Ironworks Gaming Forum - View Single Post - The Chronicles of Merick -- part I

Rockstar · 04-10-2007, 12:02 AM

CHAPTER 2
ACT V
Captain Brage

Merick muttered to himself in impatience at having to head west out of the town, back the way he came, but this time he would journey exactly west. He pushed through the forest for over a day, searching for his bounty. He was no ranger and was really relying on a bit of luck to track his enemy. Merick finally had some luck when he saw a boot print in the ground that nobody could miss. He knew that not many would venture into these woods as there was basically nothing to hunt in here. It had to be the captain.

Merick came to a clearing where a main road ran. This was a road that travelers took to get to and from the Sword Coast from the south. Merick looked around when he saw three overturned caravans thrown into the bushes on the side. Merick investigated.

Arrows were scattered around the road. There had been some resistance by the caravans. These were caravans from distant towns carrying in much needed iron supplies, but the iron was gone, the drivers killed and the wagons thrown into the forest. Merick found something very interesting. It seemed that the wagons had managed to take down one of their attackers. In the bushes was also a body of a bandit! “So the bandits are the ones behind the caravan raids… but to stop iron caravans from the north and south would require a lot more organisation and numbers than what bandits would usually have.” Merick thought to himself. He headed over the road and deeper into the forest.

It was now the middle of the night and Merick was starting to get weary, but he knew that his target would probably be resting now, so it was a good chance to strike. Out of the shadows a man in a dark cloak came out with a look of terror on his face. Merick drew his bow and arrow but let the man speak first. “Good sir. Do not head this way. I have seen him. The General Brage. He is possessed by some evil and I cannot let you pass… I will stop you if I have to.” Merick smirked “No you wont.” An arrow went right through the stranger’s heart. Merick stepped carefully until he came to a clearing. There he saw a man sitting next to a fire, holding large sword in blue robes surrounded by thick chain mail.

General Brage took his sword and stood about fifteen meters away from Merick. His eyes were white. He uttered in a deep voice. “I am the head of the dead and all the only thing that stands when one has fallen… what am I?” Merick thought hard for a moment, trying not to faulter under pressure. “A tombstone!” Merick said. The man fell to his hands and knees breathing heavily and the sword left his hands and hit the ground with a hard thud. Brage, still on his hands and knees looked up at Merick and smiled. “Thank you hero. You have saved others and myself from the evil holding me." Brage began to cry “By the gods what have I done? My poor wife and child.” Merick eyed the kneeling Brage from a distance and spoke coldly “Regardless of whether or not I have saved you there is still a bounty on ye head.” Merick drew his bow and aimed it at Brage’s head. Brage’s eyes lit up with tears of rage. “You are nothing more than a selfish bounty hunter!” He grabbed the sword off the ground and charged at Merick. Brage’s eyes went white as the curse was renewed.

Merick was quick to act and fired three arrows into Brage’s in the chest, but each shot only staggered him and he kept charging at Merick as if unwounded. The sword obviously sent the holder into a berserk rage and was deadly in the hands of a captaining soldier. Merick quickly dropped his bow and drew his sword as Brage came in with a flurry of slow, but heavy shots. Merick was on the back foot, able to block Brage’s hard blows but unable to get any offense of his own in. Merick took a glimpse behind him and saw that he was about to walk backward right into the campfire. The Captain came in with a hard overhead shot, which Merick barely managed to take the force of. The blades were locked and the berserk captain managed to press Merick down onto one knee. Merick’s arms were at full length trying to push Brage’s blade away, which was slowly but surely getting closer to Merick’s head. Merick saw the fire only a meter behind him and knew it was do or die now. Merick quickly rolled to the side and behind Brage and slashed both his legs right behind the knees. Brage’s leg tendons were cut and he had no choice but to fall on his hands and knees. Merick scrambled to his feet and quickly shoved the Captain in the backside with his boot and sent him straight into the campfire. The Captain crawled along the ground out of the fire, still burning, unable to move his legs below the knees. He was still holding onto his sword, but only to be pressed hard to the ground by Merick’s boot. The arrows in Brage's chest sunk right in but was still burning so Merick had to be quick. Merick held his blade upside down with both hands and ran it rapidly in and out of the Captain’s back rapidly half a dozen times. Stuck flat on his face, Brage tried an blind, uncoordinated swing at Merick but Merick blocked it and stood on his right hand so he could not move his sword. Merick raised his blade in both hands and brought it down on the Captain’s neck.

Merick fell on his back exhausted and had to rest for a few moments before collecting the Captain’s head and heading back to Nashkel. Merick enjoyed no interferences on his walk through the forest and pondered on his first near death experience before reentering Nashkel.

[ 04-10-2007, 04:59 AM: Message edited by: Rockstar ]

04-10-2007, 12:02 AM	#14
Rockstar Zhentarim Guard Join Date: January 4, 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 300	CHAPTER 2 ACT V Captain Brage Merick muttered to himself in impatience at having to head west out of the town, back the way he came, but this time he would journey exactly west. He pushed through the forest for over a day, searching for his bounty. He was no ranger and was really relying on a bit of luck to track his enemy. Merick finally had some luck when he saw a boot print in the ground that nobody could miss. He knew that not many would venture into these woods as there was basically nothing to hunt in here. It had to be the captain. Merick came to a clearing where a main road ran. This was a road that travelers took to get to and from the Sword Coast from the south. Merick looked around when he saw three overturned caravans thrown into the bushes on the side. Merick investigated. Arrows were scattered around the road. There had been some resistance by the caravans. These were caravans from distant towns carrying in much needed iron supplies, but the iron was gone, the drivers killed and the wagons thrown into the forest. Merick found something very interesting. It seemed that the wagons had managed to take down one of their attackers. In the bushes was also a body of a bandit! “So the bandits are the ones behind the caravan raids… but to stop iron caravans from the north and south would require a lot more organisation and numbers than what bandits would usually have.” Merick thought to himself. He headed over the road and deeper into the forest. It was now the middle of the night and Merick was starting to get weary, but he knew that his target would probably be resting now, so it was a good chance to strike. Out of the shadows a man in a dark cloak came out with a look of terror on his face. Merick drew his bow and arrow but let the man speak first. “Good sir. Do not head this way. I have seen him. The General Brage. He is possessed by some evil and I cannot let you pass… I will stop you if I have to.” Merick smirked “No you wont.” An arrow went right through the stranger’s heart. Merick stepped carefully until he came to a clearing. There he saw a man sitting next to a fire, holding large sword in blue robes surrounded by thick chain mail. General Brage took his sword and stood about fifteen meters away from Merick. His eyes were white. He uttered in a deep voice. “I am the head of the dead and all the only thing that stands when one has fallen… what am I?” Merick thought hard for a moment, trying not to faulter under pressure. “A tombstone!” Merick said. The man fell to his hands and knees breathing heavily and the sword left his hands and hit the ground with a hard thud. Brage, still on his hands and knees looked up at Merick and smiled. “Thank you hero. You have saved others and myself from the evil holding me." Brage began to cry “By the gods what have I done? My poor wife and child.” Merick eyed the kneeling Brage from a distance and spoke coldly “Regardless of whether or not I have saved you there is still a bounty on ye head.” Merick drew his bow and aimed it at Brage’s head. Brage’s eyes lit up with tears of rage. “You are nothing more than a selfish bounty hunter!” He grabbed the sword off the ground and charged at Merick. Brage’s eyes went white as the curse was renewed. Merick was quick to act and fired three arrows into Brage’s in the chest, but each shot only staggered him and he kept charging at Merick as if unwounded. The sword obviously sent the holder into a berserk rage and was deadly in the hands of a captaining soldier. Merick quickly dropped his bow and drew his sword as Brage came in with a flurry of slow, but heavy shots. Merick was on the back foot, able to block Brage’s hard blows but unable to get any offense of his own in. Merick took a glimpse behind him and saw that he was about to walk backward right into the campfire. The Captain came in with a hard overhead shot, which Merick barely managed to take the force of. The blades were locked and the berserk captain managed to press Merick down onto one knee. Merick’s arms were at full length trying to push Brage’s blade away, which was slowly but surely getting closer to Merick’s head. Merick saw the fire only a meter behind him and knew it was do or die now. Merick quickly rolled to the side and behind Brage and slashed both his legs right behind the knees. Brage’s leg tendons were cut and he had no choice but to fall on his hands and knees. Merick scrambled to his feet and quickly shoved the Captain in the backside with his boot and sent him straight into the campfire. The Captain crawled along the ground out of the fire, still burning, unable to move his legs below the knees. He was still holding onto his sword, but only to be pressed hard to the ground by Merick’s boot. The arrows in Brage's chest sunk right in but was still burning so Merick had to be quick. Merick held his blade upside down with both hands and ran it rapidly in and out of the Captain’s back rapidly half a dozen times. Stuck flat on his face, Brage tried an blind, uncoordinated swing at Merick but Merick blocked it and stood on his right hand so he could not move his sword. Merick raised his blade in both hands and brought it down on the Captain’s neck. Merick fell on his back exhausted and had to rest for a few moments before collecting the Captain’s head and heading back to Nashkel. Merick enjoyed no interferences on his walk through the forest and pondered on his first near death experience before reentering Nashkel. [ 04-10-2007, 04:59 AM: Message edited by: Rockstar ]