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New Quest Objectives

- Save the Citadel

- Save Amaryllis

- Save your Companions

***

Note to Readers: Soul Blades, have one last unique ability that I forgot to mention. After every fight, they absorb a little health from the dead to boost your own life force. + 5 Health Points after each fight. Does not work against the undead. Apologies, scheduled post, released too early.

Drawn back along webs of light, Grey found himself back at the entrance to mine, the four walls around him, spattered red with blood, and marked with slashes. The greatsword which had once been so heavy in his arms, now light as a feather, glowing with brilliant orange light that shone in the gloomy darkness that had overtaken the citadel to sparkle with magical runes that flashed along the edges of the sword. Tamrel every bit a part of him now, making him aware of the stink of evil that drifted through the night air, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, and giving him eyes that could pierce through shadow, and smoke.(Tamrel now has + 10 Attack Dice.)

However as much as these newfound abilities felt miraculous to him, he could not deny that there was an intrinsic bond between him and Tamrel that ran deeper than blood. The covenant they had made together meant that if either one of them should die, the other would most certainly feel it. And seeing as the greatsword was less likely to die than he was, Grey almost felt a certain wariness wash over him. An emotion he had to quickly thrust aside, as the urgency of what he had seen replayed itself through the back of his mind.

Streets darkened by thick grey clouds that rumbled angrily overhead, Grey thought he could hear the distant sounds of marching feet, the crash of steel against steel, and the crying echo of howls that filled the cold winter breeze that blew in from across the wall. The thin fog that lightly hung in the air, sucking at his heels as it swirled about his feet.

Heart shaking a little at the sense of dread that clawed at the back of his mind, he strode away from the mine, and back towards the marketplace, where he was forced again to come to an abrupt halt at the eerily strange scene of decapitated warriors armored in steel plate armour, laying there in a circle at the center of the marketplace. The dead minotaurs, reaching out for their own bloodied skulls which were just out of reach of their arms. The empty stalls and tents all around them, thrust back by some powerful force that had blackened the blocks of white stone beneath them to create a large ring of darkness. While further away, he could see the ground littered with strange bodies, that had the appearance of minotaurs, but had been shed off all their their fur to expose pale pink flesh, bloodshot red eyes, and horns that had been dipped into very bowels of hell itself. The creatures themselves, monstrous things, that brought with them the heavy stench of corruption.

(Click here to study the circle of dead bodies more closely.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

Hearing nothing from Tamrel to suggest the circle was dangerous, he crossed the open ground, and stopped a few feet short of the bodies to study each of their faces, seeing their surprise and shock, as well as their fear.

He also noticed that right at the center of it all, above the heads of the dead warriors was a rune inscribed into the blackened stone. One that he was not familiar with. Not that he was familiar with many. And yet this one, was of a carving of a skull that had been crossed out with a single horizontal slash.

(Click here to avoid the circle.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

Mouth dry with trepidation, Grey thought it wise to avoid the circle for now, a part of him certain that it had to be a part of some dark ritual, but without knowing what that ritual was, there was every chance that it could be a trap set for him or someone else.

Away from the blackened ring of stone, he felt his heart thud a little faster inside of his chest as he noticed the sounds he had heard in the distance grow fainter as though it were the last ebbs of battle. The terrifying thought, forcing him to forge on ahead at a much quicker pace, and return to the main street, where he saw more telltale signs of a recent battle with streets splattered by smears of fresh blood, cracked stone tiles, and weapons dropped to the cold stone. But strangely enough, there were no bodies to be found here. Not that was a good sign. The lack of bodies, could mean any number of untold possibilities, but the most likely was that they had been moved, but by what? Or whom? Was another question that plagued his mind.

Continuing on along the deserted street, he passed back beneath the archway, and found his mind wandering off as he tried to understand what had happened here. The walls of the citadel should have been able to hold the enemy back for centuries, and yet as he looked around at the ruins that had been left behind, there was no denying that a battle had taken place here with whole buildings turned to rubble. The kind of magic used here, far too powerful for a single mage to wield alone.

Tamrel who had been listening in on his thoughts, agreed with him wholeheartedly, and believed it to be some new form of twisted magic, that felt of both darkness and light.

Mind rocked back by that alarming thought, he tugged the greatsword from his back, and felt Tamrel’s warm flames press against his cheek as the weapon burned with a soft light that illuminated the shadows, and pushed back the fog.

Feet thumping into the cold wet stone which in places had been ripped apart, Grey found his gaze lifting upwards as he neared the training grounds, and felt a chill run through his spine at the sight of slim hooded figures moving about a small encampment that sat off to the left of the gate’s entrance, or to put it more circumspectly, where the gate’s entrance should have been, but where now stood a gaping hole as though an army of giants had stormed through the area. The entire courtyard, now draped in hundreds of dead bodies that were being picked clean by scavengers in brown robes, while around them lay ghouls, honor blades, kindred, and hundreds more of those same skinless beasts that smelt of corruption and death.

Hands clammy with trepidation of what this could mean, he watched them move through the handful of grey tents that had been setup, and to his great shock and dismay, he saw young ones dart past the campfires, as well as wrinkled, grey haired men that sat in circles to contemplate the stars. But most importantly with his senses attuned to the darkness of this world, he could smell their fear and desire for safety. Three things that were most certainly not expected of a war party.

Certain they had to be fleeing something or somewhere, he walked unerringly forward, and sheathed Tamrel once more at his back. It’s flames letting out a soft hiss as the fire went out.

Then stopped short as he realised they were goblins, their yellow eyes flashing beneath the hood of their robes as they caught sight of him, and raced to collect their spears. The campsite becoming a blurr of movement as the creatures spread out before him to form a scraggly wall of spears with leather shields held up to confront him.

Reflexicily reaching up for his greatsword, Grey found himself pausing all of a sudden, when it hit him that these creatures had yet to attack, but instead stood there watching with their backs turned to the flames. The group of at least twenty to thirty goblins, nervously gazing off behind him into the dark.

Oddities aside, Grey knew he should still draw his Soul-Blade if only to guard against himself, but for whatever reason that held him in place he found he could not do so. There was simply too much that made no sense to him.

Hand lowered back by his side, he turned to leave and continue on past their camp, when goblins flooded the streets from in front and behind him. The goblin warchief that lead them, easy to recognise with his long mane of jet black hair, wide unflinching yellow eyes, and white swirling tattoos that marked his naked torso. “Looks like we meet again, warrior. This time however, you have no friends to help you I see.”

Stunned by the swiftness from which they had come from all directions, Grey stared all around him, noting at least a hundred spears now pointed in his direction. The two hunting parties wearing the same brown robes like those by the fire with more than a few armed with steel swords and shields they must have collected from the dead.

“Why are you here, Kradok?” he asked.

The goblin warchief, half startled by the question, let out a booming laugh, his yellow eyes filling with mirth. “Do you not know, warrior?! The Citadel has fallen, the battle is lost, and over. Your people lie defeated. And even now, the last of your kind is being sundered into oblivion.”

Bile rising up at the back of his throat, Grey felt his heart flutter wildly as his mouth worked up and down to refute these lies. For they had to be lies. He had seen them all alive only moments ago. There was no way they could be dead. No way! It was impossible.

And yet, all he had to do was listen to the inner voice of Tamrel to realise that what the goblin said was the truth and not a lie.

The Citadel, the last beacon of light, was gone, and along with it, all the hopes of his people.

Soundlessly falling to his knees, he knelt there in the dust and blood, seeing the bodies of those around him, and stared into their lifeless eyes, whilst imagining the faces of his friends among them, and felt a pit of darkness open up inside. The overwhelming sense of hopelessness, crashing down on top of him in waves, everything he had tried to do, everything he had ever done, all the sacrifices he had made, all of the battles he had fought…All of it had been for nothing...For nothing…

Sinking into a well of despair, Grey’s mind took him back to the ship where only a few days ago he had felt a sense of peace away from the constant turmoil that had boiled inside of him. Every part of him certain, that he would be the one to save to Amaryllis, the one to save his homeland, and yet for all the tests he had faced, he had never expected this.

Had he not done everything right? Had he not meant to become an Honor Blade? Did fate not intend for him to enter the mines? Was he not supposed to become one with his Soul Blade?

Why? Why did the Lightbearer make him go through it all if not to save the lives of those he cared about? Why?!

Tears dripping down his cheeks, he screamed, “Why?!”

And for once, Kradok was silent, his golden flecked eyes flashing with hidden pain as though he too understood Grey’s anguish. The proud warrior, waving his arms back to send most of his warriors away. The goblins dispersing into the streets and alleyways to guard the area, while Kradok looked up towards the stars. “The intent of the gods, has ever been a mystery to me as well. However I know, as much I may have despised your kind. I did not wish for this to happen either. It seems that we have both lost our homes.”

Head lifted upward at that, Grey gazed at the hard planes of Kradok’s face, and for the first time, saw the exhaustion written in his eyes. “The mines?”

“Gone as well, destroyed by the one they call ‘Colmar’ for refusing to join him in battle. He sent that witch of his bring down the mountain upon us. If not for cavern that lay beyond the waterfall, we would have all died. However as you know, fate can be a fickle thing,” he said with a rueful chuckle.

The name ‘Colmar’, resounded in Grey’s skull like a bell that would never stop ringing. Colmar, Colmar, Colmar. The bastard spawn of darkness, had yet again appeared to take all that he knew away from him. Colmar the cursed. Colmar the false. Colmar the coward!

Face twisted up into a rictus of barely concealed rage, he gathered his feet up beneath him. “And where is this Colmar now?” he demanded.

Eyebrow crooked upward at the sudden change in demeanor, Kradok smiled again. “That I cannot tell you. Much of his strenghth lie gathered deeper within the city, along with the ash spawn he has subjugated. None of the spears I have sent to observe have returned. As far as can be told, this Colmar still waits at the temple’s gates. In either case, there is nothing that can be done. Ahead of us, lies an army unlike any other I have ever encountered, and beyond these walls, lies poisoned ground. There is nowhere for you to go, warrior. But if you are so inclined for a swift death, by all means go. I shall not stop you.”

New Quest Objectives Cancelled - New ones added

- Gather survivors

- Navigate your way through the Citadel

- Slay Colmar

(Click here if you have the trust of the Balarock tribe: Required Trust 100.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

Filled with a renewed sense of purpose, Grey started off away again passing the solidly built goblin, before turning back to look over his shoulder. “You know, I could use your help.”

Kradok grinned wryly. “And why would I choose to help you?”

Grey looked around at the goblin’s makeshift camp, seeing again the young and old sitting by the campfires, then further back towards the mangled gates that had been turned to grey sludge. The thick scent of desiccation wafting up through the midnight breeze that came from the Ash Lands that lay just behind, all but on the very doorstep of the citadel.

“What other choice do you have?”He asked, with a pointed look to the blackened lands.

Head lifted back in an abrupt laugh, Kradok followed his gaze, and nodded his head in agreement. “Very well, warrior. I shall follow you.”

(You now have command of a total of 150 Goblins at your disposal. As well as access to Kradok as a Companion. Each Goblin has + 40 Health Points each, so any life lost after this point, will actually mean a goblin has died in your place, rather than you actually being attacked. For example, if in your next battle you should be attacked and gain a 100 points worth of damage. This would mean two Goblins have died, and a third is badly wounded.)

(Click here if you Do Not have the trust of the Balarock tribe: Required Trust 100.)

Spoiler: Spoiler

Filled with a renewed sense of purpose, Grey started off away again passing the solidly built goblin, before turning back to look over his shoulder. “You know, I could use your help.”

Kradok grinned wryly. “And why would I choose to help you?”

Grey looked around at the goblin’s makeshift camp, seeing again the young and old sitting by the campfires, then further back towards the mangled gates that had been turned to grey sludge. The thick scent of desiccation wafting up through the midnight breeze that came from the Ash Lands that lay just behind, all but on the very doorstep of the citadel.

“What other choice do you have?”He asked, with a pointed look to the blackened lands.

Kradok’s face hardened into stone. “No, I think not.”

To be Continued…