Rotting Rogue: Archival

[jadewik]

INTRODUCTION:
For those of you who don't remember the old board... some of us had an epic RP going on... by epic I mean 69 pages in MS word. We've been talking about starting it up again-- I'm actually hoping (to modify it slightly) to make it into a comic book at some point.... and I've finally gotten off my ass to post the whole sha-bang.

I'll post it according to which person/character posted. So instead of a 69 page long post, it's 69 entries. Then, I'll close the thread. Since it's old news, you can't change it; however, we will be back-tracking a ways.

The Rotting Rogue RETURNS RP will be OPEN to everyone once I get it started again.... we'll start in a new thread and it will pick up close to where the other one left off. The only requirement in participating is that you've read all 69 pages of the old manuscript and pay attention to where the new RP picks up!

With that said and done, I give you Rotting Rogue!

[jadewik]

Ebon-Ashe:
A disheveled rogue in a hooded cloak staggers into the tavern-- the rogue's right foot dragging with a limp as she walks across the floorboards. A dark liquid oozes down her right arm, leaving behind a trail of small, red puddles on the worn floorboards.

Reaching the bar, the rogue brushes the hood of her cloak back, smearing a red streak across her white and already bloodied and bruising face. She looked like a ghost, or something risen from the grave.

"Barkeep, give me something strong... I have a headache needs curing."

The bartender's brow furrowed. "... but.. but lady, I don't think you should drink with a concussion."

"Do I pay you to give me advice or serve me drinks?" She snapped back. The barkeep nodded and fetched EA a bottle of her favorite red wine from the shelf and handed it to her.

Ebon-Ashe weakly snatched the bottle from the barkeep's hands. The effort made her teeter, and she leaned up against the bar for a moment to steady herself. Looking at the bottle of red wine, curiously for a moment, she grumbled something and with walked with great care over to the closest table and sat down.

Her head felt like it was being crushed by a vice, and she was bleeding. A swig from the wine bottle felt cool as it traveled down her throat. The soothing powers of alcohol entered her veins and started to attack the biting pain of her wounds...

The room began to spin. Ebon set the bottle of wine on the table, feeling nauseated, she began to rub her temples, then rested her head on the table. Moments later, there was a thud as her unconscious body slid to the floor with a Thud.

[jadewik]

Gakhan:
As the rogue walks in the shadows in the far corner of the tavern shift, as if something is alive within them. They turn to watch as the being drags itself to the barkeep and yells at him. Only then is it made clear that the rogue, which looks quite shabby, is the mighty Ebon Ashe.

As Gakhan watches from his invisible seat in the shadows he is astonished and lets the shadows, which are so tightly wrapped around him, fluctuate slightly before he regains his control.

I have never seen the lady EA like this, Something must be wrong

As EA sluggishly makes her way to the table and literally falls into the seat the elf moves quickly from his position to find the problem. He forgets about the young dwarf sitting outside the shadows and smiles at himself as the dwarf jumps when he sees Gakhan emerge.

By the time Gakhan reaches Ebon she has passed out, but he does take notice of the blood path she has left and the small pool that has begun to form beside the seat.

When the elf does reach her he kneels, removes the bottle of red wine from her hand, and nudges her, trying to get her to wake and move to a room for the rest she so clearly needs.

[jadewik]

Ebon-Ashe:
Ebon-Ashe's eyes fluttered as she regained consciousness. She was startled to find an elf hunkered over her and shaking her.

"Who do you think you are? Why are you shaking me?" Her good arm flailed out as she tried to shove Gakhan away. All her movements felt like slow-motion, as if her very strength had been sucked right out of her.

Struggling a bit, Ebon-Ashe managed to sit up. She grabbed Gakhan's arm to steady herself, since her head was still swimming.

"Oh, my aching head... someone get me something strong to drink?" Her other hand (since one was occupied with holding Gakhan) she pressed against her head to steady the rotating room. The stickiness from the blood on her hand made her jump and she took her hand away from her head to see it.

"Christ, I'm bleeding!" Rolling up her blood stained sleeve, revealed a deep and dirty gash with something dark still buried in the skin. The wound was already festering and the stink suggested that it had been some time since Ebon had acquired it and that infection had already begun to root itself in her arm.

Her head bobbed a bit as Ebon-Ashe struggled to stay awake.

[jadewik]

Duckie (AKA-Fidlr):
*The sent of blood quickly turns his attention from the large ornamented goblet in front of his face towards a bloody hooded creature walking towards one of the tables. Duckie stares for another moment and notices it is the lady EA. Slowly, he rises from his stool and moves over to where Gakhan is now kneeled at EA's feet.*

"Don’t think this could be one of her torturings gone wrong could it?"

*Duckie chuckles to himself but quickly becomes serious as this does not seem to be laughing matter. He joins Gakhan trying to wake the lady.*

*Startled as EA swings her arm at Gakhan duckie jumps up*

"What happened to you EA? "

*Duckie quickly runs to get a wet cloth to wipe the blood of and hurries back to EA.*

"Here take this. "

[jadewik]

Gakhan:
Gakhan smiled with relief as Ebon raised her head, but frowned again as he recognized her horrible state. As she grabbed him he put his hand on her shoulder to steady her more and did as she asked.

He called to the barkeep to bring over coffee, black coffee. It was strong, but not quite what she wanted.

When EA realized she was bleeding he cringed as he saw the object still embedded in her arm. Knowing he had to remove it quickly he handed the bottle to her and told her to drink quickly. As she prepared to drink, he prepared to get the object, hoping to get it with the least pain to here

[jadewik]

Ebon-Ashe:
"EA?" She looked around, a puzzled expression on her face as it seemed as though the duck was addressing her. She took the cloth from Duckie and used it to wipe the blood off her face. She didn't dare wipe her arm. It pained her to even look at it. Instead, Ebon used the cloth to clean the dried rivulets of blood off her hands, then set the towel aside.

"There's a good man!" She cried as she took the bottle of wine from Gakhan. "At least someone listens to me around here." She shot a glare towards the petrified barkeeper who had protested to her drinking alcohol earlier.

Steadying herself for a moment, she raised the bottle to her lips and drank deeply. The wine was sweet and rich.

[jadewik]

Curulan:
Curulan, sensing something was amiss, stops in the middle of his work and portals from his office to the Tavern outside the palace walls. He goes over to the table and his eyes open wide in shock as he sees Gakhan, Duckie... and his wife with what looked at first like a rather bad infection.

Curulan pushes aside his gut instinct to probe her magically to find out what was wrong out of respect for her. He does, however, probe the wine she's drinking for its composition. There is no arsenic. Now wholly worried, he takes a slightly-less direct approach to his diagnosis.

"Ebon, what in the three moons has happened to you?"

[jadewik]

Gakhan:
As EA takes a long drink Gakhan flicks his wrist and lets the shadowblade fall to his hand. Then he quickly and precisely digs the dagger into the wound and flicks the piece of a black metal into his other hand.

The speed of which this is done should have been sufficient except the infection was quite bad and he cringed to see what her response would be.

Upon inspection of the metal, Gakhan notices it is not metal, but a shard of onyx which had been embedded into her skin.

"EA, this is no normal wound. You must tell us what happened."

[jadewik]

Duckie (AKA- Fidlr):
*Duckie jumps back when he sees Gakhan's arm rush forward towards EA's wound. What a bloody mess this is going to be, he thought to himself. Duckie runs back to the barkeeper to ask for another few cloths to wipe the bloody mess. He walks back to see that Gakhan has pulled out the thing embedded in EA's skin.*

"Hmmm...Onyx? What did u do this time EA?"

[jadewik]

Ebon-Ashe:
The scream was a horrible shrieking noise, like that of a banshee. Many of the tavern's patrons covered their ears to block out the sound.

A bottle of red wine sailed across the room, shattering as it hit the wall. Red wine pooled on the floor before seeping through the floorboards. Then the most vile string of profanity exploded from the injured rogue.

"You incompetent fool, what in holy hell?! You're trying to kill me....."

Ebon-Ashe panted as she paused to regain her breath. Her headache was momentarily forgotten and replaced by the throbbing in her arm. Glancing from the piece of Onyx to Gakhan, Duckie, and Curulan, in turn, she slipped a silver dagger out of its sheath.

"I don't know who you people are." She tried so hard not to blink, though her vision was becoming clouded.

"Keep away from me." The dagger sliced through the air in front of her in an attempt to get those around her to back away.

With all the strength she could manage, she slid about a foot away. Using an empty chair from another table, she hoisted herself up. Standing up lightheaded from loosing so much blood and the wound, bleeding more profusely now that the Onyx shard was removed, made the blackness come more quickly. She fought it, but again it overtook her.

The dagger dropped to the floor and her legs folded beneath her and she fell....

[jadewik]

Dedman:

A loud thump is heard at the door followed by the sound of a guard shrieking in pain and terror, a hollow stillness is cut by a soft chuckling noise, the sound of a paper falling, and footsteps approaching the general location of Ebon, Gakhan, Curulan, and Duckie. An almost ethereal human figure approaches-"It sounds as if there is some trouble here, you may call me dedman. I happen to have some... experience with this sort of fun. Might I offer a hand with the rouge that seems to have collapsed on your floor? Oh, and don't mind the guard, he was dead before he screamed."

[jadewik]

Gakhan:
Gakhan was horrified from the scream, something even he had not seen in the depths of the abyss. Oh how it must hurt.

As she screamed, Gakhan was, for the first time in a while, confused. Why does she not recognize us? She could not be that drunk...

As Ebon-Ashe fell Gakhan quickly removed the dagger from her hand and it disappeared into a hidden pocket for return at a later date. Then he picked her up and turned to Curu.

"Where should we take her? Something is seriously wrong, but right now the only worry is for her to survive. She hadn't had enough to drink for delirium...something is amiss...."

[jadewik]

Curulan:
Curulan drops to his knees the moment Ebon falls, ignoring Gakhan for the time being. A knife materializes in his hand and he cuts a strip of cloth off the leg of his jeans. Curulan yells at the bartender to get him a pitcher full of warm water, and fast. Once it arrives, Curulan washes out the wound, then uses the makeshift bandage and his belt as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

Curulan stands up, and weaves a minor Creation spell, yielding him a new belt. Putting it on, he tosses a key to Gakhan.

"Take her to my room in the Palace and keep an eye on her. Some of my countrymen are guests at the Palace; send one of them for me when she wakes up. I have potions, scrolls, and various effects in my quarters that can help revive and keep her alive, if needed. I trust you know how to identify and use them."

Curulan walks towards the exit. Before leaving the tavern he turns back to Gakhan. He extends his hand and apportates the onyx to himself.

"I need to get more information. All I can tell you now is that whoever or whatever did this to her will pay."

Curulan leaves the tavern. Kneeling to the ground, he shifts to his Hybrid form, his large, feathered wings sprouting from his back. Leaping into the air, he streaks across the sky.

Almost as an afterthought, Curulan opens a connection to Dedman's mind.

Kill one of my Guardsmen again, and you'll be next

[jadewik]

Dedman:
As the channel to Dedmans mind begins to close, he begins channeling mana, Visions of his homelands flash before his eyes in rapid succession, with a smirk he releases his grip on the mystical energies brought forth and forces the channel open. Sending horrible visions to Curulan, a dark decrepit swamp where no living thing dares to tread. Undead Abominations of all shapes and sizes shambling across an endless wasteland. Each of these formerly living creatures crying out in pain and suffering, thousands of voices each speaking a single unintelligible sound, but if taken together form an unholy chorus of shrieks that can be understood as mourning, not for the dead, nor the living, but for this place.

The voice of a young man lifts above the others, forcing itself to be known: *"Curulan, death is an outdated concept, we sleep, and we change. Change is always painful, it was simply your guards turn to change. He will return not as his former self, but as something more powerful in a land that desperately needs his help. As for dedman, he is from this place, and can help you."*

Dedman allows the mind twist to collapse and hopes that he gave Curulan something to think about while he inspects the blood remaining on the floor.

"A simple task to channel mana, but impossible to fully control." Dedman rambles to no-one. A quick incantation and a wave of the hand and the blood blackens and boils, a thick cloud of smoke rises, and is cleared by the opening of the door. Dedman is out of the room leaving only a note: "Touch that spot within the next 24 hours and die, found what I needed. Curulan is going to need help with this one."