Setting
Lining either side of the long hallway, and at the far end are rows of dormitories for those who reside within the temple. These rooms also serve as a place for weary travelers to rest while paying homage.
Temple Dormitories
Lining either side of the long hallway, and at the far end are rows of dormitories for those who reside within the temple. Runic wards block entry into the temple for anyone with malevolent intentions.
Minimap
northwest |
north |
northeast |
west |
You are here. |
east |
southwest |
south |
southeast |
Temple Dormitories is a part of 
Mountain Side Temple.
1 Characters Here
Aeolos [0] Air
Start Character Here »
- 59 posts here • Page 1 of 3 • 1, 2, 3
The ruins were an uneasy place at the best of times, but at night their haunted feeling was magnified ten fold. The whistling wind rushed through the desolate columns, imitating howls of ungodly creatures. The clouds created eerie shadows as they floated past the full moon. It was time that Sabetha felt most strongest and connected to her animal side. She could never feel whole but at this time of the month it was the closest she was ever going to get. Her animalistic instincts were on high alert as she slunk through the toppled stone. Usually she stayed clear of the Ruins, preferring to lurk in the dark alleyways of the city, but tonight something had drawn her here. She didn't know what but it was powerful and ancient. She made sure that she had her knife in hand and a few charms that she nicked off of a drunk priest one night. The air was cool, but she hardly felt it. All her senses where on alert, waiting for something to happen.
Whisper was resting quietly, a luxury she didn't often find time for. Her nightmares still plagued her, but something had changed. They lacked the suffocating nature of before, and often were intermingled with unsettling visions and strange perceptions that left her waking in a sweat as nerve wracked as when her dreams had existed simply to terrorize the young woman. To see Lzothozsh in a familiar and comforting light – even just momentarily in her slumber – and to view the world upon high, while knowing no fear for what lay at her back, were as unsettling and gut wrenching as any nightmare could hope to be.
Tonight it was the later which wormed its way into her subconscious, and the woman tossed and turned restlessly. They were beginning to happen with more frequency, and part of her even found a sense of security in it. It was that which terrified her so. Were these dreams of her own making? Or the tampering of another? She couldn't be certain.
Tonight it was the later which wormed its way into her subconscious, and the woman tossed and turned restlessly. They were beginning to happen with more frequency, and part of her even found a sense of security in it. It was that which terrified her so. Were these dreams of her own making? Or the tampering of another? She couldn't be certain.
There was anarchy with their presence. Not just anarchy in the physical world, which sent Balthazar down the corridors and slamming a gloved fist on Whisper's door, but also anarchy on the psychic level. A high whine could be suddenly heard as if a series of creatures had just screamed in unison at a pitch barely audible by humans. It was not loud enough to be painful, simply annoying, but it struck a note far deeper in the human psyche than mere agitation.
The screams were harrowing, reaching deep into the very soul of any and every being in the structure, bringing their inner torments to the forefront of their minds, visions forcing themselves into the eyes, blotting out all sight of the world around until.
Thump thump thump. "Whisper! Open the god damn door! They're here!" It was rare to hear Balthazar show emotion levels past contempt, irritation and dislike. Right now he showed open fear.
The screams were harrowing, reaching deep into the very soul of any and every being in the structure, bringing their inner torments to the forefront of their minds, visions forcing themselves into the eyes, blotting out all sight of the world around until.
Thump thump thump. "Whisper! Open the god damn door! They're here!" It was rare to hear Balthazar show emotion levels past contempt, irritation and dislike. Right now he showed open fear.
The world lay at Whisper's feet, its people like ants scurrying about oblivious of what loomed over head. It could be hers, all of it. She had but to reach out and take it -
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The noise disrupted Whisper's inner contemplations. It didn't belong here, it was an intrusion. As she tried to push it from her mind, she began to spiral back towards wakefulness. Sitting up, Whisper was in a state of disarray. What time was it? Was that Balthazar? What was going on?
She was scarcely dressed, having been roused from her slumber, and she pulled the linen sheets with her as she rose from her cot, to ward against the cold bite of the late night mountain air. Padding to the doorway, she fumbled about for the catch.
“Balthazar?” she asked as it released and the door cracked open. She could feel his fear, it unnerved her but she pushed it aside. Arrogance was an almost ever present trait within Whisper as of late, an arrogance that left such matters as fear and caution forsaken.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The noise disrupted Whisper's inner contemplations. It didn't belong here, it was an intrusion. As she tried to push it from her mind, she began to spiral back towards wakefulness. Sitting up, Whisper was in a state of disarray. What time was it? Was that Balthazar? What was going on?
She was scarcely dressed, having been roused from her slumber, and she pulled the linen sheets with her as she rose from her cot, to ward against the cold bite of the late night mountain air. Padding to the doorway, she fumbled about for the catch.
“Balthazar?” she asked as it released and the door cracked open. She could feel his fear, it unnerved her but she pushed it aside. Arrogance was an almost ever present trait within Whisper as of late, an arrogance that left such matters as fear and caution forsaken.
The gross yellow eye peered from behind Balthazar's mask a dozen steps away, as if trying to just catch a glimpse at Whisper. But the normal upwards tilt of the 'mouth' was not so present, instead tilting down. "There's half a dozen of those," he said, gesturing wildly to the spawn, which at this point was now completely black and oozey, "All coming this way. They tore up the altar, threw anything and everything they could out the way. We need to escape!"
The spawn turned sharply, as if it finally caught wind of its apparent brothers arriving and took off in their direction.
The spawn turned sharply, as if it finally caught wind of its apparent brothers arriving and took off in their direction.
“Escape? I have been flushed out and run to ground too many times. We should stand and fight,” Whisper replied. “Let them come. The Corruption won't fear us if we roll over for his goons.”
Leaving the door ajar, Whisper turned away. Moving across the room, she fumbled about on the small wooden table for her belongings. Her clothes, a less than practical slip of a dress was pulled over her nightclothes. Though modest enough, it was of flimsy enough material to be poor protection from the cold. Only her boots were of practical make, thick padded cloth with leather soles to hold up against the rocky terrain.
Leaving the door ajar, Whisper turned away. Moving across the room, she fumbled about on the small wooden table for her belongings. Her clothes, a less than practical slip of a dress was pulled over her nightclothes. Though modest enough, it was of flimsy enough material to be poor protection from the cold. Only her boots were of practical make, thick padded cloth with leather soles to hold up against the rocky terrain.
"Goons?! Goons?! These are the children of Satan we speak of! Not some bleeding cultists!" He turned aside, drawing his blade. "We're outnumbered and I daresa- you have the staff," he exhaled sharply. Alright, so it was winnable. Right? They had him, Whisper and...
He threw a glance down the corridor, teeth gritting tightly. "Well, unless he was your sacrificial lamb I think we had better get to this plan of fighting. Unless the other key point of your strategy was genuinely to stand."
He threw a glance down the corridor, teeth gritting tightly. "Well, unless he was your sacrificial lamb I think we had better get to this plan of fighting. Unless the other key point of your strategy was genuinely to stand."
“They're vulnerable to fire, right?” Whisper asked as she pulled on one of her boots, lacing it tightly. “We're in a stone temple, we can work that.” The other boot followed. “But we light the place up, we're going to lose many of the cultists as well. We need to corral the spawn somewhere we can light up without suffocating ourselves, or killing half of the cultists in the way.” Her staff was retrieved from it's place against the wall, but something was missing. “My pack? Where is it?” she asked. The masks would be invaluable at the moment, but where had she left it? It was nowhere to be seen in the room.
"What pack?" Balthazar asked, "Is this really important to our current situation? Really important." He was not appreciating Whispers apparent calm response to this. "From what I can tell the cultists will be fine if they just avoid the fight. The creatures aren't here for them. They're here for you. This is an assassination."
He grit his teeth. "Fortunately they favour psychic and physical attacks, meaning I'm impervious to them."
He grit his teeth. "Fortunately they favour psychic and physical attacks, meaning I'm impervious to them."
“Yes it's important,” Whisper remarked with a touch of impatience in her own tone. “Look never mind. If they're here for me, we'll give them what they want.” Offering a hand out, Whisper seemed to simply assume Balthazar's assistance. “Get me to the vestibule, we'll make our stand there.” It was a narrow area, the spawn would have to cluster close, and it was lined with cressets filled with oil.
"They're already through the altar, what makes you think they stopped there," he muttered unhappily, but always the obliging servant he reached out for her hand with his own. "Your hand," he commented, with sudden coolness, "You hold it like a dancer." He seemed strangely bitter and dejected on that topic. "I hear trouble ahead, squelching and gnashing," he muttered, "This could grow unpleasant. If one breaks from the pack shall I hold them?"
“Do whatever you need, just keep them in the vestibule,” Whisper instructed as he took her hand in his own. “Let's go.”
Meanwhile in the back of her mind, an inkling of a doubt raised its head. It seemed too easy. Having lain the last would be assassin low with fire, surely the Corruption wouldn't make the same mistake twice, not without some reassurance that things would go differently this time.
Meanwhile in the back of her mind, an inkling of a doubt raised its head. It seemed too easy. Having lain the last would be assassin low with fire, surely the Corruption wouldn't make the same mistake twice, not without some reassurance that things would go differently this time.
He lead her onwards from the dorms towards the vestibule, head keeping lookout for trouble, and trouble there was. No further than out the door and perhaps two dozen meters down the corridor was a melee frenzy of ooze and eyes. The occasional fist would raise and descend into the pack as they all gnashed at one another.
"I could have gone without seeing that..." Balthazar muttered unhappily.
"I could have gone without seeing that..." Balthazar muttered unhappily.
“Can you get us past?” Whisper asked. The corridor was an impractical place, there were too many exits, too many doorways to escape into. A few unlit cressets dotted the walls, she could smell the mild fragrance of the oil contained with them, but there was simply too much cover available.
"...Not really, no. What do you suppose I do, breach the pack? Oh sure, I'll make it through with little more than a torn jacket. You, however, with your warm squishy flesh, might find you're a fast feast. No, wait, I can... I'll throw out a cantrip and illusions."
There were footsteps of someone rushing away from the two of them, as if they had run out of Balthazar's body with appropriate feeling of wind, then another from Whisper. "We're invisible now. I doubt it'll last." The squelching noises seemed to lower in frequency and growing in distance, an indiction that the fight was splitting up in pursuit.
There were footsteps of someone rushing away from the two of them, as if they had run out of Balthazar's body with appropriate feeling of wind, then another from Whisper. "We're invisible now. I doubt it'll last." The squelching noises seemed to lower in frequency and growing in distance, an indiction that the fight was splitting up in pursuit.
“Warm and fleshy?” Whisper asked. “I have a few tricks of my own,” she remarked with a slight quirk of a smile from the corner of her mouth. What she meant by that she didn't elaborate upon, as Balthazar's illusion seemed to be doing the trick. “Let's go.”
He lead onwards for the other room, making as much haste as he damn well could. "Well, we're here," he muttered. "And I daren't say those illusions will fare well for very l-" Sudden motion of him grabbing for his sword and a spike in fear before he relaxed. "Just you. I suppose you want to help too?"
No response other than an immensely self-satisfied feeling in the room and squelching steps. "I think its yours."
No response other than an immensely self-satisfied feeling in the room and squelching steps. "I think its yours."
Whisper offered a half smile before she raised her voice rather abruptly. “Enough!” she bit out, her voice rolling through the stone tunnels with volume unbecoming of her small stature. Amplified with a psychic note to add the reverberating effect, it hopefully would have the desired results. “If you want me, here I stand!” Her challenge was given with a note of fiery ire that she had managed to keep concealed from Balthazar till this moment. That these creatures would think that she would fall so easily, it was an insult that needed to be acted upon. Her words to Balthazar to get them this far had been practical, but there was a touch of something personal that had led her to this confrontation, for better of worse.
Balthazar shuddered as he felt a series of psychic gazes pass through him and solid stone to reach Whisper. They could see her now. She had openly announced her presence and like psychic seeking missiles they had locked on. Balthazar moved towards the door to stand there in defence.
But they weren't moving. The eyes continued to stare from their static places, and in the mind they could equally be seen as grey ghostly orbs staring on.
But they weren't moving. The eyes continued to stare from their static places, and in the mind they could equally be seen as grey ghostly orbs staring on.
The assault came at once, a coordinated effort to pierce her mind from the six. It was not simultaneous, but instead staged to strike one after the other with less than a second between. Each psychic assault would feel like a migrane if left undeflected by Whisper's own abilities. And after each leant their assault to the battle they began to move, forming up in a straight line in the corridor leading to the very room she stood in.
A dull drone would invade Whisper's mind as she slept, a thrrruuumm of noise in the back of the mind. The origin was barely an inch from her face, a fascinated eyeball matching the size of her head staring down at her. An exhalation of gases seeped from the edges of the lid where rows of teeth lay, carrying the stench of rotting matter from within its squishy pupil.
The lone pupil itself shook rapidly back and forth, giving off the impression that the entire thing was vibrating if one didn't take a step back and stare. And then the inhuman language of its species escaped from its head. An alien language to begin with, but with no visible lungs or vocal chords it was impossible to tell where the sound came from. It was distorted further by the gelatinous orb it had to pass through to reach the eardrums of those around it. Even the tone was lost on the language, leaving it utterly indecipherable.
Fortunately, it could be felt, the glee of the creature.
The lone pupil itself shook rapidly back and forth, giving off the impression that the entire thing was vibrating if one didn't take a step back and stare. And then the inhuman language of its species escaped from its head. An alien language to begin with, but with no visible lungs or vocal chords it was impossible to tell where the sound came from. It was distorted further by the gelatinous orb it had to pass through to reach the eardrums of those around it. Even the tone was lost on the language, leaving it utterly indecipherable.
Fortunately, it could be felt, the glee of the creature.
She had been having that dream again, the one where she found herself standing atop a mountainside overlooking the world that lay at her feet. Overhead she could feel his pressence looming, but it did not fill her with the terror it once did. The embodiment of her nightmares had become a watchful and accepted presence.
It could all be hers, if she would but reach out and grasp it.
This day she did not stand alone though, and she turned to glance upon the woman at her side. She was a priestess, though of what Whisper could not recall. She felt that she should though. There was something mind numbingly familiar about the woman, but the memories eluded her.
"Is this really what you want, Whisper?" said the priestess.
"I don't understand," Whisper responded.
"You will," the priestess replied. The priestess spoke once more, but this time the words were garbled and alien.
"What did you say?" Whisper asked, turning to look at the priestess.
"I said," again the priestess spoke, but as she continued, the words again were indecipherable.
Whisper frowned, but before she could question it, the sounds that the spawn spoke over her slumbering form were rapidly rousing her back into a state of wakefulness. With the mountains and the strange priestess fading from her perception, Whisper opened her eyes to find herself staring up into the eye of a monstrocity.
She came to with a start, throwing the covers back from her bed so as to slide out, and away from the spawn.
"Get out of here!" she snapped angrily. The chill air of the mountains was bitter cold though, and she snatched up the discarded blanket, pulling it close to retain her warmth.
It could all be hers, if she would but reach out and grasp it.
This day she did not stand alone though, and she turned to glance upon the woman at her side. She was a priestess, though of what Whisper could not recall. She felt that she should though. There was something mind numbingly familiar about the woman, but the memories eluded her.
"Is this really what you want, Whisper?" said the priestess.
"I don't understand," Whisper responded.
"You will," the priestess replied. The priestess spoke once more, but this time the words were garbled and alien.
"What did you say?" Whisper asked, turning to look at the priestess.
"I said," again the priestess spoke, but as she continued, the words again were indecipherable.
Whisper frowned, but before she could question it, the sounds that the spawn spoke over her slumbering form were rapidly rousing her back into a state of wakefulness. With the mountains and the strange priestess fading from her perception, Whisper opened her eyes to find herself staring up into the eye of a monstrocity.
She came to with a start, throwing the covers back from her bed so as to slide out, and away from the spawn.
"Get out of here!" she snapped angrily. The chill air of the mountains was bitter cold though, and she snatched up the discarded blanket, pulling it close to retain her warmth.
- 59 posts here • Page 1 of 3 • 1, 2, 3