The Black One
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Physical Description: A large, black dragon.
Registered: Oct 20, 2018 13:14:50 GMT -8
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Post by The Black One on Oct 20, 2018 13:27:55 GMT -8
Lair of the Black One
High in the mountains, an opening in the rock leads into a deceptively large cave that houses a dragon beast known as the Black One. Though bound to the mountain itself by a great chain collared to the dragon's throat, the villagers in the surrounding settlements live in the shadow of his terror and each month their bravest make the arduous journey to leave him a sacrifice of food, treasure and livestock lest he break free and destroy everything. It is sometimes whispered that even humans are sacrificed; criminals as a form of punishment, or virgin females in the vain hope that he will grant them his favour.
Sometimes adventurers and slayers try to enter the cave to slay the beast and claim whatever treasure he guards within, but the Black One has been imprisoned since before any of them, and not one has ever come back out alive.
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Carl Schimdt
Established
Roleplay posts: 28
Age: 16
Physical Description: Brown hair, hazel eyes, and Caucasian skin.
Clothes and Equipment: Long dark green cloak with hood.
Leather armor, black clothing underneath.
Holster for Butcher's Cleaver
Bow and Arrow.
Bits of Wood.
Player's online availability : Daily.
Registered: Apr 18, 2018 1:56:23 GMT -8
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Post by Carl Schimdt on Oct 20, 2018 19:00:22 GMT -8
A lone figure, clothed in a green cloak trudges up towards this place. He'd heard of this legend and his curiosity got the better of him. He appears to be armed with a bow that is stored over on his back. His hood covers his face as he whittles away at a block of wood. He moves up the pathway slowly and when he reaches the cave he looks into it, and walks slowly in.
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The Black One
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Physical Description: A large, black dragon.
Registered: Oct 20, 2018 13:14:50 GMT -8
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Post by The Black One on Oct 22, 2018 14:55:48 GMT -8
Inside the cave...
Is blackness. @carlschmidt would be unable to see anything beyond the tip of his own nose, nor would he hear anything except the slow rumble of the wind echoing from the walls deeper within as it brushed past him in an icy breeze. The inside of the cave was deceptively cold, the ground covered in a sheet of black ice that made walking a risky and unbalancing task.
Outside the cave...
It was that time again; the day after the full moon for those who kept track, though those who didn't would have been unable to tell due to the horrendous storm that had battered the mountains through the evening. Even so the delegation from the surrounding villages managed to clear a path through the piling snows as they climbed up the treacherous pathways, each an experienced hunter or soldier or assistant. Between them they forced a middling herd of sheep, cattle and goats to accompany them and the further they climbed the more often one of the animals would suddenly cry in panic and try to escape, though one of the workhands was always there to prevent it. In addition the party carried other items of appeasement - fur coats, small boxes of valuables, even a basket of cakes and other sweets. Yet the most difficult thing to carry was done so by the shoulders of four men; a large box covered in a dark sheet that hung suspended beneath the pole used to lift it. This box seemed to be heavy enough that the men would routinely pause for break, or swap their lifting positions with another waiting man.
Upwards they climbed, until finally they led the animals and boxes into the snow-caked clearing in front of the dark entrance of the cave.
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Carl Schimdt
Established
Roleplay posts: 28
Age: 16
Physical Description: Brown hair, hazel eyes, and Caucasian skin.
Clothes and Equipment: Long dark green cloak with hood.
Leather armor, black clothing underneath.
Holster for Butcher's Cleaver
Bow and Arrow.
Bits of Wood.
Player's online availability : Daily.
Registered: Apr 18, 2018 1:56:23 GMT -8
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Post by Carl Schimdt on Oct 22, 2018 17:42:46 GMT -8
Carl turns at the noise and walks slowly out of the cave's entrance and towards the party. His cloak is covering his head and he's carving a block of wood into a dragon. He walks up the group with a friendly wave with a hand and then calls out, "Hello strangers!"
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The Black One
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Physical Description: A large, black dragon.
Registered: Oct 20, 2018 13:14:50 GMT -8
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Post by The Black One on Oct 23, 2018 16:28:41 GMT -8
(Sorry for the wait, it's been kinda hectic over here.)
The party seemed surprised at the sudden appearance of Carl, who they only saw coming from the cave, not walking towards it. One of the hunters would knock an arrow into a bow and aim it at the cloaked figure, while another stepped in front of the small train of animals and raise his voice.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The man asked.
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John Grain
Established
Roleplay posts: 15
Age: 38
Physical Description: John Grain is a simple man, with brown eyes, black hair, Caucasian skin and a height of approximately two goats and a chicken stacked on top of each other, he does not stand out in a crowd.
Clothes and Equipment: -One long wooden stick, which he spends his time carving shapes into until the stick is two thin and needs replacing.
-a thin long shirt.
-thick and long wool pants.
-a wool over coat, slightly two big for him, and stained with blood.
Player's online availability : Daily
Registered: Nov 10, 2018 5:53:46 GMT -8
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Post by John Grain on Nov 10, 2018 9:46:57 GMT -8
John Grain walked past the same cave entrance he walked past a few days prior while traveling from village to village. Last time he past here he heard sounds coming from within the cave that he did not recognize, so he kept walking until he was far enough away that he couldn't hear them.
but now, his curiosity was peaked, and he just had to enter, if only for a little while, and so he took a few steps into the cave...
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The Black One
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Physical Description: A large, black dragon.
Registered: Oct 20, 2018 13:14:50 GMT -8
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Post by The Black One on Nov 11, 2018 9:16:23 GMT -8
Like the others who entered the cave before him, John Grain 's first experience would be one of darkness and unnatural cold; born not just from the outside temperature, but the feeling that the inside of the cave wasn't natural at all. Trying to gaze through the blackness to see into the depths was like trying to see beyond the end of time itself, where all potential for activity and entropy had been sucked away until nothing more than a lifeless, freezing void remained. It wasn't actually like that of course. There was something inside: some distant crumble of stone falling against stone, perhaps a breath from a creature within, or a disturbance of wind passing through sharp rock to create a faint whistle. There was something in there... It just didn't feel right, at all. Suddenly... SNAP!An arrow hit the rock of the entrance a foot or two away from John, the head breaking off awkwardly and the shaft bouncing off and then sliding into the darkness across the thick, dark ice that covered the ground. "Get away from there! You'll disturb the beast and be the doom of us all!"The voice was shouted from behind him, where a small party of hunters leading a train of pack-mules and a chest were walking up the mountain path towards them, but had halted when John had begun to enter.
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John Grain
Established
Roleplay posts: 15
Age: 38
Physical Description: John Grain is a simple man, with brown eyes, black hair, Caucasian skin and a height of approximately two goats and a chicken stacked on top of each other, he does not stand out in a crowd.
Clothes and Equipment: -One long wooden stick, which he spends his time carving shapes into until the stick is two thin and needs replacing.
-a thin long shirt.
-thick and long wool pants.
-a wool over coat, slightly two big for him, and stained with blood.
Player's online availability : Daily
Registered: Nov 10, 2018 5:53:46 GMT -8
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Post by John Grain on Nov 11, 2018 9:31:29 GMT -8
John was surprised by the arrow, and after picking up his staff that he dropped on the ground in shock, he turned to face the entrance of the cave.
Slowly, step by step, he exited the cave, making sure that his hands were in the air and visible as he walked towards what seemed to be a traveling band of warriors carrying with them a large chest.
"Hello fellow travelers of these lands, I apologize for any distress I may have caused you, for you see, I am John Grain, greatest storyteller to have ever walked these lands. Now may I ask, what sort of beast are you going to slay in that cave?"
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The Black One
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Physical Description: A large, black dragon.
Registered: Oct 20, 2018 13:14:50 GMT -8
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Post by The Black One on Nov 11, 2018 13:42:04 GMT -8
"Slay? You can't slay what's in that cave, Mr. John Grain," the hunter told him with a tone a little like that of scolding a child for doing something dangerous, like trying to run in front of a moving horse wagon. "We're not here to slay it, we're here to make sure that it doesn't slay us. We're bringing it food," the hunter said, glancing back towards the few sheep they had trailing with them. "So that it doesn't get hungry enough to try and eat someone's son or daughter instead, or burn down their houses and livelihoods."
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John Grain
Established
Roleplay posts: 15
Age: 38
Physical Description: John Grain is a simple man, with brown eyes, black hair, Caucasian skin and a height of approximately two goats and a chicken stacked on top of each other, he does not stand out in a crowd.
Clothes and Equipment: -One long wooden stick, which he spends his time carving shapes into until the stick is two thin and needs replacing.
-a thin long shirt.
-thick and long wool pants.
-a wool over coat, slightly two big for him, and stained with blood.
Player's online availability : Daily
Registered: Nov 10, 2018 5:53:46 GMT -8
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Post by John Grain on Nov 12, 2018 5:59:38 GMT -8
John Grain was shocked by what he has just heard. "Wait," he said "you mean to tell me that there is a beast in there that you, a group of fine warriors are willing to bow down too?". "What kind of beast could be that intimidating?" he continued, half mumbling to himself in confusion, though as he continued to mumble. His expression became much sterner until he finally burst out and yelled with a large smile on his face "Oh I got it, it's some kind of shrine for a fallen hero of the past is it not? and his spirit must still be haunting this dark cave. That explains your cowardice in the face of danger, you merely want to preserve his spirit instead of denouncing it. Well than... am I correct?" after yelling all of this, he quickly calms down and continues to ramble to himself, searching through his memories, attempting to find a hero which would fit his own vague description.
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The Black One
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Physical Description: A large, black dragon.
Registered: Oct 20, 2018 13:14:50 GMT -8
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Post by The Black One on Nov 12, 2018 15:15:25 GMT -8
The hunter talking began to seem irritated by the man's apparent clownish nature, but couldn't help feeling as though he would like the man if they weren't currently in such a precarious situation. "No," he corrected the man harshly, "there's no shrine in there. Just a beast that can't be hurt by our weapons that's large enough to crush us all with a foot or instantly burn us all to death with a single breath. I implore you to come away from the entrance before you wake and anger the beast!" ( John Grain )
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John Grain
Established
Roleplay posts: 15
Age: 38
Physical Description: John Grain is a simple man, with brown eyes, black hair, Caucasian skin and a height of approximately two goats and a chicken stacked on top of each other, he does not stand out in a crowd.
Clothes and Equipment: -One long wooden stick, which he spends his time carving shapes into until the stick is two thin and needs replacing.
-a thin long shirt.
-thick and long wool pants.
-a wool over coat, slightly two big for him, and stained with blood.
Player's online availability : Daily
Registered: Nov 10, 2018 5:53:46 GMT -8
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Post by John Grain on Nov 13, 2018 4:53:55 GMT -8
John looked up at the man, and upon seeing his stern expression, immediately stopped rambling. "You must forgive me," he said, quietly "sometimes I get lost in my thoughts". Upon finishing that sentence, John quickly exited the cave as fast as he could and approached the men. "I understand this must be a dangerous situation, but you simply must permit me to enter with you. I promise, I will not make a single sound, but I simply have to see this beast for myself, or at least understand why it is that you people are so afraid of it," at this point he was within touching distance of the closest hunter to the cave in the group.
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The Black One
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Physical Description: A large, black dragon.
Registered: Oct 20, 2018 13:14:50 GMT -8
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Post by The Black One on Nov 13, 2018 6:02:06 GMT -8
The hunter shook his head, but seemed relieved that John Grain was finally taking him seriously. "There's little point, Sir. We don't go into the cave, we leave our tribute at the entrance. No-one's ever been in beyond the reach of the natural light and come back out again, friend." At that point he looked back towards the others, who were all making sure that the few sheep they had with them weren't panicking and that the chest they carried hadn't been broken apart or fallen off the wagon further down the way. "Everything's accounted for," one of the others called with a nod, before leading them further up towards the cave entrance.
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John Grain
Established
Roleplay posts: 15
Age: 38
Physical Description: John Grain is a simple man, with brown eyes, black hair, Caucasian skin and a height of approximately two goats and a chicken stacked on top of each other, he does not stand out in a crowd.
Clothes and Equipment: -One long wooden stick, which he spends his time carving shapes into until the stick is two thin and needs replacing.
-a thin long shirt.
-thick and long wool pants.
-a wool over coat, slightly two big for him, and stained with blood.
Player's online availability : Daily
Registered: Nov 10, 2018 5:53:46 GMT -8
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Post by John Grain on Nov 13, 2018 7:09:05 GMT -8
John walked with the hunter after the men. "You sir, you seem like a noble and fine warrior. I understand you fear of this beast, but I must insist that at least you and I enter the cave, if only to assure the men of the monsters existence. Besides, you look like you're yearning for a bit of a change in your routine. I only ask for us to take a few steps in." he ran forwards for a moment and stood in silence studying the man's face. "I can see it in your eyes man, you need this just as much as I and all the other men need this, to once and for all solve this mystery, and bring peace to the surrounding villages." After finishing the sentence he ran back down and began walking next to the man again, John giving the man the look that a child would give his unrelenting parents.
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The Black One
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Physical Description: A large, black dragon.
Registered: Oct 20, 2018 13:14:50 GMT -8
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Post by The Black One on Nov 13, 2018 9:12:24 GMT -8
The hunter grinned at the compliment, but shook his head anyway. "You don't understand, Sir. You seem to believe that we are leaving this tribute here only for it to be taken away by some unknown creature that we never see. That we might be being fooled by a gang of ruffians or other such trickery of theatrics. I assure you, Mr. John Grain, that if you stay and watch you will see exactly what we are dealing with... From the outside. If you want to go in there, then I'm afraid I must stop you - I won't let you throw your life away for some curiosity." With that, the hunter turned to the others and beckoned them to herd their four sheep towards the cave entrance; a large, black opening in the mountain that even the outside light did not seem to want to illuminate. When the sheep were in place, they had to be calmed against a slithering, creeping panic - but once settled they happily waited there and tugged at what frozen grass they could find as their rope binds were pegged into the solid ground by hammers. A moment later, two more men carried a closed wooden chest and placed it there with the sheep. "Everyone back now," the hunter told the men, checking a pocket watch device he pulled out of his leather. "It's not long until sunset," he explained as they all moved away from the cave entrance and took cover between trees and rocks. That night happened to be a full moon, but no-one seemed to mention it.
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John Grain
Established
Roleplay posts: 15
Age: 38
Physical Description: John Grain is a simple man, with brown eyes, black hair, Caucasian skin and a height of approximately two goats and a chicken stacked on top of each other, he does not stand out in a crowd.
Clothes and Equipment: -One long wooden stick, which he spends his time carving shapes into until the stick is two thin and needs replacing.
-a thin long shirt.
-thick and long wool pants.
-a wool over coat, slightly two big for him, and stained with blood.
Player's online availability : Daily
Registered: Nov 10, 2018 5:53:46 GMT -8
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Post by John Grain on Nov 13, 2018 9:30:18 GMT -8
John followed the hunter around as the latter yelled directions around to the other men, and as the man continued his speech to John, John's expression became more and more stern. He slowly began to understand that this was no tale of heroism in the face of evil, but instead one of total despair and the epitome of human uselessness in the face of real danger. When the hunter yelled for everyone to get away, he stood with him some distance away from the cave entrance, with a blank expression. "There would be no epic tales told of today" he whispered to himself "only those of misery and despair".
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The Black One
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Physical Description: A large, black dragon.
Registered: Oct 20, 2018 13:14:50 GMT -8
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Post by The Black One on Nov 13, 2018 14:28:34 GMT -8
The hunters would crouch down in the distance, keeping an eye on the chest and the sheep and occupying themselves as the final few minutes of day played out before them. It was still quite light out, but obvious that the sun was at the horizon and rapidly slipping beyond it. The clear sky was an evening pink and as the moon rose into it, one could see how the daylight still faded and obscured its image. "Not long now, Mr. John Grain. Perhaps you can tell stories to warn people away from here once you've seen the reason why they should," the hunter whispered. Suddenly a shadow passed over the mountains and the pink sky began to rapidly darken from the east, spreading westwards so quickly that a man could watch where the light was being swallowed in a moving line across the sky. A few seconds later, the evening birds began their shrills and songs; none too unnatural, but certainly worrying for their prey. In the distance, an animal cry of some kind - none of the hunters seemed to mind it. And then, just as one could be tricked into believing nothing was going to happen at all, a thick, steaming condensation passed out of the blackness of the cave with a faint hiss. "It comes." The sheep began to unnerve, struggling against their ropes and trying to flee, but the hunters had made sure that they couldn't. It would be unnerving to the hunters too, but after a certain amount of time one would begin to realize that the feeling of unease was rhythmic and vibrating, and that this sensation was growing stronger with each passing second until it was not their morale that shook, but the mountain itself. The intensity of this grew with the growing night, with dread feeling sapping courage like the disappearing light as something approached from within the cave. Suddenly the shaking and pounding stopped, and the frightened sheep's bleating could be heard again. Then - SNAP! One of the ropes gave out, and a sheep belted down the pathway without anyone trying to stop it. In response to this, a horrible, low, primordial growl... And then the tip of a huge, black claw silently poking out of the darkness. Not a moment later, the sheep were gone - three great claws, each bigger than a man, clasped the ground outside the entrance of the cave as the mighty limb smashed into the rock behind it, and dragged them bleating into nothingness; three great cleaves disturbing the dirt, snow, ice and rock where the hunter and John had been stood not minutes earlier. A few pieces of gold were shining in the night from where the chest had been broken, and as the hunter eyed them he was the first to remember to breathe again. Collectively the hunters sighed, apparently feeling safe again. "So you see, it is truly a beast," he explained. "We're not sure how it got in there, considering that it is larger than any entrance of the cavern we have found, but it's clearly powerful enough to break out of the mountain if it needs to. So we bring it food and treasure - so that it doesn't."
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John Grain
Established
Roleplay posts: 15
Age: 38
Physical Description: John Grain is a simple man, with brown eyes, black hair, Caucasian skin and a height of approximately two goats and a chicken stacked on top of each other, he does not stand out in a crowd.
Clothes and Equipment: -One long wooden stick, which he spends his time carving shapes into until the stick is two thin and needs replacing.
-a thin long shirt.
-thick and long wool pants.
-a wool over coat, slightly two big for him, and stained with blood.
Player's online availability : Daily
Registered: Nov 10, 2018 5:53:46 GMT -8
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Post by John Grain on Nov 14, 2018 6:21:49 GMT -8
John wasn't as shocked as he would have been had he not been expecting something like it. "How long has this foul beast been infesting your people. Do you know if it has the sort of power you assume for it to have, because I am quite sure that a beast such as this one would have been hunting your people less there was some sort of protective spell around this mountain. Just give me a quest brave hunter, and I assure you I will come back as fast as I can with what ever help I can gather, just point me to the local authorities, and I shall convince them to send their bravest warriors to help". By the end of his long sentence, he was on his knees, ready to receive the hunter's blessing.
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The Black One
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Physical Description: A large, black dragon.
Registered: Oct 20, 2018 13:14:50 GMT -8
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Post by The Black One on Nov 14, 2018 12:02:09 GMT -8
The hunter shook his head. "It would be a fool's errand and a mission of suicide. I can't stop you, but I'm not going to encourage you either," he explained, still carefully eyeing the cave. As for magic? I don't know anything about that, but we bring it food and so why should it leave? As far as we're concerned, if it's not hungry it will leave us alone."
The others were just about to stand up and leave when the ground shook again and, with a mighty, draconian roar, a high-pressured stream of blue flame shot out of the entrance of the cave towards them. The hunters all dived, but the flames did not reach far enough to do anything but cause the freezing air to fill with evaporation and steam. With that finished, the strong-legged thuds of a great creature moving off into the distance could be felt and only when the activity was completely over did any of them stand.
"This isn't good."
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John Grain
Established
Roleplay posts: 15
Age: 38
Physical Description: John Grain is a simple man, with brown eyes, black hair, Caucasian skin and a height of approximately two goats and a chicken stacked on top of each other, he does not stand out in a crowd.
Clothes and Equipment: -One long wooden stick, which he spends his time carving shapes into until the stick is two thin and needs replacing.
-a thin long shirt.
-thick and long wool pants.
-a wool over coat, slightly two big for him, and stained with blood.
Player's online availability : Daily
Registered: Nov 10, 2018 5:53:46 GMT -8
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Post by John Grain on Nov 15, 2018 5:36:10 GMT -8
John was in the process of getting up when the roaring an shacking began, his knees buckled under him and he fell to the ground. "What could this mean?" he asked, "has this ever occurred before?" .
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