S52: Now THAT’S A Red Diamond

After a grueling battle in volcanic heat the SOP enjoy a much-needed break. Alora, Nom, and Fay finish the refreshing dip in the sea. Mokon stands close by listening blindly. Dorus stands in the shade of the towering volcano tired and hungry. Fendrus, for the first time, seems less delusional -- almost as if he’d woken from a centuries-long dream. “I remember this place. This is where we used to mine purple gems. Over here. I remember this!” Fendrus smiles widely as he picks up and begins brushing the dirt and rust from an old miner’s helmet. As the old dwarf continues to reconnect with his past Drex continues to fondle (in a purely non-sexual yet still incredibly uncomfortable manner) the still-damp females of the party. Running his eye stalks and slick tentacles over exposed skin he emits awkward noises to complete the “creepy uncle” vibe. Eventually, Drex speaks up saying he is off to reclaim his fortune. “Thank you Mokon for giving Drex back his sight. Drex will remember your kindness.” And with a last “Hhhhhmmmmmmm” Drex disappears back into the volcanic cave from which the crew had recently escaped.

The party has a longer journey ahead as the exit to the volcano is on the opposite side as the entrance. Exhausted, the crew decides to put a little distance between the volcano exit and themselves before making camp. Alora’s tiny hut bursts into existence. All members of the party enter the hut, except Dorus, who bumps against the outer shell as his stomach grumbles. A brief hushed conversation about allowing Dorus entry begins until a conclusion is reached and Dorus is officially invited within. As he steps through the magical barrier his stomach growls once more. Politely, Dorus asks the group if anyone is up for a little snack. Fay and Nom practically fight over the prospect, but Fay “wins” as Nom is still slightly pale from the last feeding. Dorus wastes no time as two large fangs erupt from his upper jaw and hundreds of razor-sharp teeth break the flesh of the underside of his trunk. His pupils collapse into small dots of black in an otherwise white eye. He bites into Fay’s arm as his trunk expertly wraps around her to make sure his prey… er… friend… does not escape… um… feels more secure. Fay’s eyes roll back into her head as euphoria once again takes hold. Dorus drinks. Fay’s neck goes weak as her head drops to one side. Dorus drinks. Fay’s skin begins to pale. Dorus feasts. The others begin to grow more concerned first asking and then demanding for Dorus to stop, but he does not -- he is completely unaware of his surroundings. Dorus feels a slight pain as Alora’s whittled wooden blade gently pierces his skin. He continues to consume. Fay’s heartbeat slows her breathing becomes shallow. Fearful now for their friend’s life and remembering the warning of flowing water versus vampires, Nom pours water over the loxodon’s skin. Dorus does not react. Still, no reaction. Scared and out of time, Alora pierces Dorus’s mind shouting that he is killing Fay and then buries her short sword’s blade deep into the loxodon’s trunk. Dorus recoils in shock, his fangs receding and pupils dilating once more. Confused, ashamed, and not fully aware of what happened he sincerely apologizes as his eyes dart around the room. He then scrambles to his feet and runs from Alora’s hut disappearing into the woods.

Alora drops to her knees beside Fay who shows only the weakest signs of life. The group knows Fay needs blood and no amount of healing magic will help. Nom and Alora believe drinking a few vials of unicorn blood would get Fay back up on her feet. Then Mokon, of all people, hearing (definitely not seeing) the concern recalls a way to give blood to another but is not 100% sure how to do so. Alora activates Benny’s mechanical sending device asking if he knows how to transfuse blood to another person. Of course, Benny knows just how to proceed and explains in great detail how to proceed. Alora listened intently, ordering Nom to find small bamboo shoots that could be sharpened on both ends. Nom agrees, leaving the hut in search of the required supplies. Alora thanks Benny for his help. “You are very welcome Alora. By the way, we think you will love the upgrade we’ve made to MerryLegs. I’m sure Mokon has told you all about…” The line goes dark as the device’s power flickers and goes dark. Alora’s gaze narrows and falls directly on a blind Mokon. She begins to ask Mokon what he knows just as Nom re-enters the hut with the needed supply of bamboo. Alora’s attention once again shifts to Fay as she follows Benny’s directions to the letter. Sharpening both ends of a length of bamboo she heats the ends by magic fire and then inserts one end into Fay’s arm and the other into her own. Blood instantly flows as Fay’s body accepts the transfusion. After a short while Fay’s pale skin once again regains a slight pink hue and the bamboo transfusion device is removed. Alora climbs behind Fay’s cold body to help her stay warm. A slightly damp robe of patches draped over their bodies. 

Still exhausted, the group attempts to rest once more unconcerned about their friend Dorus. Eyes begin to drift shut inside an invisible and warm magical hut.

Thunderous waves startle the group as brush and trees break. Mokon assures the group it is Dorus coming back. Nom, to be sure, rushes out of the hut and up a closeby tree for a better vantage point. She peels the patch from her covered robotic eye. Other than a few woodland creatures she sees nothing. Mokon was partially correct -- bursting out of the forest the group sees Dorus strangely walking on the tips of his toes. Closely followed by a thin, well-dressed man they had seen once before. Dorus thuds to the ground landing on his hands and knees. 

“Well, hello there.” The long-toothed visitor turns his head slowly to look directly at a treed Nom, and then slowly back toward the invisible hut. “It appears our friend Dorus has not come by his… gifts… as honestly as I would like. Soooo… I have decided to change this unfortunate happenstance” He tosses a silver coin to the ground. “This coin is much too… unpredictable for my liking. We can do better. Ta ta.” And with a smirk and a nod the pale stranger and Dorus burst into a cloud of dust which gently dissolves around trees and branches and melds into the forest. 

A piece of paper, folded in the shape of a heart, flutters to the ground. Nom picks up the paper and unfolds it. A letter to Dorus which reads:

Dearest Dorus, 

As I watch you sculpt steel on a giant volcanic anvil I realize you have too shaped my heart. Our time together has changed me in ways you could not possibly imagine. We started out as victim and killer. Turned into best friends. Evolved into lovers. And now we are practically betrothed, soon to be husband and wife. 

You are my soulmate.

You are my world.

You and I are meant to be together forever and always.

I don’t know how  to live without you anymore. 

Bound forever.

JenI

My momma was a brilliant woman. She taught me so many rules to live by -- essential for a modern, strong woman. This will allow us to be true equals for our long loving life together. 

For fun, I have hidden snippets of her words of wisdom throughout your personal belongings. I hope you find them as inspirational as I have over the years.

PSS. My daddy is absolutely loaded. Mostly rare and unique magic items, mountains of gold and gems, and a few castles. He wasn’t impressed with my last man. Said he wasn’t strict enough? But you. I know you’ll earn my dowry. I was going to draw a map. But I decided to write this letter instead -- I'll show you our fortune in person.

PSSS. Is Nom a super bitch or is it just me? Be ever vigilant, my love. She said some real nasty shit about your mom.

Nom refolds the letter. (Some may say she crumples it into an angry ball, but we all know that Nom just isn’t good at folding hearts out of paper.) The group just might, for the first time, collectively feel a great loss with JenI’s departure. Probably especially Nom.

As the crew begins to discuss options another rustling can be heard getting closer accompanied by low moans and distant cries -- a familiar sound heard only once before. A sound that escaped the fleshy sagging maw of an entity that escaped the Shadowfell at Milbin’s inner tower. Alora and Nom watch (and Mokon listens and Fay slumbers) as two grotesque creatures exit the forest and shamble toward the hut. Seemingly they can sense the SOP, but not an exact location. The abominations circle the hut occasionally bumping against or dragging foot-long black fingernails against its exterior. The SOP are once again trapped in Alora’s hut. Quickly thinking, the group begins to physically pierce through the one-way membrane of the hut over and over. The creatures now alerted begin attacking the hut -- with no success from the outside of the magical dome -- each attack more futile than the last. Eventually, our heroes wear down the enemy with Alora only taking slight damage. With little chance of following a cloud of dust through a dark forest with one blind party member and a second in no shape to travel, the group settles for a long rest to recoup.

Morning breaks. Fay, although slightly groggy, seems to be safely away from death’s door. Mokon sits blindly ready with his super hearing engaged. Down one loxodon the party moves forward on the longer road back to their gas powered balloon on the opposite side of the volcano.

The trek is slower than normal with no significant trail to follow and a blind Mokon continuously bumping into and tripping on random bits of nature. Nom and Fay decide they should scout ahead in search of food and danger as their party is not currently at its full potential. Although difficult to traverse, this volcano-adjacent forest is beautiful -- brightly colored wildlife, strange fauna, and unfamiliar noises. After a few hours of this pattern of travel the two scouts happen along a sight that stands out above the rest. As Nom pushes past yet another dangling vine a large brilliant yellow bloom catches her eye. Focusing more intensely she notices movement. Movement of what appears to be a fairy cleaning her wings. Nom gestures to Fay who immediately thinks of Alora and begins to backtrack to inform the rest of the group. Nom, however, takes a different path adding yet another trigger for her immediate, non-thinking actions. Bounding from the shadows of the forest Nom produces a cloth bag mid-flight adeptly enclosing the fairy and her golden bloom. A smirk trickles across her face knowing she bested the small creature -- Alora would be thrilled! Mere seconds pass before Nom’s joy is replaced by concern as three thick viscous vines explode from the undergrowth, wrap around Nom’s legs and torso, and begin to quickly haul her thin green body across the forest floor. Nom manages to free her mouth from a fourth vine, but decides to take care of the inconvenience herself instead of calling for aid. Moments later the vines prove to be more able than Nom had given them credit as she finds herself swallowed and waist deep in the stinging, gurgling stomach acid of a rather enormous carnivorous plant. 

Meanwhile, Fay finds the group and begins to elaborate on the yellow flower fairy. The group meanders slowly toward their friend Nom.

The inner lining of this creature’s stomach is not only slimy, but thick. The walls of the stomach constrict and release as the acidic liquid slowly climbs upward toward Nom’s face. Her skin and lungs burn. Try as she might, Nom has little success in freeing her weapons to make a strong strike. She wiggles and fights as she feels her life slowly fading.

Fay and the rest of the group have returned to the spot where Fay had last seen Nom -- only Nom is nowhere to be seen. They call out, but there is no answer. Fay notices a cloth satchel -- it is Nom’s. The group knows that Nom would never voluntarily leave a perfectly good satchel behind. There is foul play afoot. The group begins to investigate the area quickly finding what appears to be drag marks through sticks and leaves. They follow the path until, nested behind a large rock, they find a gigantic green pod. Tendrils lash out as small beaklike mandibles click and clack at the unwanted guests. Just then a sword bursts from the side of the creature -- Nom’s sword. Alora and Fay jump into action stabbing and blasting the large plant. Mokon listens and lets the group know there is a noise -- a noise that sounds like tendrils and beaklike mandibles clicking and clacking and the noise of a fight. Mokon’s gears slowly engage as his brain slowly builds a picture of what is taking place. The battle continues… Mokon ponders. Nom’s life slowly drains… Mokon wonders. Blood and bile spills… Mokon gasps with realization. He then blindly moves forward running directly into a knee high stone, yelping in annoyance, taking a shuffle left and then once again forward and into battle.

Nom’s hand has now extended through a hole she had created with a well place sword strike. Fay grabs Nom’s hand and pulls, but the digestive fluids are much too slick and Fay’s hand slips loose. Alora attacks again trying death as opposed to aid. Fay yells for Mokon to help them. Mokon rushes forward once more this time running directly into the front of the large creature. Fay places Mokon’s hand on Nom’s forearm and together they pull. Nom’s top half appears as the combined strength of her friends rips the fibrous hole larger. Nom is unresponsive, her body having succumbed to the abuse. As Mokon and Fay continue to try to pull their unconscious friend free as a death blow is dealt. The clicking and clacking come to a stop, the tendrils fall limp, and the giant green creature collapses to the ground. Pulling Nom's body from under the pile of hissing death, the rest of the group look at her with confusion as if saying “Why?!?!”

A wave of magical healing washes over Nom. She gasps and coughs as steaming acid spouts from her lungs. Nom stands and wipes the thick yellow liquid from eyes. A victory smile crosses her lips as she has the uncontrollable urge to flip a coin. Just then Nom’s mind is wracked with pain. Her face contorts, her eyes roll back, and her unconscious body slams face first into the moss-covered earth. As the coin rolls from Nom’s unconscious hand a small brassy-metallic creature appears. It buzzes and beeps as it rolls closer to the group on a single wheel. Three arms move spastically as a single almost organic eye looks at each of the party. Alora does her best to communicate with the creature, but before she makes any progress it shimmers and disappears. 

DORUS ARC

You walk into the dark forest ashamed of what you had done, but know that you had little control over your actions. The hunger had taken control. You wonder if you are more hindrance to your party than help, but that thought is quickly exchanged for concern as a cold long-fingered hand wraps around the back of your thick neck. 

“My, my, my what have we here… a fledgling vampire… by unorthodox means.” The fingers slide slowly across your neck toward the front as the monster comes into view. You recognize him from the gas balloon -- your new vampiric “friend”.

“I, for one, am not a fan of the unorthodox. I like clean, planned, precise.” You try to speak but no words escape and your body feels frozen in place. “We… need… to… do… something… about… this.” With each distinct word, a long cold finger taps your throat. “But not here. We’ll go home for this.” He then grabs the scruff of your neck and begins to walk. Your 400 pound body held aloft just above the ground -- your toes dragging across the forest floor. “First, let’s say hello… or should I say goodbye to your friends.” Forced into the clearing from which you had previously stormed away, you are tossed forward landing on your hands and knees.” Words are exchanged with your group, but you hardly understand the meaning as your thoughts begin to swirl.

Your body begins to tingle as your body begins to float in a millions small particles through trees and branches ever upward. You see two fleshy creatures approaching the magical dome of your friends… then blackness.

You awake in a damp stone room. Thick iron bars form the far wall on one end. The smell of rotting iron, in more than one sense of the word, surrounds you. A single flicker torch dances in the distance. You are starving. 

You hear a rustling. Barely moving mummified bodies lay at your feet. Their pointed teeth inch slowly closer to you in jaws that warily open and close. You instantly know these are vampires or at least the spawn of vampires that have not fed in a very long time. 

You smell blood. You hear three distinctive hearts beating. You begin to salivate as your fangs lengthen and small teeth break through the skin on your trunk. You head spins around. Behind you rests a small crumbling cage. Three small children, human children, cower in the corner of their enclosure -- as far away from you as possible. They sob and weep as quietly as they can.