While on a road trip I was inspired to write a story based off of characters in D&D. Though my friends and I play about once a week I wanted a group of fresh characters to sort of restart my writing hobby because lord knows I'm rusty, so please excuse grammatical errors and so forth. I'd love opinions on the story and characters (if my grammar and sentence structure is bad I don't really care....this was done more for the story.) Each character is a creation of one of my friends so I can't take credit for some of the colorful characters. Thanks for reading. :3
What had he been thinking? Though it was late Spring it was unbearably hot even for the scantly clad barbarian but he was traveling through a desert. Kardhordo took a deep breath as his eyes strained to see across the moving sands. He had to be close now didn't he? His frustration grew as he adjusted the massive sword strapped to his muscled and exposed back. The metal stung at his flesh, the sun and his sweat burned his eyes and suddenly something in his right thigh was on fire. Kardhardo glanced down to see an arrow sticking from his flesh.
"Well fuck..." He exclaimed as his eyes rose to look for the arrows archer.
At first glance there was nothing he could readily see but after straining his eyes the image of goblins came into view, a lot of goblins. How the hell did he not see so many following him? He hated goblins and sneered with displeasure as he heard their excited gibbers. Apparently the dumb little creatures were under the impression that they could ov er power him. A smirk crossed his lips as he slowly removed his sword from his back and let out a battle cry before running at the handful of disgusting little green creatures. They goblins called out excitedly and shot at the stupid human now running towards them, it wasn't often their prey came to them. Unfortunately they had greatly underestimated him, gravely underestimated him. Blood splashed onto the sand as five of the goblins were cut down by the massive sword that Kardhordo seemed to swing with great ease. The goblins cried out for help, a few of them managing to shoot the human before being silences by his blade. Finally the last of their flesh squelched against his blades sharpness, spilling the things filthy insides onto the sand. His soft brown eyes scanned the scene around him, quickly counting the bodies and noticing a dozen corpses. Odd, he could of sworn he had seen more of them and just as this thought crossed his mind the rest of them came into view. They had been hiding, their cloaks helping to camouflage them in the neutral colored landscape.
"You mother..."
Another flurry of swings cut down the now seemingly endless horde of goblins. Were there really hordes this large in the untamed lands? Delirious and exhausted Kardhordo began to quickly loose his focus and his strength but he continued to wildly swing his giant blade into goblins until he collapsed. The last one was in his hands, struggling against his tightening grip as he squeezed the life from it and when its beady eyes finally went lifeless Kardhordo sprawled out in the blood soaked sand with exasperated glee.
"HA! Bet..you...weren't...." He tried to catch his breath and felt his head swimming, his vision fading to black. "...expecting I'd...be.....the victor."
"Yea, me either." Called a female voice from a shadowy figure haloed in light.
Right before Kardhordo passed out he felt something sticky and wet slide across the side of his face, the voice calling out again. "Baltis! Don't eat that!"
Red skin moving into deep black cherry horns etched in arcane runes and adorned with metal rings. A pair of ice blue eyes hid behind a humanoid skull hiding the tieflings face and around his neck a chain of smaller skulls. He was dressed in all black, his long robe helping to hide his tail but not the arcane runes tattooed all over his arms. His strides were steady and determined as he entered The Merchant's Lodge, the tavern in Sand Hawk Gulch. The whole place fell silent for a moment, something Osiris was used to, but he moved to the bar keep carelessly.
"Welcome to The Merchant's Lodge. The name's Stannor Warmwater. What can I do for you?"
A forked tongue flicked from behind the skulls teeth making Stannor slightly uncomfortable but not nearly as uncomfortable as the unholy voice that spewed from the tiefling after that. "I require an infernal beverage halfling, perhaps something spicy."
"Wasn't like anything I'd ever seen before..." Clamored a nobleman, sputtering as he downed half another tankard of ale with his shaky hands. "They were coordinated! They....they moved in packs...and they.....they took everything!" He sobbed, rage building in his voice. "I'll pay to have my jewels returned!" He exclaimed jumping to his feet and pointing around the room, his jewelry glinting in the taverns light.
An enormous cloud of smoke bellowed from the mouth of a golden female dragonborn sitting not far from the nobleman, enveloping him. She stood and laughed, the sound as unique as it was unsettling, placing a clawed hand on the nobleman's shoulder.
"I sure hope someone can reattach your lost jewels." She joked. "But seriously friend, tell me where you encountered these hordes."
"Where indeed?" Asked the Tiefling as he took a seat near the nobleman and sipped his beverage.
An elf sitting in the corner of the room had been intrigued by the offer herself but she was more inclined to stay put and not draw attention to herself. She had done enough of that already when she had dragged that barbarian in from the wastes. The nobleman seemed unfazed by the sudden appearance of the dragonborn and the devil, in fact he seemed pleasantly surprised. He quickly downed the other half of his tankard and ordered another round for the interested patrons as he eagerly sat down with them.
"We were a day and a half east, coming from the woodlands near the Silent Woods. A group of half orcs, goblins and a pack of grotesque hounds ambushed us by nightfall...they couldn't of gotten far, it was a very large caravan....all I care for are the gems that belonged to my mother. I will pay each of you 300 gold each to return them and an additional 200 if you do it quickly, I do NOT wish to spend much time in this DREADFUL sand pit..." He chugged his new ale as he motioned to his left and a large, armored beast of a man extended his arm and held out a small bag. "Map and details about the contents of the caravan...bring back anything you want to sell, I don't care." He said with a sincere lack of attachment to the goods. "Hell, it was good material, mostly textile though, my family deals in trade-goods you see." He said as he flashed his exquisite robes. "Please....can you help me?"
Kardhordo awoke on something softer than the sand he had expected to wake up in. A bed? How did he get in a bed? Where the hell was he anyhow? He sat up groggily and noticed he was in a small and cheap room. He some how must of made it to Sand Hawk Gulch but how? No one else was in the room with him and there didnt appear to be any trap or lock on his door. He brushed his long brown hair from his face and stood up, stretching before he moved to the door and into the hall that led down to the tavern. The barbarian found himself entering the tavern just as some flashy jackass was ranting about paying to have something returned. When he heard the nobleman give his price he was suddenly intrigued and he didn't really care what it was he had to go find.
"Hey bud whatever you're looking for I'm your guy." Boasted the barbarian while gladly accepting the ale the skull wearing patron turned down.
The cleric took another deep puff of her pipe and smiled. "The return of your items should be simple enough." She took the map and began looking over the caravan list.
"If the hordes are as large as you say it would be better to hunt them in a larger group....plus the barbarian owes me." Replied the elf who had stealthy snuck up on the small group.
"I do?" Asked Kardhordo curiously
"Yes." She replied simply without further explanation
The nobleman, clearly drunker than he had anticipated to be, pointed to the barbarian and nodded, pointing once more to his guard and then to newly added member of the group.
“Helmner, take their names and have a contract made up, you know the drill” he said as he slumped down into his chair. “Get me out of here in less than a week and I’ll give you the extra 200...”
He sat up and looked around the tavern at the posters on the walls about theater productions, jobs postings and the dates of an up coming festival that was taking place in the next couple of days.
“You four do this for me ok? I...I appreciate it...” he seemed very heartfelt in his gratitude, his attachment to his mothers belongings evident in the return of his soft sobs.
“Please sign here...” the beast said as he placed a scroll on the table, laying out the exact terms of being hired as agents of his family for a job. “Sir’s family is very well known for their business acumen, they can be lucrative employers...” he said as he placed the quill and ink on the table, scooping up his boss.
“Come with me sir, you do not need anymore to drink. It is time to rest.” The nobleman didn’t put up a fight at all as he fell into the arms of his guard, waiting to be put to bed.
The four of them signed their names, however a side eye from the elf caused Kardhordo to look up at her quizzically.
"I'm a little surprised you can write your name in the common tongue."
He gave a playful laugh. "Oh fuck you."
"Well new found traveling companions you may call me Nyx." Another cloud of smoke slowly rose from the dragonborn's nose and a small white rabbit suddenly poked its head from between her full,scaled breasts. "Oh, and this is George."
"Disgusting little creature...." Hissed Osiris who sneered at the sight of the small animal. "Osiris."
The elf crossed her arms over her chest and sighed "Herenya"
"Kardhardo the Great." Boasted the barbarian
"Yea the great pain in my ass..." Mumbled the elf
"By the stars woman....what the hell did I do to you?"
She acted as though she hadn't heard him, her gaze suddenly distant and far off as she refused to respond to the dark haired half dressed man. Nyx smiled and stroked George's head with a single claw as she stood and happily called out to her new companions. In the morning I shall guide us, I'm familiar with where the noble said we're heading...not too far from where I just came from actually. Been running errands for my order...doing the good work you know."
"How disgusting..." Came the unholy voice once more.
"Well let's cut the bullshit and get paid boys, I'm ready to kill some more goblins."
Herenya raised a curious brow at him as she gave a single laugh. "The hundred you killed before you passed out in the Rolling Wastes wasn't enough?"
"Is that why you're mad?" Exclaimed Kardhordo.
She neglected to answer him and he simply shrugged off her neglect, he truly didn't care what the elf's issue was with him but he was curious. The dragonborn took a deep puff of her pipe and tapped out the ashes before she began to repack the ornately decorated smoking device with herb she pulled from an equally as ornate decorated box. The devil finished his unsatisfactory ale and held out his hand towards the golden female, his fingers motioning for her to pass that pipe. Nyx raised a brow and gave a few mischievous laughs as she got the ember rolling on the pipe and passed it to her red skinned companion. Osiris inhaled deeply, the smoke filling his lungs and making him suddenly homesick. He exhaled and coughed suddenly as the smoke began to burn at his throat.
"What in the infernal hell IS that?" He asked through a few more deep coughs.
"Dragons breath herb from my people. You're welcome." She exploded with laughter as she took back her pipe and leisurely puffed on it. "Since it is so late in the evening I am going to retire to my room to smoke and pray. We will meet tomorrow out front my new companions. Say goodnight George." At that moment the rabbit popped from the dragons armor once more and made an adorable noise.
"Dis...disgusting..." Coughed the Tiefling.
The four companions found both the large guard and the noble waiting outside for them, the noble desperately trying to hold his head up from his pounding hangover. He felt absolutely disgusting and the heat of the desert, even this early in the morning, was making his head swim and his stomach turn.
"I wish you luck. Be safe and swift." The noble managed to say as he patted the dragonborn on the leg. "I hope you find the jewels quickly, I worry for them..."
Nyx gave the noble a reassuring smile. "Do not worry friend. They will be returned safely." George popped from the dragons armor just then and gave a squeak, as if to also reassure the nobleman
"Disgusting...." Mumbled the red skinned Tiefling.
"Come new friends....let us spill more goblliiiiiinnyyyoooow." Kardhordo's words turned to a suddenly high pitched noise as the barbarian felt something cold and wet against his bare skin. As he turned to find the source of cold he was met with a massive red and white furred wolf. "WHAT THE FUCK!"
"Baltis...I told you that's bad meat...don't eat that." The wolf seemed to huff disapprovingly before moving to the Herenya's side.
"YOU HAVE A FUCKING WOLF?" Asked the barbarian slightly shocked
"Disgusting..."
"Wait a second, you told him I was bad meat?" Yelled the human.
"I absolutely did. If I hadn't he would of eaten you....you smell like goblin..." She replied nonchalantly.
"Well what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Kordhordo asked.
"It means...you smell like goblin..." Herenya placed a hand on the lupine's head and playfully scratched him. "Baltis just loooooves goblin meat. Probably cause it smells bad....like you."
"Fair enough." Shrugged the barbarian. "Well let's go kill goblins fellas."
"What a chipper way to start our adventure. I agree with the brute, onward to kill goblins!" Exclaimed Osiris happily.
(Thanks again to everyone who participated, to anyone who still has a character sheet floating....group 2 hasn't started yet so no rush.....but rush lol)