The deafening boom of thunder awakes you following by a downpour of rain, a rude awakening even more so to those waking to a near blank slate. There are bodies scattered everywhere sliced and cleaved through for the most part. Torn and slashed armor rests around you, broken weapons, your own clothing is shredded almost beyond use. Something happened... you aren't sure what... hell you can't remember... anything at all... but you do see others, likely woken by the same rain pouring rain you are caught in.
Torr awakens and shivers in the icy downpour. He looks down at himself and then around at the devastation surrounding him. What the hell...? Who are all these people...? Whom am I, for that matter...? He picks absently at a shred of clothing as he looks around, seeing other figures rising from among the dead.
Should I go to them? or are they responsible for all this... best err on the side of caution, he thinks and waits to see what the others will do. He looks down to see if there are any bodies immediately around himself, perhaps sheltered by others, that are less damaged... even alive... among the corpses.
Heaving a great sigh, he looks down at his hands and wishes for more than his bare fists right now... Am I a warrior? Am I used to wielding weapons? He sees the massive scarring on his body and shakes his head again, remembering nothing of how he came to be so damaged. Parts of some fingers were missing as well. They obviously weren't recently inflicted wounds like the bodies around him, and some of them looked like old burn scars.
He looks up into the heavens, perhaps to find an answer there among the clouds? The rain at least was real, and he could feel it, so perhaps this wasn't all a dream. "Who am i???! he calls out to the sky.
The last rumbles of the thunderclap finally fade as a woman in her early twenties sits up. The stench of death and the sight of so many slain overwhelm her mind. She tries to remember. She really does try, but she can't, she can't remember anything. Her breath comes out in puffs of steam as the rain continues to soak what little remains of her clothing. She wraps her arms around herself as much for warmth as for some form of support. He long blonde hair falls out of what's left of the braids it was in and plasters her back, cheeks, and forehead.
She just sits there in stunned silence. For a long while she just sits there, the tears from her icy blue eyes mixing with the rain running down her face.
"It's too much. There's just too much death."
My eyes open in an instant, the rain splashing on my face and chest. I lay there for a while enjoying the rain touching my skin and take in a deep breath. I slowly stand up, most of my ruined clothing peeling away from my skin, save for a piece of cloth around my waist that is tattered. I look down at my body, no scars, just a few fresh cuts ... well they must be fresh there is still blood coming from them.
I clasp my hand but it feels wrong, somethings missing but what? I look around to see many more figures, none rising from their sleep. I run my hand through my tangled hair, the rain helping my fingers through. The mass of tangles all straighten out as I run my hand through my hair, I shiver slightly as the water runs down my spine. Then I quickly place my hand on my head again, "What are these?!" I feel my long ears, running my fingers along the length of them. Looking around at the bodies, I notice none of them have these long ears, "What am I?"
"Well for now, where am I ... ?" I look around trying to recognize something, anything, but no such luck. So instead I look for a body of water I can lay in. Not bothering to cover myself anymore I walk around, obviously lost. It is then that I see a man scream into the sky, "Can the sky answer him or was he calling out to anyone? I don't know him, heck I don't know who I am! Lets see if the sky can answer him ..." With that I stop in my tracks and look into the sky, waiting.
as she slowly awakens from a loud thunderclap she sits up thinking
Where am I, How did I get here, When did I get here, What happened here, and Who am I.
as she gets up, she surveys the surrounds and notes that her clothing is different from the rest, has no armour on, and that compared to the few women she sees, she's got twice their curves, and thinks
new question, What am I.
The sky offers no answer other then the soft rolling thunder as the rain continues to pour on you. A bit of distance away you see a silver-haired woman in white robes rushing to where most of you stand confused. Her clothes appear clean and untouched as she shouts. "You survived! I can't believe it... there are survivors!"
I look disappointed that there was no reply from the sky, but turn to face the woman running towards me. I stay where I am, watching her carefully, putting my hand in the air, as if to say "hello".
Torr looks at the woman in the clean, undamaged clothing, then down at his own tattered shreds of cloth with a deep sigh. At least what needed to be covered, was covered adequately. Perhaps the woman had answers to some of his questions. She certainly seemed untouched by what happened here. He began the trek to meet her, climbing over the piles of the dead to reach her, his movements erratic and unsteady.
"Who are you? What happened here?" he asks as he approaches the woman.
He looks at the others who rose seemingly from amid the dead and and down at himself again, then back at the woman. "You seem untouched by whatever killed and.. well.. did so much damage."
The young woman snaps out of the stupor she had been in, and looks at the woman approaching her and several others that seemed to have survived what ever it was that caused this.
She's... she's... Why can't I remember anything? Why are some many dead, and why do I hurt inside whenever I think about it?
She shakily stands, and the mud squelches between her toes. The rain has soaked the torn tunic and pants the woman was wearing. The wind and continuing downpour causes her teeth to chatter and her body to shiver as she starts making her way to the silver-haired woman.
she sees the silver haired woman and those like in Noya's state.
she asks the silver haired woman
"Who the heck are you?
or everyone here for that matter?"
her head is pounding, not such much from the shock or amnesia, as from the hangover she doesn't know about.
"And why do I have a headache?"
She sits up suddenly and when she sees the dead bodies she screams and jumps and then floats there for a moment. "Whoa!Whoa!" She scrunches her face for a moment, Back down! Back down to the ground!
She floats down to the ground with a look of bewilderment. Then she hears A woman call out and she looks at her, "Where am I? How did I get here?" She walks over to the woman trying not to look to closely at the dead people.
The silver haired woman reaches the group, slowing down as she frowns. "You... you don't remember? Yesterday the crystal shattered, you were all here... with... everyone else...." She trails off looking at the bodies in the area. "We must check if anyone else lived!" She suddenly pleads, dropping down as she crawls corpse to corpse checking each for any sign of life.
she thinks
What's a crystal got to do with it.
"So here's a question; do you know our names?"
"No, last thing I remember is... huh I don't remember anything actually. Maybe what happened made us forget? What did happen?"
She hesitates then shakes her head and starts helping to look for other survivors.
"Hey you are you all alright?" she asks those who are standing or sitting up.
Here? Where is here? and what crystal? I don't.. can't... seem to remember... anything. Who are you? and do you know who I am? Something seems to be... missing... somehow... He looks down at his hands again, straining to remember anything... then looks at the woman again as she struggles to find any more alive in the mass of bodies.
He slowly begins looking for more survivors himself, though there weren't any near where he was when he first stood up, perhaps there were some here.
Torr glances over to Gaza and nods slowly... I appear to be fine, miss, but I can't seem to recall... well.. anything. How about you?
she joins in the look for survivors, and thinks
questions can be asked later, a chance to save a life is fleeting in this mess.
Why can't I remember anything?!
The visibly shaken and shivering woman looks around for a minute, confused about what to do, or even how to proceed. There were so many bodies, so many that looked dead. A burden, a sense of... guilt. Yes that was it, guilt! A sense of guilt weighed heavy on her heart. Her ragged breath puffs out small clouds of steam as the weather seems to grow colder. Her toes are going numb and her fingers, even though they're wedged in between her arms and her body, were not too far behind.
She looks around and sees others looking for survivors. The grim scene surrounding her nearly breaks the poor girl, but she does as asked and checks each body for signs of life. The tears coming more and more with each dead body. The cold claiming more and more of the feeling in her toes and fingers.
Why am I crying? Why can't I shake this weight on my heart?
The silver haired woman mumbles softly as she searches over the bodies, "I am Honda, follower of Milani... I am not sure what is happening to you all, I was not here when it shattered but clearly a lot of damage was done... even still to yourselves...." She sighs softly, sitting back from a corpse. "I am not sure anyone else survived... and I am not sure why you all did.
I assist in the search for survivors, unmoved by the amount of dead bodies. Uncaring or simply unable to show emotion?
But I get side tracked and instead of looking at the bodies I stare up into the sky again and let the rain land on my head and run down my neck and back. But brown hair starting to stick to my back, I hold my arms out as if to embrace the rain. Then more shivers come from me, I'm getting cold so I look around for any cloth that I can use to cover my body with.
Looking around the field of dead bodies,How did I survive?I must be some tough kick butt kinda person. "Wow, I am alive! hahahaha"
As she realizes how lucky she is to be alive in this mess.
As you all search the bodies... some doing a better job then others.
As for the rest of you, your search does not result in any further survivors found however bits of undamaged equipment does turn up as well as some buried clothing that is less tattered then what you are wearing.
322 gold
1 thunderstone
4 vials of some kind of water
1 potion
1 wand
2 masterwork shortswords
1 masterwork waraxe
enough bits of items to complete a healer's kit
1 mighty composite longbow
All the armor in the area was damaged in such a manner it would not be useful when worn.
Camera fades from black, the POV is from above, its day, heavy rain is falling down onto a slender female elf, lying face down at the bottom of small crater, she is unconscious, wile we look the rain water starts filling the crater. Then from the side figures come into view, they clime down the craters sides and gently pick take her from danger.
change of view, a large human barbarian places her on higher groind, others are there, She opens her eyes and then shudders as she coughs up a large amount of water, sucking in air she sits up and looks at the group around her, she stands fast then runs then jumps her arms flapping, she falls down into the mud face down, she rolls over and sits look back at the group.
In Elvish she says
Some thing is wrong, some thing is very wrong
asking and pleading she adds
I have lost the sky
she looks up at the rain clouds above
I pick up one of the blades and give it a couple of swings. I look at the other survivors longingly ...
I then notice the other with long ears, "What does she mean she has lost the sky? The big man thinks the sky can answer him and this one thinks she has lost it, strange people!"
The shivering woman looks at the axe for a moment before picking it up. The feel of the haft and the weight of the weapon are familiar, even comforting. She doesn't swing it around, but both of her hands grip the weapon tightly as if she would die if she let go.
"Where do we go now?"
she looks at the others, her rags on her run with rain she looks over at the old lady.
can you help me? I'm lost
then sees the bow, bending down she picks it up, running her hands over it,
I know this, its a boo, baw, bow
she pulls it back and holds it for a moment
my hands are wrong!
she looks at her hands
What im I missing?
she observes and thinks
"It looks like most of them are starting to get cold, but why don't I or that red one."
"I think we should seek shelter soon, as we are starting to shake from the cold. Let's take what we can and get sheltered."
The Ice elf walks over to the woman with platinum eyes her own pale gray ones look at her.
Yes, out of the rain
She looks over the devastation
but to where?
She says in celestial.
she says to Aylya Lafina
"Sorry, I did not catch that last part."
she seems to be thinking for a moment and then says
where should we go?
she says in the same language
If I was up there
She points at the rain clouds
I could find a place
she waves her arms again and looks at them,
what is wrong why can I not move up?
"I don't know what language your speaking at the moment."
Torr examines the items... recognizes the thunderstone as being familiar, though he's not sure why, and picks it up gingerly. The waters he examines for something, he's not sure what... and sets them back down. Finally he picks up one of the blades and holds it in his hand. It feels... wrong somehow and he hefts it uncomfortably, yet he holds onto it. He pulls bits of some kind of padding out from under the tatters of his clothing and discards the pieces... they are useless and are making him even colder and wetter than he would be without them.
Then he examines the potion bottle, shaking it slightly and watching the liquid inside slosh about in the vial. Something is familiar about the process, but he wracks his brain to make it all make sense.
Torr begins picking over some of the more intact clothing and replacing his own shredded, sodden bits of cloth, then looks to the others there... and shrugs, kind of helplessly....
"I'd say my name if I knew it, but I c-can't seem to remember it.. so just hello. It seems we are the only survivors here, wherever 'here' is." He looks to Honda and says, "If there is shelter nearby, perhaps we can go there, get out of this rain?"
Without giving it a second thought, he begins gathering up all the equipment not already claimed to carry it along. "These things might prove useful. We should bring them."
Aylya repeats what she has said but this time in common.
She seems lost in thought, then starts to move in a strange pattern.
To get above it should start like this i think
she says again in common.
She moves around the mud waving her arms as if flying.
"I'll admit it is annoying to not know your name."
Torr watches Aylya for a moment, puzzled. That one has lost more than her memories, he thinks. He starts to chuckle, but it turns into a cough and he realizes how cold he is. He turns to Honda and speaks directly to her. "Well?"
She asks the silver haired elf (not Aylya Lafina)
"In which direction can we find shelter from this rain,
before some of us get sick with hypothermia."
Stops and looks to at the old one, waiting to see what she says
I look at Aylya, then up to the sky when she says "but to where". I seem to understand what she is saying, but still remaining quiet. But when she starts waving around madly I look slightly concerned.
I follow Torr, hanging my new sword at my hip ... "This feels ... familiar ..." Using both of my hands I ring out my hair and watch as brown water falls to the ground. I haven't changed my clothes, but am looking about for any shelter from this rain.
"I wanna go home."
Elarya starts sobbing quietly as she says it. She tries to remember her home, but can't. All she has is a feeling that this isn't her home, and her home is a much better place than a field of the dead.
"I wanna go home."
she says again as she covers her eyes with one of her hands and lets the one holding the axe fall to her side.
"Then the question becomes, where is home?"
"Indeed, but for now let's find shelter. Laying in warm red coals would be real nice right now." She helps carry the unclaimed findings.
"I don't know."
Elarya also helps gather and carry the unclaimed gear.
Why can't I remember!
Her eyes go wide for a moment as she stops in her tracks.
"Elarya..."
"Elarya is your home?" he asks the woman. Then he struggles to recall anything of his own past... his name, his own home... anything.
"T-Tor... Torr..." it was close... to something..."My name... is Torr. But the rest of the memories fail to flood in behind the name, to his disappointment.
"No, it's my name. Elarya Whitescale."
She answers Torr as she resumes following the others to shelter, and hopefully a fire.
"It is nice to meet you Torr."
"The honor is mine, Elarya... yes Torr.. Toric... but Torr will do I think. I wish I could recall more... I'm sure there's more." He hefts the short sword again... twisting the hilt one way, then the other, trying to make it feel more familiar... something about it isn't quite right. He looks down at his damaged, scarred hands and scowls... How did that happen? If only I could remember.
In his free hand he hefts some of the unclaimed gear, letting the others carry the balance. The weight of the stuff is negligible, but without packs or sacks, all the small items are too difficult for one person to manage. "Somehow it seems wrong for a lady to be carrying the load, but thank you for helping." He gives Elarya a little chagrined smile and shrugs.
The stone is a thunderstone, you KNOW this... somehow even by name. The potion, based off color and other qualities... it takes a moment but somewhere the words come to you. "Eagle's Splendor" Is the potion.
I apologize ahead of time if you don't like how I present this but it works for moving the story forward.
Something stirs in your thoughts, clearly not your own.
Aylya! Thank goodness you didn't die, the crystal it shattered?! Did you see how? Wait... you seem different.
The rain stops abruptly, almost as if answering your cries about a shelter. Honda offers the group a smile to the group as she directs everyone north. "It's about a two hour walk to the north to Iz... the... the demons are mostly gone but there may still be a few that lingered after the crystal appeared... I am unsure but its the closest place I believe any shelter will be... plus we could possibly scavenge the place for more... equipment to replace what you all appear to have lost.
A big of sunlight breaks through the clouds, causing something lodged in the ground a few yards ahead to sparkle.
Torr starts to move north, following Honda's lead, carrying a short sword in one hand and an armload of miscellaneous gear in the other. He feels a little more self-assured, knowing he has a name and the name is who he is... The rest will come in time, he thinks. I will know more about who I am, what happened to my hands, where I come from.
He strides northward with purpose. Two hours walk in mud and rain to shelter, and we might have to fight for it as well. So be it.