RP: Winter's Valley-The Plight of Sus'Ann

mashedtaters

Sus'Ann crawls past the tree-projectile of dead man ornaments. She stands and looks over her shoulder just as the orc takes spots her friends. They take off running through the dead trees. Sus'Ann winces as the giant hurls a rock twice her size into the trees. The crash and subsequent crying of her friends almost make her lose her resolve, but there is no way to turn back now.

She makes her way back through the grim, abandoned battlefield of corpses and debris. She is winded, but hardy. She takes off at a quick pace, though stays careful, until she comes to the ramp back up to the village. Quickly, she climbs to the plateau and makes her way through the dead town.

Once back in the pass, she leaves the two dead orcs and carefully makes her way back to the barbarians as they mill about the camp.

Cautiously, she approaches until she sees them milling about, obviously waiting for their warriors to return, oblivious to their deaths and the battle raging on only a few miles away from them.

What do you do, Sus'Ann?

@lolien This is the new thread for your character.

ashafetov

@mashedtaters I am not sure if it would be right for me to follow this thread as my character obviously can not know all these events, but I would pretend he knows nothing as I can't help reading this

lolien

Sus'Ann leaves the party in doubts, but her determination is stronger with every step toward her destination. She doesn't know what she'll be doing yet, but she doesn't let this break her resolve.

When she arrives near the barbarians she stops to gather strenght and to give a prayer to her god.

*Refiner, guide the steps of my friends and carry them on your palms in these confusing times, shine your light on them to lighten the path before them, that you marked them to walk and accomplish your plan...

And i, your feeble and unworthy servant, ask you to make me your instrument of peace amongst the barbarians and the people of Astorwind. Forgive our hostility, open the mind of the barbarians to your unending wisdom, teach us understanding and forge our unity to your holy weapon against the true enemy.

I lay my life in your caring hands, speak through me and act through this frail wessel of mine with your unending power.*

She approaches the crowd in silence, seeking for familiar faces.

Thanks @mashedtaters for arranging this thread for me, i hope this not ends too bad for Sus'Ann

mashedtaters

Sus'Ann feels that her prayer was heard by her diety. He goes by many names among the people of Astorwind: Sun God is his name mostly for the nobility; Father Harvest, among the peasentry; the military has named him the Refiner; and, among his clergy, The Unblighted. Sus'Ann feels his love and acceptance and, most of all, his appreciation that she has not forgotten that these are of his people, as well. It seems that he is smiling upon her as the memory of his visitation upon them fills her.

Her prayer said and her will steeled, she approaches the barbarian camp openly, her hands out wide in a gesture of peace. The golem is the first to see her. His face is programmed in its surprised expression as the women and children move about him sadly, mournfully. Then the children point her out with squealing calls of alarm.

Harsfath rushes up with several of the guard who remained behind. His face is blotchy from mourning. The dust is still about his hair, his coat rent and torn. He has hung about himself a shawl of grassroots, a sign of shame and mourning among his people.

They walk up to her and, without waiting for an explanation, Harsfath nods to an unseen accomplice behind her. "Take her," he says.

Then a sharp pain bursts into Sus'Ann's awareness and blackness envelopes her. She knows no more.

mashedtaters

The blood of Kagnan... it soaks Sus'Ann's hands and feet. He is laying there on his pyre, ready to be burned to the unholy spirits of the barbarian worshippers. His face, empty, dead, murdered... by you.

"YOU DID THIS!" the voice of Harsfath booms over you. You look up and see the barbarian towering over you, impossibly high. "BEHOLD! HIS DEATH IS ON YOUR HANDS!"

The terrifying picture of Harsfath in your mind's eye swells to gargantuan sizes, towering higher than even the walls of Astorwind. "BEHOLD!" Harsfath screams into your face.

As prompted, you look over and see Kagnan stirring. The man sits up on his pyre and turns to look at you, his face veiled in darkness and smoke from the fire. He steps down and takes a slow, lumbering step towards you and his face is revealed...

...it is the face of Sus'Ann's long lost child, dead, hollow, and disfigured by time and rot. A high pitched scream sounds around you and then you realize it is your own voice. With a lunge, the Kagnan-child thing bites with long sharp teeth into your neck, ravenous and devouring in its hunger and hatred for you, squirming spasmodically as it feeds on your quivering, dying flesh...

mashedtaters

Sus'Ann awakens with a start. It was a dream, a horrible nightmare. Perhaps it was even inspired by the spirits of the raiders, you wonder.

Your hands and feet are bound tightly to a pole within an animal skin tent. Your belonging are missing, including your weapons and armor. You are clothed in the traditional slavery garb the raiders clad their slaves in. It is dark, but the light from a bonfire outside casts shadows from patrolling barbarians onto the tent's walls. You look around and see a giant figure silhouetted in the darkness, kneeling and shaking its head.

"Why did you come back?" FG-11's sad voice comes from the figure, revealing its identity. His robotic voice is empty and lonesome. "Now you are certain to die... just like the children..."

He sobs.

What do you do, Sus'Ann?

mashedtaters

@lolien
Are you still interested in this thread? I’m ready whenever you are, no rush. I can wait. Just tagging as a reminder.

lolien

Happy new year!

Sorry about my absence, i was enjoying the christmas holidays with my family much, and could not make myself involve into online life. Now i'm back to work so my time is still limited, but i'm definitely interested and don't want to leave Sus'Ann in the time of need , soon, i will post, just need some more time to gather the thoughts of the captive dwarven woman.