He who looks inward

14JasonMungbin

Jason was no ordinary man when he was very young he fooled a family that he was their long lost son and kept up the charade untill he tired of it three years later. Born with an extraordinary gift to not only fool people through his acting abilities but he was able to convince them completely into believing what ever her said was true.

Being graced with one elven parent but none of the telltale features of his elven mother, who left him and his soon to be alcoholic father soon after birth, he had a natural grace and appearance that made him attractive to many, if not all. This often drew the attention of the wrong kind more often than good.

One such time he was found to be talking sweetly to the Daughter of Mr Carter, the Jackal of the North, which caused several of Carters men to escort him outside. Before any violence could come to land a halfling intervened and soothed Carters lackays down before they made good on their promise to create a new facial feature for Jason. Ever since that day Jason had been ferociously loyal to the one person who saw past house looks and charm to see who he was, some one who wants to be the centre of the stage where ever they go whether it be good or bad reasons.

Since then, under the employ of the halfling and get crew Jason had reportedly been involved in many heists, break-ins, burglaries and supposedly the disappearance of one Haroldson Gray, a merchant who married into the wrong family. Of course there is never a scrap of evidence that links their involvement to these crimes, or mysteries in Haroldson’s case, but the word amongst the streets is that Jason and his crew are a force to look out for, if you can even see them coming that is.

Hot headed

14CGolem

Albazahr smiled encouragingly as Itchet, his new unfortunately named apprentice, stepped into one of the conjoined pocket dimension which was dark, cold and devoid of anything living. Or so Albazahr had told his apprentice.

“That’s it Itchet, I need some of the natural forming material from within it looks like a lump of charcoal and should be in the ditch, somewhere over to the right of the dimension.” the wizard said as he brought out his notebook and started to jot down what was occurring.

“Master, sir, it’s so cold in here.” Itchet said as he stumbled forward in the dark looking for the ditch. The dark conditions of the magically created dimension did not hinder the wizards ability to see what was going on, a large permanent spell of seeing had been placed against the wall and he could look through it into the dimension as if it was day time and he was looking through glass. Then the apprentice surprised Ablazahr as he raised his hand and summoned a mote of light.

“Interesting” Albazahr mused, Itchet was the first of his apprentices to actually be able to use magic before any form of tutelage. This impressed the old man, but not enough to ruin his experiment. As Itchet moved deeper into the darkness, his light spell giving off a beacon in the darkness which gave the young boy comfort. Heading into the direction that his master had said Itchet practically stumbled onto what he was looking for.

“Master! I think I found the pit” Itchet called back towards the direction of the old wizard “I’ll fill up the bag and bring it back now master!” he called back, almost jumping with excitement at finishing his task. Itchet sad down on the edge of the ditch, he hadn’t realise how steep the edges were but there was a lot of black rock studded into the ditches bank which would make it easier to climb back out. As she stepped down onto one such chunk of rock it gave way sending him down in a cascade of black rock of all sizes. Coughing under the plume of dust that it created he got up and dusted himself off as he looked around for his bag.

Albazahr looked on with keen interest, the boy was in the creatures lair now and he needed to be ready to take notes where possible.

Itchet, finding his bag under some larger rocks and pebbles pushed the rocks and pebbles off, surprised at how light the materials were he began to grab rocks with both hands and throw them into the bag. The sound of tumbling pebbles made him jump with alarm as he whirled towards the source of the noise, his right hand extended, thumb, index and middle finger extended. A stream of pebbles was rolling down the embankment and forming a pile amongst some of the larger displaced rocks, shrugging his shoulders and writing it off as dislodged earth from when he slid down into the ditch he turned around and continued to fill up his bag. Grabbing for a particularly large chunk he held it in his hands and immediately felt cold as if the heat from his body was being whisked away by a chilled wind. Looking into the chunk of black rock, his mote of light flickering as his concentration on the spell wavered he swore he could see a glow coming from inside the rock. Then it moved. First it shifted so slightly that Itchet swore that he had imagined it. Then it began to rock backwards and forth so violently that it vibrated in his hands. Throwing the rock to the ground he grabbed his bag and turned to run up the ditch.. Two lumps of black rocks had formed legs, a torso, two arms and a blocky head with pebbles forming rough humanoid appearance. Screaming in alarm the boy rushed away from the figures that had formed, Sparing a glance back at the large rock he had dropped that had also started to gather smaller rocks to form a torso, arms and legs.

As he ran along the ditch looking for a way out he felt his limbs getting colder and when he glanced back at the lumbering figures he noticed that where ever he stepped glowing embers of light flared to life within the black rock and even the clouds of dust that were sent airborne by his frantic pace glowed. This seemed to invigorate the creatures that lumbered behind him as they started to run faster, less sluggish as they collected the glowing pebbles into their form and as the glowing dust settled on their forms as they ran.

A shriek of rage and hunger bellowed from behind him sounding both like the rumble of stone on stone and the roar of a fire place. Noticing a lower ledge for the ditch he scrambled towards it, digging into the earth and finding that his body grew colder as more handfuls of dirt he dislodged glowed with an inner light as the warmth from his body was sapped. Just as he managed to grab onto the flatter ground above the ditch something grabbed his foot and began to pull him back into the ditch. Looking down at his feet he saw fingers made from small black pebbles of this light rock was gripping his leg and was trying to pull him back down into the ditch.

“Noo! Albazahr help!” he shrieked kicking with his other foot, connecting with its shoulder the pebbles loosened up enough that he could get both feet dug into the earth. Whipping his hand around he cast the other spell he knew, the one that got him sent here in the first place. Fire Bolt.

As the bolt of fire smashed into the chest of the rocky creature it burst into flames and a sound of either extreme delight or anger exploded from the creatures emotionless face. In the blink of an eye dozens of other such creatures smashed into the creature as flames consumed its body fully. Each new body piled onto the one before it and as it flailed and swung wildly the flames crept slowly up and down the other rocks, each creature as it was consumed by flame bellowed with joyous rage.

Itchet ran, clutching his bag and bolting through the dark, the flickering red light from the creature as it grew to momentous size and the flames crawled up its newly formed arms, legs and body as the many became one.

Dashing through the opening between the pocket dimension and the laboratory that Albazahr had built to hold such dimension he squealed the command word to seal it shut just after he made it through.

Wheezing on the ground he looked up to see Albazahr jotting down notes and looking into the seeing wall that captured images of a giant heaving, squirming mesh of small black rock and tiny black pebbles stomping around the dimension, their body fully aflame.

“What is that master?” he wheezed, coughing up some black phleugm.

“I call it a Coal Golem. They crave heat the most so are tremendous guardians if given the right commands by the right people. I did not, however, know that when it was set aflame that its kin would fling their own bodies onto the burning one to form a larger coal golem that was on fire.” Albazahr mused, jotting down more notes as the creature lumbered around, the fire almost dying out as the glowing forms of several Coal Golems could be seen re-forming into their smaller forms and heading back towards the ditch. Muttering an arcane phrase the bag that Itchet was holding stopped moving, Itchet who was unaware of the bag moving dropped it and crawled away from the bag. “You, Itchet. You didn’t tell me you knew actual magic. You have the mark of a promising sorcerer if you survive your time here.” he mentioned, helping the boy up.

“As for now, Master, I would like to be excused to have a bath to get rid of this stuff, coal? I don’t think I like it that much” he stammered out as he brushed out the last of the dust.

“Off you go then, tomorrow, you and I are going to use the chunks of coal you retrieved to create your own coal golem. Yes. That would be a great thing to record.” Albazahr muttered as he scrawled into his book again.

The informant

14Informant

As Kane sank into his third tankard of ale he wondered not for the first time that night who was paying for his drinks. He had come to a tavern where he had not out stayed his welcome yet and like the other taverns he would quickly ruin is, well tarnished as it is, reputation and have to find another place to drink.

“look’s like you have had a hard day fella, here. A drink on me” a drunk voice blurbled from behind him as a tankard was put under his nose. Looking up Kane saw a portly man, drunk, who was beaming down at him with a look that you would expect someone to look at a stray pup. The man gripped his shoulder, gave it a squeeze before sitting behind him at a table with a tall and slender woman who was sipping from a wine glass.

Kane looked at the tankard and began to drink it down. “So where were we. Oh yeah so you’re telling me that you got some magic sword and a pile of gold pieces from the guy and he did nothing about it?” This peaked Kane’s interest. Magic items were rare and a pile of gold coins would be enough to set most people up for life.

“Shh. The man is not to be trifled with. His wagon is guarded and enchanted and I got lucky when he stopped to get apples. I snuck in, grabbed what I could and then ran off. There was something in there with me, guard creatures of some kind guarding many more magical items and chests of gold. I was lucky to leave with this artefact but unfortunately there was another that looked the same, a twin. Both items together would buy you a manor, servants and land I would wager.” The lady spoke under a hushed voice, but Kane was used to listening as such.

Pretending to drink but listening to all she had to say he hear the padded thunk of cloth-wrapped metal hitting the table.

“Look after this will you, brother, you are the only one I can trust with this.” The lady said as she stood and walked towards the door.

Goodbyes were said between the portly man and his sister as she left and as they stood and walked towards the door Kane quickly and when no one was watching snatched the package up and stored it under his coat.

“I must tell the boss” he thought as she passed brother and sister out the front of the tavern saying goodbye.

A bag of tricks

14SEB

As Malary look at herself in the mirror she dusted her nose with some power and gave herself one last look over.

“Perfect, as usual” she mused as she picked up her new pouch that had her silk gloves and a few odds and ends for the night of merriment ahead. As she strutted down the stairs and down the hall of her father’s manor she sighed to try and push out that pang of anxiety, tonight she would be asked by Wilbur to marry him.

Her father’s coach was waiting out front and Buck helped her into the seat.

“You look lovely tonight Miss Frimrose” Buck said with a smile. “Good night to catch a husband as well” he mused with laughter that revealed his true age where his face and hair did not.

“Perhaps in a few months time you would have to refer to me as Mrs Fussex” she blurted out as nervous giggles overtook her. Luckily the coach started to move and she sped off towards the ball.

Having arrived a hour or so ago and dancing ever since setting her feet in the doors Malary was exhausted. Sitting down at a table she drank some wine and be rested her feet.

“you looked marvelous tonight” a coy but familiar voice stated from behind her. Turning around she gazed at Wilbur seemed the glisten like the pool of radiance.

“Have you been avoiding me Mr Fussex?” She asked reaching for her purse to pull out her handkerchief.

“Frankly, yes. You must know how I feel about you and I have been trying to work out the courage to ask you a very important question,” he paused, wetting his lips. Malary took this moment to reach into her pouch and she fiddled around for her handkerchief before bringing it up to dab sweat from her neck. “Will you mar… What in the world is that?” Wilbur asked, his face going from adoration to revoltion in the blink of an eye.

“What?” She asked looking to where Wilbur’s eyes lingered. Her fine silk handkerchief was a greeny-brown like soiled cloth and had crusty bits stuck to it. Shrieking she through it to the floor. “Where did that come from!” She squealed.

“Malary, your bag!” One of the other girls shouted. As Malary shouted, dozens of large, hair black spiders crawled from her bag and spilled onto thr dance floor.

Laura Xavier Magnus

14LauraXavierMagnus

Laura stared at the clock infront of her and wondered if it was too early to just close up.  She was always amazed at devices like these that the gnomes created and believed that having one such trinket would give get little enterprise credit where potentially her reputation had not reached that point yet. But her sinking of her limited riches into her business it had yet to land a single client.

Sighing she stood up and walked to the door turning over the sign to say “closed” and she went to the little room just off the main room where she had some almost stale bread and cheese waiting for her. As she frowned and cut off some mould from both the cheese and the bread she heard the bell above her door tingle.

“Sorry we’re closed!,” She called out as she walked to the door to the ‘office’ and looked toward the door where four people now stood just inside her door. “Sorry you lot, I am closed for lunch. Maybe forever” she muttered the last part to herself looking at the contract on her desk to sell her business after just three months being open.

“Are you Laura?” One asked, a female halfling who stood at the front of the group.

“yeah, come on guys I told Mr Secille that I’d have the money to him end of the week and I don’t go back on a contract” Laura responded, chomping down on cheese that almost audibly crunched.

“I heard you do sponsor ship for adventures and expeditions?” The halfling said as she dusted the table with a finger.

“That was the plan” Laura said deciding she wasn’t hungry as the nearly-stale bread was definitely stale and could be used as siege catapult ammuntion. “But as I said I dont got the money for your boss here so you’ll need to come back later.”

“We have a job that we need supplies and a sponsor for…” The taller particularly handsome human male said as he sat down and began to lounge in a padded chair.

“Boss, look. Its an actual gnome thingy. I’ve always wanted to own one” a weasely looking man said as he knelt infront of the clock as it clicked over to noon.

“I don’t think this is the right place” a voice like a snake slithering over nightshade hissed from the final clocked figure. Judging by the tone it sounded female but Laura could not be sure.”

“Wait did you say you have a job?” Laura said, almost spitting out the water she was halfway through sipping in a failing attempt to rid her mouth of the flavour of rancid cheese.

“Yes. Can you help us?” The lady halfling replied looking at the humans with almost visible contempt.

Laura paused for a moment. Actual customers. She ran into her office and retrieved the paperwork she had, at one time but not now, sorted into neat stacks ready for such a time. Returning she sat down and placed a small unopened bottle of wine and five glasses on the table. “Whats the job. We’ll, err, I’ll take it. No wait. Whats the expected return and do you have collateral for the job?” Laura asked as she rushed to find her quill and inkwell.

The halfling grinned, “well it’s a wagon heist, and we expect to return goods worth a few thousand gold or so our informant says”

“a few thousand, ok.” Laura began to scribble down before looking up with a start “Sorry, did you day few hundred or few thousand?”

“thousand missy, look if you ‘ain’t the right person to help us we can go elsewhere girly” the trinket lover blurted out standing up to try and emphasise his height advantage, which was minimum at best.

“Shut it Kane, yes you heard right, thousand and gold pieces. We just need a few things and we were pointed this way as our last means of acquiring these things so we can pull off the job” the halfling said her stare shooting daggers at human.

“well what so you need?” Laura asked already cataloguing what she had and thinking of contacts who she was still in the good books with.

The man lounging in the padded chair handed over a well written note. Scanning over the note she looked at the extensive list of items. Noting she didn’t have several.

“I don’t have all of it..” she began to respond jotting down the items she would need to find.

“I said this was a mistake. She isn’t up to the task” the hooded figure that oozed malcontent hissed from the corner of the room

“I said I don’t have, not that I can’t get” Laura replied. “These items won’t come cheap. I’ll need some form of assurance”

Looking to the humans and the hooded member of the group the halfling produced a long cloth wrapped object and placed it on the table, nodding towards Laura to take it. “Will this cover us?” She asked.

Laura grabbed the item and felt the weight behind it, definitely metal and by the shape it felt like a short Blade. “May I?” She asked and receiving a nod from the halfling she proceeded to unwrap one of the most beautifully crafted blades she had set her eyes on. “Wow. I have not seen it’s equal. This should cover it at a base” Laura said a she expertly sketched an exact likeness of the blade in her book.

“It’s part of a set. We aim to reunite it and it’s twin” the hooded figure hissed coming closer to the desk to note the drawing “impressive, but may I ask what for?”

“I’m not about to take the item to my contacts. I hope to get it identified by drawing so the value can be vouched for without the actual Blade being exposed.” Laura replied as she filled in a few forms.

Nodding the group of four looked to and from the halfling to Laura. “Do we have an arrangement?” The halfling eventually asking.

“sign here and we do” Laura said signing her name Laura Xavier Magnus. As she signed her name the ink flashed a blue light and a tiny drop of blood fell from the quill tip to the parchment.

The group stepped back as the halfling read the document, the pretty man didn’t even pretend to read (as he couldn’t). A few moments later the halfling looked up. “A very neat contract you’ve written up here,” she mused. “Blood pact I take it?” She asked as she signed handing the quill to her compatriots.

“Yup, the terms are to protect you and me and keep all this business between those who sign the document with the exception of me brokering the items you require” Laura added watching as all the people signed the document. “You didn’t mention. The wagon you’re targetting, who owns it?” She asked as the party got up and shook her hand, their deal done. As they left the room one by one, leaving the blade on the table next to the signed papers, the halfling turned and stared at Laura.

“Red” she said before turning and leaving. Sitting down Laura looked over the documents and the blade before reaching for the uncorked bottle. Biting out the cork she started to drink from the bottle, the cold rich liquid sitting unpleasantly on her empty stomach.

“well, either I’ll be rich and set for a few years or I’ll be dead if the rumours around Red are true…” Laura muttered to herself looking over the items she needed to get and her estimated share of the haul.