Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
In Desolation's Wake
First Day of the Third Month 294 AC
It was a rare traveler who dared the paths of Sarnor so soon after the armies had passed this way, for it was said the shades of the dead still lingered under the arches of ruined temples and waterlogged horrors hungered beneath still waters. It was also said, however, that Namaaru Queen of Sathar hungered for news and lore of the living world as much as her fallen kindred hungered for the flesh of the living.
The caravan that set out from Volantis was by far the most ambitious of its kind, guarded not only by the spears of the best sellswords who had not yet taken the legion's coin, but also by the sorcery of several black-robed acolytes sorcerers of the Mysterium looking to make a name for themselves and a mated pair of griffons darting across the skies overhead to give warning of peril or potential. It was to the credit of the caravan master, Magister Oreag, that he did not question the strange beasts looking for places to expand their cattle ranching, though perhaps even he might have looked in askance at the other flying protectors they had acquired.
The best way to flush a hungry beast out of its den was to dangle a piece of bloody meat in front of its nose, Leto had learned through the long years of the Blood War, and this caravan with its bight silks and braying mules would prove a better lure than anything she could have organized herself. Now if only she could keep the damn Lenjths from breaking cover too soon to flay a couple of ill-fortuned ghouls while the rest of the dead stayed in their holes.
***
Eleventh Day of the Third Month 294 AC
Great Grass Sea, North of the Painted Mountains
The creak of chariot wheels through heavy fog was the first sign of the enemy the outriders had, then the howl of hollow voices and sparks of balelight through the night. Arcane oils glistened upon weapons, Myrish crossbows twanged blind, horns blew alarm and men began to die, scream after scream cut abruptly short.
"Accursed are they who would trespass upon the realm watered with the blood of my fathers." So spoke the Andunil Commander of Hosts and slayer of Khalasars, new made servant of the Lords of Ruin, though none of his foes heard aught but the wail of words long dead. Little cared for it, the lord of the dead. He could taste their fear with his flesh-less mouth.
From the high airs far above the arcane mist, black wings descended and the hunter became the hunted. Amid a hail of black arrows, the warriors bearing weapons fused to flesh appeared in the midst of the foes and storms of shrapnel flew among them. So died the dead once more, though not without cost. A cornered beast could still draw blood.
- 2x Lenjths
- 7x Black knights
When the mist lifted it was clear that most of the dead were not of the initial caravan but the long desiccated corpses of doomed Sarnor, though the Volantine traders were a touch disquieted to see the dark haired woman with wings black as raven's feather holding the still helmeted head of her foe and wondering aloud, "Now what possessed you to come out and play? You aren't the sort to think with your stomach."
- 1x Undead Warlord (12 HD CR 8)
- 9x Wight, Sword (5 HD CR 6)
- 5x Skeletal Mage (5 HD CR 5)
- 50x Skeletal Champion (3 HD CR 2)
The mages who knew just what manner of being she was were far past disquieted. Only the Imperial markings upon her armor kept them from raising the alarm. They would likely already be riding hard to Volantis if they knew what the woman had reported back to Sorcerer's Deep in the wake of investigating the bones.
"My Lord, we have found signs of the Tainted Daemon you mentioned..." A small silent laugh echoed without sound, there was little mirth to it. "Strange to think that one of them can even be tainted."
The Void Touched Olethrodaemon has been working among the scattered remnants of the Sarnori armies.
What do you do?
[] Allow the forces already working in Sarnor to deal with it
[] Send reinforcements
-[] Write in
[] Write in
OOC: And this is the reason why I did not mention the ritual to find that daemon until now, there was a chance someone would stumble over its work in Sarnor. Not yet edited.
