December 3, 2010
Hondo Bovarro
Jillian has had visions in the day of a nightmarish creature walking the forest, destroying creatures great and small. As she has been having increasing nightmares and restless sleep, Hondo is skeptical as to the validity of these seeings, but for the sake of his love decides to explore the land and put her fears to rest.
As he searches the forest, enjoying the serenity that only an elf can, he begins to realize something IS amiss! It starts with a small broken branch here, a flattened patch of grass with droplets of dried blood there. As Hondo steps delicately along, following the sparse signs of something passing, he notices the damage to the forest increasing. It becomes evident that his love's fears have reason. More blood, more breakage, and the sparse sign becomes a beaten path in the undergrowth of the forest after a few hundred rod.
Hondo takes note of direction and finds himself pointed straight at the catacombs under the mountain. Ever wary, his senses scream, Danger! Confident in his own abilities and trusting to elven senses, he proceeds to the edge of the forest. Now staring in the black hole of the mountain, he glances down. There is now blood trails, where things have been dragged into the catacomb. Hondo draws his blade as he enters darkness, pausing for his eyes to adjust. After a few rods into the hole, something catches at his tunic. He moves away and it clings, sticky. He touches and finds a rope-like stuff.... a web? A giant web maybe? He shudders at what size such a creature would have to be.
Advancing into the mountain, the passage divides, and Hondo turns left, moving deeper and downward into the dark-light of elven vision. Suddenly something bumps the top of his head. Hondo jumps back and slashes upward. Thump! A bundle of stickiness lands on the tunnel floor. He bends down and his suspicions are no longer. The wrapped dead deer tell him all he needs to know. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he can sense more objects at more or less head- high for the tall elf. But no life. Forward Hondo moves, around curves and corners, onward, onward. How long has he followed this trail of death? He is no longer sure if it is even the same day. His stomach assures him of the passage of more than one meal-time.
Suddenly he is standing in the entry to a large cavern. He is no longer alone! He narrows his eyes to open the pupils even more, then flares them wide! Eyes staring at him, moving slowly towards him! His grip on the Draconian blade tightens, and Hondo steps to one side, advancing slightly as he moves toward the oncoming beast (and spider it is). Suddenly the huge spider jumps! Jumps farther than Hondo believed possible! His blade is slammed from his hand, and he is pinned to the cave floor. Hondo raises his head only to encounter sudden agonizing pain shooting into him through his abdomen..... The beast has stabbed him! Waves of nausea begin, and even his Elven sight wavers and blurs. Then numbness, and nothing........
> Next Tearmann > Next Hondo
As he searches the forest, enjoying the serenity that only an elf can, he begins to realize something IS amiss! It starts with a small broken branch here, a flattened patch of grass with droplets of dried blood there. As Hondo steps delicately along, following the sparse signs of something passing, he notices the damage to the forest increasing. It becomes evident that his love's fears have reason. More blood, more breakage, and the sparse sign becomes a beaten path in the undergrowth of the forest after a few hundred rod.
Hondo takes note of direction and finds himself pointed straight at the catacombs under the mountain. Ever wary, his senses scream, Danger! Confident in his own abilities and trusting to elven senses, he proceeds to the edge of the forest. Now staring in the black hole of the mountain, he glances down. There is now blood trails, where things have been dragged into the catacomb. Hondo draws his blade as he enters darkness, pausing for his eyes to adjust. After a few rods into the hole, something catches at his tunic. He moves away and it clings, sticky. He touches and finds a rope-like stuff.... a web? A giant web maybe? He shudders at what size such a creature would have to be.
Advancing into the mountain, the passage divides, and Hondo turns left, moving deeper and downward into the dark-light of elven vision. Suddenly something bumps the top of his head. Hondo jumps back and slashes upward. Thump! A bundle of stickiness lands on the tunnel floor. He bends down and his suspicions are no longer. The wrapped dead deer tell him all he needs to know. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he can sense more objects at more or less head- high for the tall elf. But no life. Forward Hondo moves, around curves and corners, onward, onward. How long has he followed this trail of death? He is no longer sure if it is even the same day. His stomach assures him of the passage of more than one meal-time.
Suddenly he is standing in the entry to a large cavern. He is no longer alone! He narrows his eyes to open the pupils even more, then flares them wide! Eyes staring at him, moving slowly towards him! His grip on the Draconian blade tightens, and Hondo steps to one side, advancing slightly as he moves toward the oncoming beast (and spider it is). Suddenly the huge spider jumps! Jumps farther than Hondo believed possible! His blade is slammed from his hand, and he is pinned to the cave floor. Hondo raises his head only to encounter sudden agonizing pain shooting into him through his abdomen..... The beast has stabbed him! Waves of nausea begin, and even his Elven sight wavers and blurs. Then numbness, and nothing........
> Next Tearmann > Next Hondo