Impossible, ho-" Stas began.
"No time, split up, hide in the crypts!" Konith suggested urgently, spinning round on his heel. The other three quickly followed suit rushing on through into the next rooms to hide amongst the stone sarcophagi that lined the walls just in time to see a figure moving down the stairs.
Possessing Nathaniel's body, Onthorn moved on through the temple, reaching the impressive orichalcum door that stood between him and the artefact Nathaniel and his various spirit helpers were looking to examine.
"You here?" he called out, voice curt and short, ringing in the silent rooms. He waited, no reply, either the Thieves' Guild had already come, or he was too early. He pressed a hand against the door, pushing with a heave and felt it move. Apparently they had opened the door. So much for arriving earlier, he could only hope they hadn't raided the room of the artefact. Pushing his body against the door he slid it open, stepping into the musty air.
Nimemnokzam, “The Lonely Battles”, sat where it had been left almost three years ago, perched between those outstretched hands of the blank-faced red-gold orichalc statue of Armok the Allfather. Even from the threshold Onthorn could feel the thrum of some unknown power radiating from it, washing over his host Nathaniel's body as regular as a heartbeat, drawing him closer step by step. The slightest bit of light danced along the facets of the aquamarine gem, showing off the details that seemed carved so perfectly, not a chisel-mark out of place. He was only a foot away now, raising his free hand over the aquamarine, the steady pulsing of the power within strong enough to feel almost physical. It was almost hypnotising to some degree, the wash of strange power coming and going like some warm, soothing wave. He lowered his hand, taking the gem in his palm.
FOUND YOU
FOUND YOU
FOUND YOUThe same two words came again and again, a never-ending stream in time with the pulses of Nimemnokzam's power. He felt his very spirit-self seeming to be unravelled like cloth, probed at, split apart before with a howl he was pulled free from Nathaniel's body, losing his hold on it.
FOUND YOU
FOUND YOU
FOUND YOUThe words seemed to growing in rhythm, coming faster and faster, and Nathaniel found himself aware only of those two words and the sensation of being pulled from every part as though as the nexus of some powerful currents trying to pull him in every which way. He could see nothing, but in his mind the vision of an empty hall of gold seemed to come unbidden. The two words by now were coming so fast that they seemed to blend together, making nothing but a horrid screeching cacophony.
FOUNDYOUFOUNDYOUFOUNDYOU- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The world's on fire!"
The words split the air through the bustle of the auditorium as a breathless Justice broke into the chamber, pushing past crowds of people to get to Stronghammer, a wild look on his face uncharacteristic of the usually calm, if cynical, dwarf. "The world's on fire!" he managed to yell out to the Mayor, "And there's...something up there." The auditorium began to quieten as people listened, Stronghammer running a hand through his beard, trying his best to remain calm as he moved, following the former hammerer, several curious people in tow.
"Please Justice, calm yourself and explain," he said once they'd stepped free from the crowd.
Justice simply shook his head in response. "Come to the lighthouse," was all he said, waving a beckoning hand, the other clutched tight on his axe as if he expected to need it at any moment. Stronghammer sighed but followed, followed himself by Derm and several curious others.
It was a short trek to the lighthouse, opening up the bridge that had been closed due to fears of flying Nothing get through. As they stepped over the strange sound of crackling became clearer, as though something war burning. It soon became clear what it was as they stepped onto the open-air top, shrouded in smoke.
All across the surface fires were burning, spreading out in circular patterns. Across the valley, on both sides of the river it seemed as though wildfire had spread.
"Dustik's mercy..." Derm breathed out, shielding his eyes from the bright glare of the flames that surrounded the lighthouse.
"This isn't a natural fire. They'll even go so far as to burn entire forests," Loral Treesinger growled out, his voice rage-filled.
"No, this can't have been the Darksquids, since when do they set fires?" Spartan said, drumming his fingers on the head of his pick as he leant on it.
"Wait! What's that?" Shadowhammer asked, pointing into the distance.
Through the smoke, several large figures could be spotted, about ten feet tall. Figures with three mismatched red eyes staring over at the group and several tendrils slicing through the air, too large to be any Nothing any had seen before.
"What in all the gods-"
"Gods indeed," came a voice behind them as Ibruk made his way up the stairs, looking out over the burning landscape with an impassive expression, leaning on his cane.
"'
And I saw there burning as wild fires came onto the world
Each burning in exquisite purity, anointing all in ash
As though a million stars down from heaven had been hurled.'
So spoke, the Prophet of the Blind Rock, 500 years before our time. The destruction of this corrupt world continues as it should. So long as we keep to the right path, we have nothing to fear, my fellow pilgrims."
"Certainly nothing to fear, give me a ballista and it should be easy enough to knock 'em down," Borzog 'the Unlucky' remarked, the Dwarf looking up over to the figures as though trying to gauge the distance.
A shower of what seemed like ash began to fall down from above. Fori held out a hand, only for her eyes to widen in surprise as the ash simply melted off her hand. "Snow? It's snowing!"
"Impossible, it's never snowed here! There's not even any clouds!" Spartan said, staring up through the pillars of smoke that rose from the flames. A light dusting of snow was indeed falling down, seemingly from the smoke that was increasingly blanketing the sky. There was a strange sound like something cracking into two and another piece of grassland by the side of the compound suddenly burst into flames with no apparent cause.
"We are at a confluence of events, hold faith and-" Ibruk was suddenly cut off by a breathless Tragarus, the man panting hard as he caught his breath.
"Derm, Stronghammer! Gods save us, something's happening down below, people are going crazy! Ghosts are rising up all over the place!"
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The first sign that something had gone terribly wrong had been the wave of ghosts that had suddenly burst from the cave walls and floors, flying about the place like some ethereal birds.
The second had been a lot more obvious when a suturer by the name of Ushrir, eyes glazed over, had let out a keen wail and grabbed a stone chair with both hands, slamming it down into Xenir's foot with all her force, fracturing his ankle. The once-dead man let out a yelp of pain and pushed her back, the pair topping onto the tables. It became clear that whatever had happened to Ushrir was not limited to her however, as soon enough several more dwarves, joined by some humans, goblins and even an elf and kobold seemed suddenly taken over by something, violently grappling with the assembled party as all hell broke loose.
While most of the crowd ran for safety, several stayed behind to fight. With a cry to Armok, Juggernaut was the first to leap in as usual, waving axe and hammer and slamming straight into the bone carver Avuz as the dwarf tried to rush him. It didn't take much for Juggernaut to finish him, slamming that battle axe into his lower body before he even had a chance to react and spilling his blood and guts out across the dining area's floor.
Behind him, the herbalist Asen pounced to grapple him, only for a bolt to go shooting through her head as Reno Monty let off a shot from his crossbow. Behind him the rest of the militia was beginning to rally, grabbing their equipment and leaping in. With the armoured and equipped militia against the insane but unequipped others it was an easy fight to finish and soon the dining room was at peace again, red blood splattered across it, upturned furniture and abandoned food and drink left strewn about.
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Mifava had left the celebrations before the ghosts had even arrived, slipping away as soon as she'd felt it: a disturbance, more a hole really, like someone had plunged a knife through the spirit-stuff that lay around the world. The spirits were agitated, something was pushing through the ether with a force rivalling even the Mysteries, those arcane rites that allowed control over the facets of creation. She didn't hesitate, grabbing her spear on the way and making her way down to the epicentre of the disturbance: the temple depths. The catacombs were eerily quiet, all noise from above seemed to have ceased, as though she'd entered a pocket away from the world at large.
It wasn't difficult to see just what was wrong, before her the great red-gold orichalcum door that had been locked and closed shut since before she'd arrived lay open. She only knew that some artefact lay contained within, and rumours ran from just some innocent gem that had spooked Ibruk to a real danger to the community that had to be locked away for good. Within the room she could see that something blue shone from the back, outlining a silhouette standing before the imposing statue of Armok, a hand clutching something. It was coming from there. A low whispering began the moment she stepped into the small silver-lined chamber, soft susurrations that she couldn't quite make out, like something was hissing muffledly through her ear. They got louder with each step she took closer to the figure at the end of the room, yet remained incomprehensible. She muttered a soft prayer to the spirits, stepping yet closer through the darkness of the room.
She was close enough to recognise who was standing there now, his figure bathed in a soft blue light that shone from the impressive aquamarine that lay clutched under his hand: Nathaniel Stormwind. The man's eyes were wide, staring down at the gem beneath him, not moving an inch.
"Nathaniel?" she called. No response came from the man. She hesitated, then leant forward, pressing a hand to his shoulder.
FOUNDYOUFOUNDYOUFOUNDYOUA sudden cacophony of voices echoed through her head and she felt...something probe at her very being, making her jerk back, pulling the man with her. They fell, and the gem fell from the outstretched hands of the statue of Armok and out from under Nathaniel's, falling down onto the silver floor with a clatter.
Nathaniel gave a groan, one hand shooting to press against his head as he sat up. "Mifava?" he mumbled out, apparently confused.
She wasted no time, standing. "I don't know what you were doing Nathaniel, but I suggest we move from here before we both get caught in here."
His eyes glanced over to the fallen gem, standing up, swaying slightly as though ill. "Nimemnokzam-"
"The gem? Leave it for now, do you really want the fort after you? Can we really trust taking it out of here?" He shook his head to her words as she moved towards the exit, turning round to give him a quick beckon. The two of them seemed to be investigating the same stuff if the way they kept running into these situations was any indication, and she had many questions for him, but for now they had to leave. Sounds of shouting echoed through the catacombs from above, something was happening up there,and if the pair of them were found alone here they would no doubt be suspected of breaking in. Stepping out, they made their way back up, leaving the chamber empty and Nimemnokzam alone the floor, blending into the baying crowd that had gathered around the events above.
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Topic: [Community] Nomekast - At War with Nothing (Read 175060 times)