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Post by Red Charge on Dec 31, 2014 3:12:17 GMT -5
"Necropolis undead are by far the more common sort. Non Necropolis undead are so few and far in between they really aren't a threat." Aristide said.
"They hide better." Aegius added, "Necropolis picks strategic locations to borrow in, they just go to remote places to survive."
"That's true too I guess, anyway, when we're done with this Ceana will probably have you caught up in whatever you need to know."
The griffons went back to what they were doing, indicating the conversation was pretty much over, even for undead hunters, the topic of undead was not a pleasant one, it seemed. The rest of the journey was silent, there were few turbulances and the occasional thumps of the crew passing by their doors became less and less frequent, they were approaching their destination.
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Ambrosios
Griffons
Disciple Griffon
"And from the ashes, life begins anew."
Posts: 150
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Post by Ambrosios on Dec 31, 2014 3:22:09 GMT -5
Ambrosios nodded in understanding, staring in front of him as he thought about what the two had said. That was why. The Necropolis wasn't a part of civilian life because it didn't want to be. Better to have griffons unaware of the threat, eliminate the chance or need for a call to action. Then they could just keep to themselves and grow in number, until when the masses do find out the Necropolis is too powerful to do anything about it. The idea was somewhat terrifying.
Noting that the conversation seemed to have lost its momentum, Ambrosios went back to his bow, continuing to get a feel for the new weapon. There wasn't much to disturb the three, other than the sound of passing crew and an occasional bump. By now they'd have to have been getting close. Their destination couldn't be that much further away.
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 31, 2014 3:37:37 GMT -5
Not much later, their door swung open, with Ceana standing there. "A dreadnought is headed this way, they must have picked up the ship. We need to get off immediately, it's a short flight to the ruins, but we have to go past a ridge and it won't be easy." Aegius and Aristide nodded and followed her up to deck, where the three leaped off the airship (careful to not hit the engines naturally.) And dived into the clouds. From a distance, Ambrosios could hear the engines of the mighty 6th Fleet dreadnought, at this distance it had no chance of catching up to the smaller airship that carried them, but it's likely it'll stick around and make their exit a complicated one.
Ceana in the air was just as Ambrosios had expected, gliding and flying with the grace of a swan, she led them on air currents towards the nearest ridge. They landed on the mountainside, grasping with claws into the rock-face and began ascending towards the other side. Though a steep climb at first, the slope gradually moderated into a comfortable fourty degree angle. The dreadnought was now clearly visible scanning the area where their airship had been. It wouldn't be long before they turned their attention to the mountain and if Ambrosios and his group were still there, that would mean spotting them as well. Fortunately, Ceana located a passage through the mountain, a crack covered in plantlife leading directly to the other side of the ridge, making it far easier for them to get across.
On the other side of the crack they emerged in a small, rather well hidden valley within the mountain range. In fact, it was so small, it would have been next to impossible to spot between the large ridges surrounding it, even for a griffon. This must be where the Baroness' castle was.
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Ambrosios
Griffons
Disciple Griffon
"And from the ashes, life begins anew."
Posts: 150
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Post by Ambrosios on Dec 31, 2014 3:55:47 GMT -5
Already things were off to a rocky start. Granted, the situation could have been a lot worse, but getting in and out was going to run as smoothly as one could hope. Ambrosios followed the other three griffons to the ship's deck, jumping off of the airship with the others and following them through the sky to the ridge. If Ceana's flying was any indication, she was experienced. To pin her ability on unnatural talent would be downright rudeness.
The crack Ceana had found ended up being a lifesaver. The four were able to duck into it just in time to avoid being spotted by the dreadnought hovering nearby. It had even led them to what appeared to be their destination. Now the question was less of how they'd get in, and more of how easily they'd be able to get out.
The hidden valley ranch within the mountains seemed it would do a good job of keeping them hidden, but leaving it was another thing. It seemed they had two exits: flying out directly above or taking the passage through the crack again. Ambrosios had to hope that both wouldn't be under guise of the dreadnought. Or that there was another exit yet to be found. The griffon almost commented on the situation, but sided with a tinge of paranoia telling him that someone or something might discover them from the sound of such a pointless comment. Ambrosios decided it would be better to keep his beak shut than risk something from the Fifth Fleet or Baroness' Castle overhearing them.
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 31, 2014 4:05:57 GMT -5
The descent into the valley was very steep and even more problematic were the trees within the valley. The trees were so thick and so many that they entangled in one another, making traversal a nigh impossible business. When the griffons landed no the edge of the valley they realized that going through that entangled forest would be more akin to traversing a narrow tunnel than an actual wood. It also meant that since they had not been able to spot the castle from the air, that they would have to be on ground level to see it.
Ceana seemed very displeased with this, "Trees shouldn't grow this dense at this altitude. This isn't natural." She muttered back to the others, the meaning well understood by all three. They began the uncomfortable maneuvering through the forest. Not 10 minutes later, the group was already scratched, chafed and exhausted. Struggling past a particularly difficult gap, Ceana was panting. Having to duck, crawl, climb and squeeze through the trees may have provided the male griffons a good view at their commander, but it was beyond any reasonable amount of effort. Even as they stopped they had to clamber on top of thick roots and branches, there was not even a comfortable place to rest. This made the forest very claustrophobic, very fast, but Ceana was still able to keep her cool.
"Okay," she gasped, "This is probably the reason no one's ever found the place before. But we're not giving up until we've scoured every inch of this Dang place."
She stood for a few more moments to rest before ducking underneath what could have either been a high root or a low branch, or perhaps even a conjoined tree trunk. The forest itself was dark and it was hard to discern the details. Except for Aristide, who was a night raptor.
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Ambrosios
Griffons
Disciple Griffon
"And from the ashes, life begins anew."
Posts: 150
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Post by Ambrosios on Dec 31, 2014 4:23:49 GMT -5
The thickly knotted forest was as unwelcome a site as one could expect. But still, perhaps it was a good sign. What better indication that they were close to what they were looking for than such an odd and unnatural sight? Something had to be afoot to create such a cluster of a forest that they were looking at.
Moving through the woods itself was an ardent task, the tightly contorted limbs and roots forcing the griffons to awkwardly scramble through any opening they could find as bark and limbs scratched at them. The repetitive, indistinguishable sight of an endless wall of trees had Ambrosios somewhat concerned. If it was possible for trees to grow so unnaturally and maze-like, was it possible for the forest to be trapping them in an un-observably shifting cage? Was magic afoot here? Wouldn't they have felt it?
But he decided that now wasn't the time to voice a concern like this when it was more a random possibility than a likely reality. Ambrosios didn't need or want to lower morale before he was sure of what was going on in here. If they did find the Baroness' Castle in this forest, bringing up the issue would have been counter productive. And unless he spotted some skeletons of lost explorers dangling in tree limbs, he didn't need to bring it up.
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 31, 2014 4:35:28 GMT -5
They only noticed the day was over when the darkness became so complete that they could no longer see each other. Their muscles were completely sore, almost immovable by that point and they were laying, gasping for air on the uneven ground of hard roots and prickly spines. It was impossible to relax on such an uneven footing and it only pained their muscles further. Flying upwards to get out of the forest was out of the question due to the branches and thick canopy. Not to mention that the branches upstairs carried the most thorns and would rip apart a griffon trying to force their way through. With little to no choice, the griffons had to spend the night in the forest. Fortunately, Ceana had marked their progress with glowing chalk so they could easily make their way back, if they so decided. But they had a mission to do and backtracking a day's journey wasn't going to get them any closer to doing it. Ceana kept repeating that it was a defense mechanism, that it wanted them to leave. They were obviously getting closer and they'd show this place the what for.
At the moment, the griffons had no choice but to pile on each other to rest. Ambrosios was lying back with his head in Ceana's lap. Ceana herself was lying across Aegius' chest, Aegius was resting his own head on Aristide's legs who was resting his head on Ambrosios' stomach.
"At the very least, nothing can attack us here, not by surprise anyway. Anything making their way through this thicket would be heard long before it reached us." Aegius said.
"Not like anything can live in here to begin with." Aristide said.
Ceana was stroking Ambrosios' crest absent mindedly, "Tomorrow we'll continue, it's not going to be easier but once we're in the castle we'll have space to breathe again. If the Baroness really is there, she needs a quick way in and out of the forest and we'll find it."
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Ambrosios
Griffons
Disciple Griffon
"And from the ashes, life begins anew."
Posts: 150
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Post by Ambrosios on Dec 31, 2014 16:31:43 GMT -5
Laying in a tightly woven circle, as comfortable as one they could possibly get, surrounded by complete darkness blocking their vision. For as terrible a situation as it seemed, there was at least some comfort in staying in such close proximity. The touch of another intelligent being certainly made things all the more bearable, especially since they had been smart enough to use each other as pillows versus the uncomfortable ground.
"There's definitely something hiding here," Ambrosios spoke, closing his eyes to a sight of near-equal darkness. "Trees don't grow like this on their own. Something's in here. Just a matter of time before we find it."
Even if they were sharing the forest with something hostile, it was like Aegius had said, it would be making plenty of noise before it arrived. And for anything to even navigate this brush, it would have to be no larger than their own size. So for now, the four might as well have been alone in this woods.
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 31, 2014 16:39:40 GMT -5
The next day they woke up even more tired than they went to sleep. Every muscle in their body protested at the slightest movement. They felt acid burning their tissue every time they forced themselves further into the forest, they rationed out their food but eating was incredibly uncomfortable and the constant movement through the horrible forest made digestion an unpleasant process as well. The only indicator of whether it was day or night was whether they could see two feet in front of them, or four. The gaps in the trees, at the very least, were not getting narrower, though they did have to squeeze through some troublesome ones. Ambrosios knew they were aiming at the center and since they haven't gone past any glowing chalk markings, he knew they were in the right direction. But the second night had arrived and it seemed they made even less distance than the day before. Their muscles were literally vibrating at this point with pain shooting up and down their bodies, they heaped into a pile.
"This is insane, where did the information even come from? You're not telling us someone actually went through this place?" Aristide groaned.
"It's old information, this fricking haunted forest probably wasn't even here when it was put to writing." Ceana grumbled.
Ambrosios' body felt like it was made out of a pile of firm oranges, each of them a ball of complete pain and with every movement the pile collapsed and rearranged, causing even more pain.
"I can't stand any more of this, if we can't find it tomorrow, we need to get out of here, hack and slash directly up if necessary." Aristide groaned again.
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Ambrosios
Griffons
Disciple Griffon
"And from the ashes, life begins anew."
Posts: 150
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Post by Ambrosios on Dec 31, 2014 17:02:14 GMT -5
Ambrosios could do little other than lay down in a collapsed state, pained and exhausted after a second day of no success. "I'm almost more concerned if we do find it," the griffon spoke. "We're in no condition to fight. If we have to. Best we can hope for is an empty castle with no resistance."
Ambrosios didn't think the group could afford to spend more than another day diving deeper into the forest, especially if they'd need to backtrack out again. But something had to be here. And they had to be close. The forest could only be so big. They had to be making some sort of progress. There were two terrible realities that Ambrosios could imagine: that the castle was just out of sight, or that it was simply unreachable.
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 31, 2014 17:09:24 GMT -5
3 days in all, of trekking through the forest, 3 days of painful striding, squeezing, ducking, climbing, crawling, jumping, panting, gasping, hurting, scratching, chafing horridness.
But they were finally there. Finally the trunks and roots gave way to a massive clearing holding a single building built into the thick of the branches. They collapsed exhausted on the grass right off the stairs, finally, soft ground. No roots, no trunks, no branches poking them in uncomfortable places. Just soft ground with what grass that must have felt like velvet. By the time the three recovered it was once again night outside. The canopy was still far too thick to fly through, but it was possible and likely even that the dilapidated castle had a turret reaching up into it and from it, outside.
They ate their last bits of food as they rested and prepared for entry. One thing of note was the unnatural chill about the castle. Once their bodies recovered, their minds began to grasp the scale of what they actually might be facing inside. That forest was unnatural, whether it was planted by the ex servants of the baroness to stop anyone from reaching the castle, or whether the baroness herself had some influence over the woods was irrelevant. They were facing something beyond the realms of normality. A place where such cruelty took place that none of them could even imagine. The systematic murder of many unicorn maidens, their blood drained into the bowels of the castle...
The castle they were ordered to enter.
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Ambrosios
Griffons
Disciple Griffon
"And from the ashes, life begins anew."
Posts: 150
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Post by Ambrosios on Dec 31, 2014 17:20:36 GMT -5
Their endeavor had paid off. Finally, the castle. The object of their arduous quest for the last three days. Ambrosios felt a since of joy at its sight, glad to finally be free from the limbs, brambles, and roots of that infernal forest and finally at their destination. Now that they were here, he and the others could rest easy and recover.
And once they had, it became clear that this place was as unnatural as the forest itself. It gave off a chilled air, unsettling cold compared to the outside world. But not even the atrocities that had been committed here could deter them now. Their trek through the woods would not be in vain. Now was the time for this castle to reveal its secrets to them.
The soldier checked his things, armor and bow, before moving with the others to the castle entrance. They might have been the first newcomers in centuries to this citadel in centuries. There was bound to be something of interest inside.
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 31, 2014 17:27:29 GMT -5
Finally, the three were ready to enter. With Ceana taking the lead, they approached up the stone steps to the double doors of the keep. One of which had already rusted free of its hinges, leaving the doorway a gaping maw into the darkness of the castle. They entered as a group and even the more experience Ceana and Aegius could not hide their nervousness. They were all jumpy at what could have been in the castle. The only question was, whether they were going to make a bee line to the ritual chamber, or inspect the castle first. Ceana was smart enough to have them each bring several torches, as the torches in the castle were crumbled and dried beyond use. They lit one for the entrance and one for each of them to hold.
"We can go right to the ritual chamber, or we can split up and look around, make sure there's nothing in here that might surprise us down there." Ceana lay down her options, "Either way is risky, suggestions?"
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Ambrosios
Griffons
Disciple Griffon
"And from the ashes, life begins anew."
Posts: 150
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Post by Ambrosios on Dec 31, 2014 17:39:18 GMT -5
"I don't like being surprised," Ambrosios spoke, "But I like splitting up even less. Unless we're looking for something that isn't in the ritual chamber, I'd rather the four of us face what's in here together than one or two of us having to face it alone. Strength in numbers and all that."
Ambrosios wasn't confident that anything here would choose to surprise them in the ritual chamber but not while they were exploring when separated. Maybe there were items of interest strewn about the castle, but there didn't seem to be an urgency to get them now versus later.
They also didn't know what could end up happening; whether they were on some invisible time schedule or not. Why not head for the most important area first?
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 31, 2014 17:48:00 GMT -5
"I agree with the new'un." Aegius concurred.
Aristide nodded, "Definitely not liking the splitting up idea."
"Are you griffons or kittens?" Ceana asked, "To the ritual chamber it is."
They started to head to the most likely place for such a chamber to be, the dungeons. The Castle had an eerie empty feeling to it as they progressed through abandoned and ruined rooms. Occasionally, Ambrosios would see figures out of the corner of his eye, but once he'd look they'd be gone. More than several times the group had stopped to explore a corridor or other after he pointed this out, only to find nothing there. Aristide seemed to be more audibly sensitive, he would jump at every crunch, every crumble. Ceana and Aegius were both more level-headed. Knowing the mind was quick to play tricks on the scared, but Ambrosios could see both were as tense as he had ever seen them.
"I don't like this," Said Aristide as they descended the steps to the dungeons, "Can we just go and signal that dreadnought to burn the place from the air first or something?"
"Shut up." Ceana said, though her talon was shaking when she reached for the dungeon doors. She grasped the handle tightly and pushed. Immediately all three of them had to cover their beaks. A wave of putrid stench pulled over them like some rotten thing had exploded in their faces.
The dungeons were filthy, no one had cleaned them in maybe hundreds of years and the unnatural chill in them preserved the vile odors of whatever the prisoners that lived here left behind.
As the group entered the horrifying dungeon corridor they noticed that most cells had bodies in them, in various stages of decomposition.
"They left the prisoners here to rot when they fled." Aegius said, referencing the servants who murdered the baroness. Ambrosios' eyes rested on a pony skeleton, a unicorn, perhaps one whose blood they had no need to shed. It was small, very small, a foal. It lay in the corner, cuddled, died of starvation.
"Can you wipe me after this?" Aegius asked Ceana, his voice somber. She nodded slowly.
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