So you want to be a zako? (RP, Mentos Edition) (1 Viewer)

[ViridianShine]

Decision for McKayla:
One of the slaves decides to get uppity, and Chantelle is forced to stab her. While the wound isn't deep yet, without the proper care she'll definitely die. You can heal the wound easily, but perhaps now might be a good time to practice that sadistic side of yours?
A) Heal the Elf
B) Botch the heal and kill her
C) Write-in option

"Hey! Robe girl, I need help here-!"

Chantelle burst into a home in the village dragging the wounded elven along the floor behind her, recalling one of the healers had wandered inside. She was right, quickly finding McKayla in the back bedroom, running a hand through a box of elfish jewelry in the corner.

"Child, I...my, is that one of the slaves?" McKayla spoke in a curious tone sparked with wonder, as Chantelle hastily threw the dying slave onto the bed.

"Look, I was just watching them and this one just...untied herself somehow and jumped me! Like, come on, how unfair is that!" Chantelle ranted, gesturing towards the slave, "look, I dunno if boss lady or whatever needs all of them; can you save this one?"

McKayla looks solemnly at the slave on the bed, who's eyes returned her gaze with pleading eyes filled with tears. McKayla fidgeted with a bracelet beneath one sleeve, contemplating for a moment.

"...Yes, child. I will try my best, but you must give me a moment of privacy."

"Oh, great! 'Cause I gotta, like, head back to guarding the rest of the slaves and all...you sure you don't need a hand?"

"Positive, child. The healing arts for one this deeply wounded takes a great amount of concentration."

"Alright, great! Well, I'll just be, uhh, over there. So...good luck!" Chantelle ducks out of the room in a hurry, leaving McKayla alone with the slave. Already, McKayla could notice the deep stab wound along the poor young elf girls torso, cut through her loosely fitted cloth which barely draped around her body. How absolutely exciting.

McKayla stepped to the front of the bed, leaning forwards until her entire body positioned right on top of the slave girl. Her charms and accessories glistened and glittered as she moved. The slave seemed as if she wanted to mouth a 'thank you', but before she could, McKayla had dug her hand directly into the girls wound.

"Mmph-!" The slave girl tried to scream, but McKayla had already shoved her spare hand against her mouth, muffling the noise. The slave girl tried to thrash and struggle with what strength she had left, but her body would not allow it. It was almost as if a spell forced her arms and legs to feel heavier than they should. Like gravity itself conspired against her. As McKayla's star shaped earrings continued to sparkle, so too did the slave girls tears, flowing around her face.

It was McKayla's first time doing such an action, and the slave girls reaction absolutely filled her to the brim with delight. Something about watching her victim helplessly squirm beneath her body awakened a feeling deep within her. Curious as to how much farther she could go, her hands left the wound, and began going lower down the girls body...

...

"Hey, uhh, I think I left a dagger...in here..." Chantelle returned a short moment later, quickly slipping into the room. Though, the only sight that met her was a dead elven girl, lying flat on the bed, and a small woman to the side, whose robe was completely splattered with blood.

Chantelle scratched the back of her head, "I guess she didn't...man how am I gonna explain this."

"I did all I could, but she was much too far gone." McKayla spoke with almost an airy tone, without even looking towards Chantelle. Her earrings still sparkled as she clasped her hands in front of her chest, "now, we pray for this lost, unfortunate soul. May Naga guide her soul to peace."

 

[Mentos]

Miasma Battalion:
1: Leah (Soldier, 2H Spear 22/F): 15/15 HP (Level 2)
2: Mary (Archer, 21/F): 10/10 HP (Level 3)
3: Elizabeth (Soldier, Spear/Shield 18/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
4: Amanda (Soldier, Claymore 24/F): 15/15 HP (Level 2) *Weapon Acquired!* Ornate Elven Blade: +2 to Attack Rolls
5: Li Ann (Rogue, Kunais 21/F): 11/11 (Level 3)
6: Leticia (Cleric, Magic Staff 19/F): 6/6 HP (Level 2) (Spells: "Fireball", Heal)
7: Atella (Mage, Staff 22/F): 6/6 HP (Level 2) (Spells: Fireball)
8: Tyris (Soldier, Mace 28/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3)
9: Fuzzy (Soldier, Gauntlets 18/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3)
10 Arastine (Soldier, Axe, Short Sword 49/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
11 Asreine (Soldier, Javelins/Shield 23/F): 15/15 HP (Level 2)
12: Chantelle (Rogue, Daggers 18/F) 9/9 HP (Level 2)
13: McKayla (Cleric, E. Jewelry 26/F) 6/6HP (Level 2) (Spells: Heal) *Item Acquired!* Elven Jewelry, +1 to Healing Spells
14: Moira (Dark Mage, Magic Staff 32/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1) (Spells: Shadow Bolt)
15: Rixa (Archer, Longbow 26/F) 6/6 HP (Level 1)
16: Sylvia (Archer, Shortbow 19/F) 6/6HP (Level 1)
Elf Slaves: 14x

The group decides to use the captured Elven ranger as target practice. They force the other slaves to watch in an attempt to further cow them into submission. In an attempt to toughen Sylvia up, they make her take the first shot. After a few tries, she clumsily launches an arrow into the Elf's thigh. Li Ann's kunai catches her in the stomach, but it's Asreine's javelin toss that ends the poor girl's life, catching her right in the chest. (Extra loot for Asreine, she now has 7x Javelins)

The raid on the Elven Village was a success, and with an added bonus, there were minimal casualties. Miasma Battalion's morale is high as they celebrate their victory by getting drunk, pillaging, looting and generally just abusing the local captive Elves. Despite this being the first moment of fun they've had since this awful campaign started, unfortunately there's still work to be done. Marla is back at the Elven Temple, and she'll be expecting her delivery of loot, slaves and supplies any day now. Most of the soldiers aren't too keen on leaving the festivities early just to be around the crazed Sorceress again, so straws are drawn to see who will escort the wagon of supplies back to the Temple.

Elizabeth draws the first unlucky straw, followed by Leah. and then Sylvia. Once Sylvia picks her straw, Rixa volunteers to go along with her. Chantelle is forced to go along as punishment for letting one of the slaves die, though she swears it was McKayla's fault and not hers. Atella volunteers to go, as she's the only one who actually wants to be around Marla, hoping that she'll be able to pick up some new spells.

The selected soldiers begrudgingly load up the wagon with most of the loot and slaves and head back to the temple. The rest of the Batallion stays behind in the village, occupying it and preparing for their raid on the 2nd Elven Village that they had received Intel on.

The trip back to the temple is uneventful for the most part. The slaves whimper in fear along the way. Halfway through the trip, one begins to sob uncontrollably. Leah, who had taken some of the Elven wine from the village for the trip and was already drunk, gets annoyed and starts to abuse her.

"Oy! What's with the crying? Don't worry, I'll make it better."

Leah drunkenly climbs into the wagon and begins to grope the slave. She begins to laugh as she unravels the slave's tunic.

"C'mon girlie, let's see what you've been hiding in-"

Leah's escapades are abruptly cut short as an arrow juts out of her head. The tip pierces through her helmet and skewers her brain. Before she even realizes what happened, she falls out of the wagon and into the dirt. (Leah has died)

The group goes on high alert, brandishing their weapons and looking for the source of the arrow. Suddenly, a lithe figure jumps from the trees and lands directly in front of them. The stranger is an Elf, tall, wearing a green and gold tunic and dress, and brandishing a wicked looking Longbow that appears to be made out of bone.

"So, the rumors of humans invading the forest were true. Evildoers, this place will be your grave".

1: Elizabeth (Soldier, Spear/Shield 18/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
2: Atella (Mage, Staff 22/F): 6/6 HP (Level 2) (Spells: Fireball)
3: Chantelle (Rogue, Daggers 18/F) 9/9 HP (Level 2)
4: Rixa (Archer, Longbow 26/F) 6/6 HP (Level 1)
5: Sylvia (Archer, Shortbow 19/F) 6/6HP (Level 1)

vs

??? (Elven Ranger, Mysterious Longbow ??/F 35/35 HP) (Level 6)

Miasma Battalion is caught completely by surprise by the Elf, however they're still confident. There's 5 of them and only 1 of her. The odds are still in their favor. Sylvia begins backing up out of fear while Chantelle and Elizabeth (begrudgingly) move closer. Rixa wasting no time, fires an arrow at the Ranger, who deftly dodges it.

Elizabeth tries a spear thrust on the Ranger, however she steps to the side and smacks her in the face with her Longbow. The sound is sickening as Elizabeth's nose is broken and teeth are sent flying. It becomes apparent that this is no ordinary bow, and that it doubles as a Melee weapon as well. (Elizabeth -8 HP) Chantelle launches a flurry of dagger thrusts at the Ranger. While most miss, a few are able to leave some scratches (Ranger -5 HP). However the Ranger counters with a kick to Chantelle's gut, that winds her and sends her to her knees. Before she can finish her off, a fireball launched from Atella collides with her. The spell hits the in the chest and staggers her a bit, but she's no ordinary fighter, and she's able to shake off the magic. (Ranger - 7HP). Taking notice of Atella, the Elf knocks an arrow and fires it. Before Atella can chant another Fire spell, the arrow catches her in her throat. She clutches the wound uselessly, and falls back into the wagon surrounded by the slaves. The last thing she sees are the hateful stares of the Elvish slaves mocking her as she dies. (Atella has died)

Sylvia, seeing her comrades falling around her, attempts to flee, however an arrow from the ranger catches her in her backside. She tumbles into the ground, an arrow jutting out where her heart is, and dies. (Sylvia has died).

Enraged at seeing her friend fall, Rixa drops her longblow and charges the Elf with her hatchets. She swings a few times, however in her bloodlust she's unable to hit the Elf. The Ranger deftly counters with a swing of her longbow at the half-elf girl's head, and knocks her unconscious. (Rixa has fallen unconscious)

During the fight with Rixa, Chantelle attempts to sneak up on the Elf and land a successful backstab. However sneaking up on an Elf is no easy fear. The Ranger is able to dance out of Chantelle's reach at the last minute and find herself behind her. She quickly loops the Bone Longbow around Chantelle's neck and pulls up, using the bow as a makeshift Garrote. Chantelle drops her daggers begins to writhe and twist in agony as her feet struggle to find the ground again. She uselessly tries to use her hands to pull the bow away but the Elf is too strong. The Elf holds her like this until Chantelle's twitching stops, and then drops her face first into the dirt. (Chantelle has died)

Elizabeth is still on the floor, whimpering and holding her ruined face. The Elf walks up to her, and smacks her in the head once more with her bow, shattering her skull and ending her life. (Elizabeth has died)

The Elf then walks up to the wagon, freeing the slaves, who begin to praise her as a hero. As the Elves climb out of the wagon and begin to strip the bodies of the Miasma soldiers for armor and weapons, The Elf walks up to Rixa's unconscious form. Slapping her so that she would wake up, she whispers into her ear:

"I can tell you're a half-elf, so I'll take some pity on you. Tell your boss my name is Shara, and this is her last warning. If she doesn't take her forces and leave, she can expect the same thing to happen to her." Shara then pulls out a dagger and proceeds to leave a single slash across Rixa's already scarred face.

The elves then leave, leaving Rixa writhing in pain, surrounded by the now stripped corpses of the Miasma Battalion members.

Elf Slaves Lost: 10x
70% of loot and supplies stolen
Marla is gonna be pissed

 

[dinomoneymaiden]

Ah, the scene where an entire squad of our zako just gets wiped out just like that, in sexy gruesome ways by an underestimated foe. A favorite of mine in these threads. It's the true zako experience.

And without further ado, a long epitaph of sorts for Atella:
Atella, was always on a hunt for knowledge and attention, shortly before joining the escort wagon she had met Moira, whom she had a level of interest in, as she did most fellow dark mages. Moira wasn't quite 'approachable' but unlike Marla, Atella wasn't literally afraid to approach her, so just sort of did. Dropped a few compliments before asking if she'd be interested in swapping notes, or discussing the dark arts. At other times Atella had even tried learning a thing or two from the clerics, maybe even just watching them as they do their work. Atella was very interested in seeing how things tick and simply having all the information she possibly could, even at the cost of appearing nosy and annoying to others. Well, she tried not to be too annoying at least, since people don't often give info to people they find annoying. It was a fine line to balance in the grand scheme of things. And now she lie cold, dead, and completely stripped in the middle of nowhere. One thought that rushed through her head as she died was that she probably wasn't going to be remembered as a great mage and philosopher to be, snuffed out before her time, as she'd have wanted, but instead just the attention seeker who who licked at the boots of her betters. But in line with her peppy optimistic attitude, the very last thought she had as she choked on the last bit of her own blood was that maybe when she died she might be able to finally be able to properly chat with one of those cool ghosts she'd tried so hard to commune with it the past. With this, the expression left on her corpse was an almost pained smirk. As her eyes shut for the final time she thought, "I'll be the greatest philosopher of the spirit world, baby!"

 

[Severity]

Arastine has a good time getting really, really drunk off of the elven alcohol. She also tries to befriend one of the four elf slaves, who understandably seems utterly terrified of her. She's also trying to explain to Fuzzy how having a combat partner is very helpful, and also trying to convince Fuzzy to become her partner.

Asreine doesn't feel too bad about killing the ranger. She does feel a little bad, of course, but at least with the ranger she was putting her out of her misery, right? She'll probably try to give the ranger a grave, though she might just try to remember the poor elf's face.
She begins trying out the two Elven javelins she found on the dead elves. They're really nice, very sharp and light, so she's going to use them as little as possible in order to keep wear and tear on them to a minimum. Maybe keep one as a dedicated melee weapon? Actually, that's a good idea...
(Also, she'll keep one Javelin to use as a melee weapon, rather than throwing them all during battle)

 

[dinomoneymaiden]

Also must note, now that I've thought about it more, how tragic Sylvia's fate is despite (or perhaps because of) her lack of time with the group. A half elf, exiled by her own people, joining with people fighting the elves against her will, and without even attempting to fight, merely running in fear, gets shot down by the elf ranger anyway. Wonder how Rixa will react to it when she comes to. Gonna be more than a bit pissed I'm sure.

Fuzzy is sort of dense and doesn't really get the specifics of the whole partner dynamic Arastine is talking about, but she likes her a lot for being one of the only people in the battalion to actually actively enjoy her company. In some ways she even viewed Arastine as the mother she never had, with the werewolf decendant being far older than her, and her upbringing growing up as a weird orphan bear girl as she did. She took her hand and squeezed it firmly, "I'm sorta simple minded," she said admittedly, "but... You mean we'll protect each other, right? I like that." She nodded enthusiastically.

 

[ViridianShine]

Elizabeth is still on the floor, whimpering and holding her ruined face. Chantelle walks up to her, and smacks her in the head once more with her bow, shattering her skull and ending her life. (Elizabeth has died)

Unless the mysterious elf ranger practices necromancy, I think this is a slight typo.

And man, I knew Chantelle or McKayla was going to die depending on whether the slave was alive or not, lol.

When news of the disaster reaches McKayla's ears, she doesn't make any significant reaction. Similar to how she remained blank faced through that girl Chantelle's complaints at how the slave didn't really die by her hands, or like when she watched her leave with the group with a feeling of inner satisfaction. There was another raid to look forward to, after all.

===

Oh, yeah, I'll add in two more Zako, since I'm down to one myself.

Name: Tamara
Age: 27
Height: 5'7"
Description: A mature, well-endowed woman with a muscular shape and large curves. Tamara keeps her long, dark blue hair done in a singular tight pony tail straight down her back. Confident in her looks and appearance too, Tamara dresses in a form fitting black cloth attire covering her entire body, with a touch of additional leather protection around her chest and various belts strapped across her body.
Background: A school teacher from a large, human city, Tamara desired to further her knowledge of the world and left one day to travel across the continent. Girlish, yet tough, Tamara never skips an opportunity to extend a helping hand, or even duel some unwitting drunkards. It was this ideal that led her to run into Rixa and her stripped caravan strayed across the road in elf territory while journeying through. Eventually, after learning of what the situation was like, Tamara surprisingly agreed to lend her combat ability to Toxin and her army. Perhaps fueled by an inner hatred towards elves which does not normally have a chance to shine?
Weapon: Martial Arts
Class: Soldier

Name: Aura
Age: 19
Height: 5'4"
Description: A young girl with curly, deep, forest green hair, bunching up along the tops of her shoulders. Her light green eyes are wide and intelligent, overtaking much of her small shaped face. Though dressed as if in poverty initially, with only a brown burlap shirt exposing her arms, and basic leather shorts, she is given a light iron cuirass from the armies supplies.
Background: While cleaning through several of the elves houses in Mythra, McKayla stumbled upon this young woman hiding inside a closet as she was looting. Apparently just a plain old human taken in by elven hospitality as she was passing through, McKayla figured that a human could pass off as one of their own easily enough. Though she did not want to harm those who were so kind to her, Aura was stuck with a choice of joining this army or leaving herself vulnerable to this bloodstained cleric. She chose the former.
Class: Ranger

 

[Skinny73]

"Hey." *poke* "Hey, wake up." Rixa opened her eyes. A rather large woman with a blue ponytail loomed over her, face twisted up in concern. "I saw you breathin'. You alright? That's a wicked cut you got there, might wanna... Hey, whoa--

Rixa shoved the woman out of her face and leapt to her feet. The world spun dizzily around her as she looked around, searching for a familiar tangle of green hair. Please don't be dead, she can't be dead, she didn't even do nothin'. That bitch wouldn't kill another elf, she said so, Sylvie's okay, she's gotta be--

Then Rixa spotted her. "No," she muttered, wobbling as quickly as she could toward a pale, naked form lying in the dirt, in the direction of the looted elven village.

Sylvia lay on her back, sightless eyes staring up at the sun overhead. Her front was covered in blood, with an arrow wound just underneath her left breast. "No, no, no no no." Rixa cupped her fallen friend's face with her hands. She wiped the strands of green hair and dirt away, kissed her tenderly, then pulled Sylvia's lifeless body close in a desperate embrace. For a long time, Rixa simply sat there, holding her. Rixa was vaguely aware of the blue-haired woman as she approached, stopping within arm's reach of her. There was a wetness spreading across Rixa's face, mingling with the dried blood and the dirt. It took Rixa a long time to realize she was crying.

---------------------------------------------------------

After carefully washing Sylvia's body clean in a nearby stream, Rixa and the blue-haired woman, Tamara, buried her in the shadow of a nearby oak tree. "Thank you," Rixa said.

"Don't mention it. Least I could do," Tamara shuffled her feet awkwardly. She gave Rixa a befuddled sort of look. "You, ah... you sure you wouldn't rather come with me? Your buddies'll probably be worried about ya."

"They're not my buddies," Rixa answered. She checked the weapons she had recovered. The wagon and the bodies of her erstwhile allies had been stripped of anything valuable, but Rixa's longbow and hatchets had been left untouched, on Shara's orders no doubt. "If I go back there after a colossal fuck-up like this, with nothing to show for it, Marla's like as not to butcher me the next time she sees me." The prospect of dying horribly didn't bother Rixa as much as it once had. However, she had one last thing she'd like to do first.

"Right then," Tamara nodded, though Rixa wasn't sure she really understood. "Don't worry, I'll deliver that message for ya. 'Crazy Elf ranger name of Shara, bone longbow, slaughtered everybody but Rixa.' The cavalry'll be right behind ya, just you wait." She turned and set out toward the Elven village where the rest of Miasma Battalion lay encamped.

Rixa watched her go, then turned to her own task. The trail left by the departed elves was as clear and easy to follow as a paved road to her. Even a supernaturally gifted Ranger like Shara couldn't mask the trail of ten common villagers traveling in her wake. And why would she? Outnumbered five-to-one, Shara had casually slaughtered the meager troops of Miasma Battalion, leaving only one survivor. Only someone with a death wish would try to follow her.

Rixa grimaced as she set out in the opposite direction of Tamara. The soldier had cleaned and dressed the gash across Rixa's face, but it still sent out a pulse of pain with every step she took. Rixa would track the elves back to Shara's hideout, then return to Miasma Battalion with the location. Or, more likely, die in the attempt.

 

[Skinny73]

Since I fully expect Rixa to die a horrible/glorious death sometime in the near future, I'll go ahead and write up a couple new characters. :)

Name: Gloria
Age: 25
Description: A loyal servant of the great and powerful death god, Nergal, Gloria received a vision of Toxin's invasion and knew it was her duty to assist. She believes it is Nergal's will that the Elven forest be cleansed, and it's inhabitants sacrificed to sate the dark god's eternal hunger. Gloria wears a long hooded robe with a cloth belt, all in the purest white. For her magic, she uses a string of black obsidian prayer beads, and in combat she wields a sharp, jagged obsidian dagger.
Class: Cleric
Weapons: Large Ceremonial Dagger & Black Prayer Beads

Name: Terra
Age: 27
Description: A cruel and perverted bandit, Terra made her living robbing unwary travelers and the occasional drunk for years, but always had dreams of bigger things: wealth, power, respect, a legion of nubile slave girls at her beck and call. She has long, unkempt hair as black as her soul and beady black eyes. When she heard about Toxin's growing army and the invasion of the Elven forest, she knew this was her chance! Renown, powerful magical artifacts, and beautiful elven slave girls awaited her! Upon arriving in the Elven Village, she was slightly miffed to learn that due to the recent shortage, all remaining slaves were reserved for Marla. Although she carries her trusty axe and dagger into battle, Terra loves killing with her bare hands, and is always eager to deliver the coup de grace on helpless/surrendering opponents.
Class: Rogue
Weapon: Axe and dagger.

 

[dinomoneymaiden]

Inroducing:
Name: Nia
Age: 18
Class: Ranger
Weapon: Hunting Bow (and skinning knives but has little experience using them for combat)
Background: Young orphaned peasant and hunter surviving on her own before meeting Astrid.
-And-
Name: Astrid
Age: 20
Class: Soldier
Weapon: Fencing Rapier
Background: A princess of a small kingdom off the coast who had to become the new Queen when her parents died in a carriage accident when she was 16. Four years later, the petulant spoiled brat of a queen turned out to be an absolute failure of a leader. A mutiny started not just in the kingdom, but in her own court, Which she only narrowly found out about, overhearing a plot from her servants and advisors to discreetly poison her, so she ended up having to flee the country. In the outskirts, she met one of the few people who didn't want for dead (or even recognize her face immediately), a young hunter named Nia. Astrid essentially demanded her to help her survive, hungry and not being used to roughing it, and Nia became her travelling companion. Their relationship is rocky, Nia being Astrid's punching bag mostly, and Astrid often threatening Nia to do things for her, but they've grown a bit of camaraderie (or perhaps Stockholm Syndrome) over their time together, both at the very least sharing parents who died when they were young. Astrid often brags about her noble blood despite it meaning literally nothing at this point. Eventually they found their way into this army after seeing Tamara on the road. After a quick chat with her they learned there was a battalion, and with a sudden urge to join decided to follow her back. Astrid was always a bit of an elf-racist as well so her and Tamara shared a few comments about "the filthy elves" together.

Spoiler: (From Left to right) Nia and Astrid

Unless the mysterious elf ranger practices necromancy, I think this is a slight typo.

Atella's ghost pops up. "DID SOMEONE SAY NECROMANCY?!" (Kidding lol)

Rixa grimaced as she set out in the opposite direction of Tamara. The soldier had cleaned and dressed the gash across Rixa's face, but it still sent out a pulse of pain with every step she took. Rixa would track the elves back to Shara's hideout, then return to Miasma Battalion with the location. Or, more likely, die in the attempt.

Rixa with nothing left to lose is so badass.

 

[Bad7]

Name: Seru
Age: 24
Background: A member of a wanted gang of girl bandits called the Flog Wenches that live on the outskirts of the nearby woods. She is among the more timid members, but when it comes to battle she overcomes her fear with a mad frenzy of crossbow bolts. Originally became a bandit because she was tired of the peasant life and she wanted something bolder and sexier.
Description: A short girl with a thick body type. She wears a torn cloth skirt that goes just below the knees, leather boots, a ripped white shirt tied below her chest, revealing her belly. Her blue hair is in two long braids that fall down as low as her rear. She also wears a belt of cross-bolts diagonally across her chest and a length of rough black chord tied like a noose around her neck (All of the Flog Wenches wear this, to remind them that the law will whip and hang them if caught)
Class: Archer
Weapon: A rapidfire crossbow.

Name: Haggia
Age: 19
Background: A member of an obscure cult that worships a flesh eating centipede god who lives underground. She was run out of town when she started practicing her religion publicly (it involved sadistic animal sacrifices, and some suspected she also wanted to steal babies) so she also joined the Flog Wenches, and when Toxin showed up and many of the wenches sought to join her, Haggia was first in line.
Description: Brown hair in a pixie-cut. She is very small and slender and she wears almost nothing besides a black thong and a leather strap across her nipples which also holds her sacrificial knives. She has a cute face and a wide smile, and a laugh that carries just a bit too far and long. She also wears the Flog Wench noose choker and has a centipede tattoo that wraps around her mid-section.
Class: Cleric
Weapon: A crooked staff with a deer-skull on it, and a blade sticking out.

 

[Gunsmith12]

oh damn, I look away for a few days and we're already this far into another game thread. I'll get some characters together tomorrow, maybe bring back some old ones.

 

[Mentos]

Glad to see all the new Zakos and players! Mission 3 will be posted either tonight or tomorrow morning. Also apologies for some of the nastier typos. I haven’t written this much in a while!

And man, I knew Chantelle or McKayla was going to die depending on whether the slave was alive or not, lol.

Lol at the very least it would have been left up to the fates. Those 6 were mostly by random, though it made sense that Rixa, Atella and Chantelle would either willingly go or be forced to go!

 

[Mentos]

Miasma Battalion:
Soldiers: 7x, Archers: 4x, Rogues: 2x Mages: 1x, Clerics: 4x
1: Mary (Archer, 21/F): 10/10 HP (Level 3)
2: Amanda (Soldier, Claymore 24/F): 15/15 HP (Level 2) Items: Ornate Elven Blade: +2 to Attack Rolls
3: Li Ann (Rogue, Kunais 21/F): 11/11 (Level 3)
4: Leticia (Cleric, Magic Staff 19/F): 6/6 HP (Level 2) (Spells: "Fireball", Heal)
5: Tyris (Soldier, Mace 28/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3)
6: Fuzzy (Soldier, Gauntlets 18/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3)
7 Arastine (Soldier, Axe, Short Sword 49/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
8: Asreine (Soldier, Javelins/Shield 23/F): 15/15 HP (Level 2)
9: McKayla (Cleric, E. Jewelry 26/F) 6/6HP (Level 2) (Spells: Heal) Items: Elven Jewelry, +1 to Healing Spells
10: Moira (Dark Mage, Magic Staff 32/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1) (Spells: Shadow Bolt)
11: Tamara (Soldier, Martial Arts 27/F): 10/10 (Level 1)
12: Aura (Archer, Short Bow 19/F): 6/6 HP (Level 1)
13: Gloria (Cleric, 25/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1)
14: Terra (Rogue, Axe/Dagger 27/F): 7/7 HP (Level 1)
15 Nia (Archer, Shortbow 18/F): 6/6 HP (Level 1)
16: Astrid (Soldier, Fencing Rapier 20/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
17: Seru (Archer, Crowssbow 24/F) 6/6HP (Level 1)
18: Haggia (Cleric, 19/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1)

Missing in Action:
1: Rixa (Archer, Longbow 26/F) 6/6 HP (Level 1)

News of the demise of the Caravan Guards hits the Miasma Battalion soldiers stationed in the occupied Elven village in the most unlikely of ways. While most of the soldiers are in the inn, raiding the final remnants of Elven alcohol and abusing the locals, Moira is filing her nails, watching the spectacle and enjoying a glass of Elven wine. Without warning, she suddenly clutches her head, sweating and moaning. As she begins to scream in agony, the surrounding soldiers rush to her aid, however they find themselves pushed back by a strange dark energy.

"You fools...sitting around and enjoying some time off? The loot you were supposed to send me never arrived!"

The voice coming from Moira is definitely not her own, and belongs to that of Marla. Even the energy radiating from the possessed mage is beyond what she's normally capable of conjuring on her own.

"Surprised? I can do this at any time to those magically gifted. Don't forget you're all slaves of Toxin, and with that I control you all! Now then, seeing as how your first raid was nothing but a waste and those guards you sent me are off lying in a ditch, I'm going to need you to raid that second elven village. Bring me their supplies and make sure it gets here this time. If we have a repeat of this last attempt, you can consider your lives forfeit."

With that, Marla's presence vanishes and Moira is left slumped unconscious where she was sitting, a disheveled mess betraying her usual regal presence. When she awakens, the others fill her in.

Miasma Battalion:
Mission 3: 2nd Raid on the Elven Villaige
Difficulty: 2/5 Stars
Soldiers: 7x, Archers: 4x, Rogues: 2x Mages: 1x, Clerics: 4x
1: Mary (Archer, 21/F): 10/10 HP (Level 3)
2: Amanda (Soldier, Claymore 24/F): 15/15 HP (Level 2) Items: Ornate Elven Blade: +2 to Attack Rolls
3: Li Ann (Rogue, Kunais 21/F): 11/11 (Level 3)
4: Leticia (Cleric, Magic Staff 19/F): 6/6 HP (Level 2) (Spells: "Fireball", Heal)
5: Tyris (Soldier, Mace 28/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3)
6: Fuzzy (Soldier, Gauntlets 18/F): 20/20 HP (Level 3)
7: Arastine (Soldier, Axe, Short Sword 49/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
8: Asreine (Soldier, Javelins/Shield 23/F): 15/15 HP (Level 2) Item: Elven Short Spear, +1 to Attack Rolls
9: McKayla (Cleric, E. Jewelry 26/F) 6/6HP (Level 2) (Spells: Heal) Items: Elven Jewelry, +1 to Healing Spells
10: Moira (Dark Mage, Magic Staff 32/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1) (Spells: Shadow Bolt)
11: Tamara (Soldier, Martial Arts 27/F): 10/10 (Level 1)
12: Aura (Archer, Short Bow 19/F): 6/6 HP (Level 1)
13: Gloria (Cleric, 25/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1)
14: Terra (Rogue, Axe/Dagger 27/F): 7/7 HP (Level 1)
15: Nia (Archer, Shortbow 18/F): 6/6 HP (Level 1)
16: Astrid (Soldier, Fencing Rapier 20/F): 10/10 HP (Level 1)
17: Seru (Archer, Crowssbow 24/F) 6/6HP (Level 1)
18: Haggia (Cleric, 19/F): 5/5 HP (Level 1)

vs

4 Elven Militia Soldiers (Spears) 15/15 HP
4 Elven Militia Rogues (Dual Swords) 10/10 HP
6 Elven Militia Rangers (Long Bows) 10/10HP

The second Elven village is much larger than the first, and the defenders seem to be on much higher alert than the previous area.

Knowing that the Elven defenders will be fully aware that Miasma Battalion plans to attack their Village, the group opts to commit a night attack to try and hold as stealthy of a position as possible. While the group doesn't have enough Rogues to commit to killing sentries, they devise another strategy.

The group hides in the adjacent woods under the cover of darkness, and from their position, Leticia is able to launch a small fireball at one of the Elven huts. The fire quickly catches and the entire house is set ablaze. As the defenders leave their posts to attempt to put out the fires, the Battalion takes that moment to strike.

Mary and Seru each land direct hits on two of the rangers standing on the walls who had their backs turned to inspect the fire. Both arrows hit their mark and while one ranger dies where she stands, the other hit by Seru is unfortunate enough to fall screaming into the blaze. (1 Kill for Mary, 1 Kill for Seru).

As the other rangers turn around, alerted to the presence of an enemy, a Shadow Bolt from Moira lands directly in the middle of them, breaking the platform they were standing and sending another unfortunate Ranger into the inferno, that was beginning to get even worse as it spread into an adjacent stable of animals. (1 Kill for Moira)

The three fallen rangers try and recover, but by then the soldiers are already amidst them. Tamara launches a high kick at the throat of one Elf, crumpling her trachea and sending her flying to lie in the ground. (1 Kill for Tamara). Tyris slams her mace into the head of one Ranger, pulping her brain. (1 Kill for Tyris). The last ranger tries to beg for mercy, but she's run through the heart by Astrid (1 Kill for Astrid)

The battle appears to be going well so far, however the four Elven Rogues are able to regroup and approach the backline. While Li Ann and Terra are able to counter two of them, the other two begin to rain havoc upon the undefended ranged fighters.

One Rogue lands directly in front of Seru. She raises her crossbow in a futile attempt to deflect, however the bow is made of cheap wood. The Rogue's blade, made of fine elven steel, chops through the crossbow and firmly plants itself into the skull of Seru, killing her. (Seru has died)

Gloria attempts to stab the Rogue with her dagger, however she's able to dance out of the way of the cleric's strike and slash open her stomach with the other blade, sending her innards tumbling out far beyond what even the most skilled Cleric can heal. (Gloria has died)

The rouge then moves to kill Mary, however she's intercepted by Asreine who had stayed behind to try and get some Javelin tosses off. Asreine switches to her newly acquired spear, and the rogue is unable to get past her spear and shield combo. Eventually she slips up and is impaled. (1 Kill for Asreine)

The other rogue that managed to sneak through makes a beeline for the other side of the backline. Nia, seeing her coming, drops her bow and tries to equip her Hunting Knife. However the fear of being in actual combat causes her to fumble and drop the blade. A quick slash of the Elven steel sends her head flying. (Nia has died)

Before the Elf can recover, a lucky shot from Aura hits her in the right breast. As she drops her blades to clutch the wound, Moira launches a Shadow Bolt at the Elf, sending chunks of her flying everywhere. (1 Kill for Moira)

Li Ann is able to deftly avoid the strikes of the rouge she engaged, turning her into swiss cheese with her daggers (1 Kill for Li Ann). Terra has a little more difficulty with the Rogue she engaged, taking multiple slash wounds, however incoming heals from McKayla ensure that Terra is able to outlast the enemy. Eventually the rogue slips up, and with a quick stab of her dagger and slash of her Axe, Terra kills the Elf. (1 Kill for Terra).

The four remaining soldiers, two of which were caught trying to put out the fire and thus dropped their weapons, find themselves surrounded. Amanda engages one and makes short work of her, bashing her in the face with the pommel of her new Elven blade before slashing across her midsection. (1 Kill for Amanda)

One elf engages Tyris, however she's stabbed multiple times in the back by Astrid, killing her (1 Kill for Astrid). Another Elf attempts to swat away Tamara and Fuzzy, however the two launch a flurry of brutal blows on her, with Tamara scoring the kill with a knee to the face that breaks her neck. (1 Kill for Tamara). The final elf attempts to escape, however she runs face first into Arastine. Grinning, the woman drops her weapons and picks up the squirming Elf. Grotesque sounds reverb through the village as the Elf's bones begin to break, before she finally lets out a shrill scream as her spine snaps. (1 Kill for Arastine).

The Elven defenders have been defeated and the village is yours! However there's one problem. It seems that fire Leticia started is spreading farther and faster than you anticipated. The group splits up and gets to looting fast before all of the supplies you came for burns up.

Choice for Terra:
As you rush into the nearest house on fire, you begin to load your bag with all the valuables and food you can. While looting the upstairs bedroom, you hear a noise coming from a dresser. As you open it, you find an Elven Maiden hiding in fear. Perhaps there's some time to have a bit of fun?
A: Do whatever you'd like to the Elf. You've probably got some time before that house burns down
B: Kill her. Never trust an elf!
C: Capture her. Slaves are always needed
D: Write-in

Choice for Aura:
The village is in chaos and the group has split up to loot as much as they can before the fire spreads. You're disgusted by the violence. These elves treated you well and now you're forced to fight them! With all the commotion, would anyone notice if you deserted?
A: Attempt to escape the villaige
B: No way, it's too risky. Stay put!
C: Write-in

Choice for Tyris:
You're having the time of your life! There's so much loot to be found here. Upon raiding an Elven chest, you come across a set of golden bracelets with an ornate design and a green gem in the middle. Something about them definitely seems weird and quite possibly magical. You don't really like magic so it may be best to just add them to the stash. Still, maybe they'll look good on you?
A: Put them on
B: Stash them
C: Write-in

Choice for Arastine:
You choose to raid the inn, though it's definitely in a worse state than every other building, with the fire almost engulfing the entire place. Upon stashing loot, you notice across the room an untapped Keg that hasn't been caught aflame. As you go to move towards it, a cry from the other side of the room alerts you to an Elven Maiden. She's trapped and you're the only one who can help her. The problem is, you can't save both.
A: Save the Keg
B: Save the Elf
C: Write-in

 

[ViridianShine]

lol, the paired Zako's are all cursed. The kinder one always dies immediately.

I'll do my choice tomorrow.

 

[Severity]

Noticing the presence of a distinctly non-Miasma rogue closing in on one of her comrades, Asreine grabs one of her two Elven short-spears and gets in between the Elf and Mary, only later noticing that the rogue had killed two others before.
She manages to keep the Elf at a comfortable distance with the significantly longer reach of her short-spear compared to the rogue's daggers, and since she can focus on the Elf while the Elf must dodge her and keep an eye on Mary.
Fairly quickly, the Elven rogue slips up and leaves an opening, and Asreine quickly stabs her in the thigh. This is followed by a few more stabs to more vital areas, quickly ending the rogue's pain.
During the looting, she just grabs as much valuable-looking stuff from the fire as she can. She really doesn't want to be executed because of the last shipment's guards' failure.

Inadvertently bumping into the last Elf, Arastine grabs her before she can ready her weapons. Partly curious as to how physically resilient the elves are, partly because the Elf won't stop flailing, and partly out of a normally suppressed sadistic streak, she begins to snap the Elf's bones. After the arms, legs, and a several ribs, she decides it's getting a bit old and snaps the poor Elf's spine, killing her.

B.
Arastine will save the Elf. She'll try to get to keep her as a personal slave, though. She's also going to break her arms if she resists.
Besides, what use could Marla get from a keg of (Elven) beer? Surely there's still plenty from Kafra. What could she possibly want a keg for anyway?

 

[RyonaGuy]

Hey guys loving this thread and would love to take part, here is a trio of greenskin raiders that would love to join the Party if/when possible

Oola


Background: Despite being smaller than the average orc Oola possesses decent speed and agility, she is 22 years old, 5'7 and 145lbs she is cruel and ruthless if a bit reckless in battle she joins due to a hatred of elves and for personal gain.

Class: Soldier

Weapon: barbed whip




Zatrilla



Background: Zatrilla stands at 3'5 and weighs a mere 85lbs but the 19 year old goblin has a rudimentary understanding of goblin magic a crude and unpredictable art but devastating when used correctly, she has joined to gain greater arcane knowledge and artifacts

Class: mage

Weapon: gnarled oak staff



Kalla



Background: Kalla is a 6'6 powerhouse of an orc she weighs 230lbs and is 35 years old, she lacks intelligence and cunning but makes up for this in battle with her raw power. She joined to plunder and pillage for personal gain.

Class: Soldier

Weapon: Two handed Club

 

[dinomoneymaiden]

Astrid, going over to raid the houses was initially thinking, annoyed, "Where's Nia? This sort of work is more suited for her. I'm not a lowly looter..." but as she walked she passed a face-down decapitated head. The hair was similar to Nia's but she couldn't be sure, especially through the matted bloodiness of it. "Icky... Icky... Icky..." Astrid muttered as she slowly reached down to flip the head. "Ugh... Nia if this isn't you I'm gonna kill you for real for making me worry enough to do this," but sure enough she looked back to the face of her travelling companion. She had no idea where the body was, probably nearby, but she didn't have time to check. "She was just a random commoner. A lowly servant at best. I can find a new one in no time," she said to herself, but the inner pain showed on her face. She cared about Nia, but felt like if she admitted that now, before she had a chance to show her appreciation to her, after she'd led her friend to a battalion she quickly died in, it would be far too painful, so it was easier to just tell herself she didn't care at all. She proceeded immediately to raiding.

Tyris doesn't trust magic or magical items. She once knew a notorious bandit who practiced magic and somehow accidentally turned herself to stone. Like solid rock with a frightened face. The city guard ended up finding her and and used her as a sort of decorative statue to mock and make an example of bandits and witches, until eventually the statue ended up so bashed up and vandalized they just dumped the remains of her into the river. So, yeah. Tyris doesn't mess with shit she doesn't understand like that. That said, she wasn't going to pass up on something valuable looking like those bracelets to end up with just anyone, so she held onto them temporarily to give to someone else in the battalion. She figured she'd pass them off to Li Ann before anyone else since she's the only person she'd formed any sort of real camaraderie with.

Fuzzy stuck by Arastine during the raid since they'd bonded quite a bit, but her appetite had her immediately looting breads and cheeses rather than assisting to get both the keg and the elf. A meager haul, not even enough to satiate the hungry warbear herself for more than a day or two, but she seemed satisfied. "Ooo, I love gorgonzola!"

lol, the paired Zako's are all cursed. The kinder one always dies immediately.

Dang I hadn't noticed but you are totally right! Sylvia, Seru, and Nia all fit the bill.

 

[Skinny73]

Hey guys, sorry this is so long, it was like once I started writing it I couldn’t stop. I hope you enjoy it!

-------- ------------ -------- ------------ ----------- --------- ----------
​

Terra approached the dresser cautiously, dagger drawn. They’d already lost three fighters on this raid, so if she died up here her stupid “comrades” would probably write “Dead Idiot Number Four” on her tombstone. If she even got a tombstone. She jerked the dresser door open, and was pleasantly surprised to find a cowering elven maiden. The pale, wide-eyed damsel had a cute button nose and was dressed in a little silk nightie that hugged her narrow waist. Terra gave her a wicked smile. “Well, hello there. You’re the prettiest thing I’ve seen all night.”

In response, the little bitch punched her in the nose and bolted for the door. Terra grabbed a handful of her long blonde hair as she rushed by and yanked her back. “That’s quite enough of that,” Terra hissed as she pressed her blade against the soft flesh of the elf’s throat. Holding her close, Terra slowly slid her free hand up the elf’s smooth thigh, slipping it underneath the hem of her gown and stopping at her hip. The elf let out a quiet whimper that brought the smile back to Terra’s face. “Better,” Terra purred, before she gave her little damsel a good lick. Terra rubbed slow, lazy circles around the elf’s deliciously bare stomach before allowing her hand to climb higher, until—

There was a subdued crash from somewhere downstairs, and suddenly Terra could again hear the soft crackle of flames and smell the oddly distinctive scent of burning elf village. Oh, hey. This house is on fire. I probably shouldn’t stay here.With a sigh, Terra sheathed her dagger and shoved her prisoner face-first against the wall. She forced the elf’s wrists behind her back and up into the reverse-prayer position, ignoring her little squeal of discomfort. While she tightly bound the elf’s wrists and forearms together, Terra considered her options. Given the fiasco with the previous shipment of slaves and Marla’s… pronounced expression of disappointment, it was unlikely Terra or anyone else would be allowed to keep any for themselves. Jackasses just had to go and get themselves killed, ruin the fun for the rest of us,Terra thought sourly. If only I had joined up a few days earlier.

Of course, Terra didn’t have to give up her new toy right away. All she had to do was get to a different house. Before she left, Terra couldn’t resist spinning the elf around and giving her a rough, heated kiss. Then Terra took hold of her prisoner’s hair and dragged her out of the burning house. Things outside were just as chaotic as Terra remembered, with members of Miasma battalion running in every direction, saving as much loot as they could from the hungry flames. Surely none of these greedy idiots will be paying any attention to what the others are doing. All I have to do is find a nice, quiet spot somewhere on the opposite side of the village, and—

“Hey!” Oh, godsdammit.Terra turned around to find Moira staring at her. Moira’s normally flawless gown was covered in soot, her long dark hair sticky with sweat and clinging to her face. “The hell are you doing?!”

Terra stared at her for a moment, her hand still buried in the squirming elf’s hair. “Nothing. I mean, not nothing, obviously. I’m, uh, taking this slave to the, the slave wagon. So she can be enslaved.”

Moira looked over Terra’s shoulder to the dark, empty half of the village, the half of the village that contained a number of houses perfectly safe from fire and which most certainly did not contain the slave wagon. Then Moira looked back to Terra, her violet eyes glowing. The hairs on the back of Terra’s neck began to stand on end, and for just a second Terra swore she could smell brimstone. “The slave wagon,” Moira hissed, in a voice that would make a corpse shudder, “is that way.” Moira pointed over her own shoulder.

Terra gulped. “Right. My mistake.”

Fifteen minutes later, after Terra had delivered the elf to the slave wagon and was safely inside another burning house, Terra looked around to make absolutely certain she was alone before muttering, “Bitch,” underneath her breath.

 

[ViridianShine]

Hey guys, sorry this is so long, it was like once I started writing it I couldn’t stop.

If anything it makes me feel better because I always think I write way too much. ...Now let me go do just that as well.

Choice for Aura:
The village is in chaos and the group has split up to loot as much as they can before the fire spreads. You're disgusted by the violence. These elves treated you well and now you're forced to fight them! With all the commotion, would anyone notice if you deserted?
A: Attempt to escape the village
B: No way, it's too risky. Stay put!
C: Write-in

Aura and her bow dropped to the floor, disgusted in herself. She saw that other girl get decapitated. She saw the elf inevitably get blown to chunks by that red dressed mage. ...She fired the arrow before her final moments. The mage likely dealt the final blow, but Aura still felt sick to her stomach. She, who wanted to just skirt on by just to survive. Who desired to scrape by without harming those who helped her so.

...But now she was alone. As the village started to burn, Aura realized it was now or never. She turned hastily, ready to make a break into the forests leading to the previous village.

"Going somewhere?"

The voice touched the back of her neck like a biting wind, sending chills down her spine. Aura whirled around to lock eyes directly with McKayla, the cleric who seemed largely normal until she interacted with her.

"Yes. Yes, I'm getting out of here," Aura firmly put her foot down, biting back her quivering lip, "a-and you're not going to stop me..."

"...Oh? After all the kindness I gave you? To give you a free life, instead of one as a prisoner of war?" McKayla questioned, taking small steps towards Aura. Aura tried to reach for her bow. An arrow. Any weapon she could use. But her hand wouldn't stop shaking. Her heart wouldn't stop beating up into her ears.

"I-I..." Aura was on the verge of tears as McKayla pressed her hand against Aura's chest. Her star-shaped earrings sparkled to life, and Aura felt her body being shoved back slowly. A heavy weight pressing down against it. She wanted to struggle, but her own strength wasn't great enough. She felt a shadow cast over her, as Aura was shoved gently against the darkened walls of a wooden hut nearby.

"I would be...so disappointed to lose my new...plaything," the smaller cleric pressed her head closer to Aura's quivering lips, as her own curled into a smile, "besides, I love that face you make! Aha, hahaha-!"

===

Tamara wiped the sweat off her brow before placing both hands on her hips, as she surveyed the elf village gradually burn. Serves those damn elves right, she thought. All around her, she saw the other girls all happily bound into whatever empty house, tavern, or building they could find, looting away at the items or people hiding inside. Though she played the villain for now, Tamara still found distaste in such acts. It was important for any schoolteacher worth their salt to maintain their morals even in situations like this.

Instead, she just opted to stretch. Perhaps a nice jog would be appropriate exercise to prepare herself for the next battle. Tamara turned to begin to jog, only to bump directly into a significantly smaller cleric; the other woman practically bouncing off of one of her breasts.

"My! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there McKayla!" Tamara exclaimed. The other woman's earrings seemed to set off a glimmer, as McKayla quickly steadied herself.

"...Ah, no, it is my fault, my child," McKayla composed herself quickly and did a small bow, "I was...distracted. Death has brought itself to this village. I am...preoccupied by my prayers to the fallen."

...Child? You don't look a lot older than me.

"I'm sorry, please carry on," Tamara quickly returned the small bow.

"As to you. May you...prosper in our battles onward," McKayla quickly walked away, holding an arm up to her mouth. Tamara always thought the woman to be strange, but it probably wasn't anything to be concerned about.

Until she turned back forward and came across a frazzled young woman, practically shaking as her eyes looked to the ground.

"Aura?!" Tamara questioned, quickly reaching out towards the girl. The other girl looked up, wide eyed and frightened, and quickly sprinted deeper into the village towards where the rest of the army was, as Tamara called after her.

"...Oh my. Poor thing," Tamara thought out-loud, "she must be shaken from all the fighting! Must be her first time."

 

[Skinny73]

Inside the Elven Temple, in a dark stone chamber warmed by the flame of a rather sad-looking fireplace, Marla leaned over a map of the elven lands, brooding. Somehow, those morons in Miasma Battalion had managed to ruin what should have been a promising start to this campaign. Their very first shipment of supplies had been stolen, its guards slaughtered to the last woman by one elf. One! Their incompetence was matched only by the humiliation Marla had felt upon delivering her first report to the Supreme Leader. Marla needed to find a way to correct this situation, and quickly, or else Toxin was sure to punish HER for the mistakes of her subordinates.

“Mi’lady, a messenger for you,” came the voice of one of her guards, from just outside her chambers.

“Enter,” Marla commanded. The door creaked open, and a half-naked young woman walked through. She had shaggy red hair and, underneath a thin coat of dust and grime, her skin was covered in various scars. Behind her white plague mask, Marla wrinkled her nose in distaste. “And who, exactly, are you?”

“My name is Rixa, of Miasma Battalion,” the woman said, her voice a dull monotone. “I was one of the guards assigned to the shipment of supplies. I’ve come to—”

“AHA!” Marla thundered. A lash of dark energy sent Rixa sprawling to the floor. “So! You think that after deserting your post, you can just WALTZ in here, perhaps do a little groveling, and I’ll just let you off with a little slap on the wrist, do you? I THINK NOT!” Marla held out her hand, and her staff flew into her grip from where it leaned in the darkest corner of the room. “I think that I shall make an EXAMPLE of you!” Coils of dark energy wrapped around the redhead’s wrists and ankles. They lifted her spread-eagle into the air, her bare toes hanging inches off the ground. “So, RHONDA! Do you have any last words, before I CLEAVE your soul from your body and feed it to the CROWS?!”

The young ranger looked up. Marla’s spell had torn the bandage from her face and reopened the wound there, leaving a trail of blood dripping into her eyes. In those eyes, Marla saw neither fear nor defiance nor even pain. In fact, if Marla didn’t know any better, she would have thought the little savage looked… bored. “I know where Shara took the shipment of slaves and supplies,” Rixa stated, calmly. “There are at least forty elven civilians there now, in hiding, along with four times the supplies that we lost. The location is hidden by an illusion, powered by one of those elven artifacts that you mages keep blathering on about. You could stare at the entrance for hours and never know how to get inside.” A long silence followed her words, punctuated only by the crackling of the fireplace. “Fortunately for you, I know how to get inside,” Rixa continued. “In case that wasn’t clear.”

“Hmph,” Marla grumbled. “You know, as far as last words go, those were… pretty good, actually. Bit long, though.” The coils holding Rixa in place slithered out of existence, and she landed lightly on her feet. “So. I suppose you’ll be wanting some kind reward, then, hmm? For bringing this information to me?”

For the first time, something resembling human emotion flickered across Rixa’s face. “Yes. That soul-and-crows thing. I want you to do that to Shara. And then, I want you to shove her soul into a new body. Just so that I can kill her myself.”

Marla cackled, shaking her head. “And people call ME twisted. Very well, my loyal servant. You shall have your revenge on this… Sharla. I guarantee it.”