9. The Reeds Devil

General Summary

Written by: Claegh
One evening, as the Company is partaking of their dinner, the old preacher Claegh will pull out his lute. Strumming a single deep note, everyone is quickly drawn to focus on him, as he begins to recite in a deep baritone. Throughout, the music of lute keeps time with the song-like tale.
Sing, O Muse, of the deeds of the Reeds Devil, that scourge who stirs dread from the fields of the Golden Expanse. Bear these tales to my Lady in the Realms of the Departed, that she may know the valor of her faithful. Tell of the Company of the Broken Banner, that noble band who dared to face the fires and fury, who sought after glory and defied death in shadowed lands.
Sing of Klippe, watcher of the heavens, steadfast cleric of the Astronomer, whose eyes chart the secret paths of stars.
Sing of Buffman Beefalot, tall and mighty, of hands both strong and gentle, a baker who breathes life into dough as he does into battle.
Sing of Ithrenna Nightbloom, mistress of the frost-winds, daughter of blizzards, with a heart cold as her breath and sharp as the ice.
Sing of Fraudator, the merry trickster, whose laughter dances in realms unseen, and who gambles boldly with fate and mortal threads.
Sing of Aldan Brokkr, bold striker of knees, wielder of the hammer of unity, whose blows fall like thunder upon enemies.
And of me, humble servant, who ventured forth by their side, to test my mettle in fire.
Unto the shimmering expanse of golden reeds we traveled, seeking those wise in the ways of the beast, those who knew its trail and feared its wrath. There, in the shadow of tall grasses, we found Sora of the Stargazer Clan, whose gaze lay hidden behind the pale mask of porcelain and shade. Like one with foreknowledge he bade us come quickly, for not one beast but two now ravaged the land—Oranar, demons from the Maw, great creatures of flame and dark shadow, casting terror upon any who strayed across their path.
The veterans, bold Company of the Broken Banner, strode forth in righteous anger and courage. Yet as they advanced, the flames sprang to life, fanning the fields with fire and fury, the reeds aflame as though in tribute to their power. Thus did we face the shadows and fire, and so shall the song be sung.
First, Klippe, the watcher of stars, raised his voice in blessing. With ancient words he called upon his god, the Astronomer, to stretch mighty Buffman’s form, growing his stature until he loomed like a colossus above his foes. I whispered an unseen protection over Aldan, binding his fate to the woven spells of warding. Then, in darkness, an Oranar vanished. Across the field it struck with sudden wrath, a claw arcing toward Fraudator. Yet Frau, quick as a tempest, conjured shadows and smoke to shift the blow, trading deadly strike for glancing hit. Seeing the flames grow fierce, Ithrenna called a flurry of snow. Winds howled at her command, bearing winter's chill over the burning reeds, halting fire’s spread with frost. The other shadowed fiend then appeared, its hateful eyes upon Klippe. In a flash it lunged, striking him low, casting the cleric to the ground. But noble Buffman reached forth with steady hands, pouring healing light into his fallen friend, and Klippe stirred, breath returned though his strength was faint. Aldan, fierce-hearted, swung his blade at the shadow that had brought down his friend—but missed, his blade cleaving empty air.
But as the heroes clashed with their foes, the fire crept on, a ravenous blaze spreading like a hungry beast.
Now Klippe, wounded and gasping, crawled from shadow’s reach, yet the Oranar’s claws swiped once more. Only the divine strength granted by Buffman’s touch shielded him, and Klippe endured. Struggling back, he called upon the lights of starlit Faerie Fire, casting pale flames upon the fiend, revealing it through the reeds’ cloaking shroud. I lifted my hand, summoning a healer’s grace and cast it upon Klippe, restoring strength to his limbs. Then, with a murmured prayer to fate, I bent the threads of life, gifting Frau with a pulse of vigor—though I felt my own essence grow ever colder as the old curse gnawed further. But again, an Oranar leapt at Frau, claws striking only air. Laughing, Frau summoned a shadowed mirror, a trickster’s twin of himself, which leapt at the creature, striking wide. Then mighty Ithrenna called upon the ice-locked realms, a frigid lance that struck true at one fiend, freezing its searing flames mid-dance. Enraged, the Oranar turned upon her and struck fiercely, its flames biting deep. Buffman, the giant, swung his blade at the fiend that wounded Ithrenna, but his blow too fell short, his strike passing through the swirling embers.
Meanwhile, the fire crept closer, inch by inch, hungry as the Oranar themselves.
Then Klippe, rising once more, summoned courage from the stars above. With words of blessing, he cast Heroism upon Aldan, filling the warrior’s heart with unshakable resolve. Bold and unyielding, Aldan rushed forth, his blade striking true against the fiend that harried Ithrenna, its dark form recoiling from his righteous blow. The second Oranar, angered, wove an unholy spell, summoning darkness to empower its next strike. Seeing this, Frau and his mirror self struck as one—blows landing with a trickster’s precision. Yet still, the Oranar’s dark magic held, and with a venomous lash, it struck back at Frau. Then, loosing an ear-splitting scream, it tore at the minds of all, draining Aldan’s strength, leaving him pale. Frau’s double leapt forward again, striking fiercely to avenge the blow, as my own voice rang out in a curse of dark Tendrils, rising from the earth like midnight vines. Though the Oranar proved immune to their deadly touch, black ichor spilled from their bodies, their essence bleeding forth. With lightning’s swiftness, Ithrenna became a storm herself, dashing through her foe in a flash of electric fury that seared its shadowed form. But her second strike of ice missed, shards scattering across the flames. In rage, the second Oranar vanished and reappeared above me, casting down fire like a vengeful storm. I staggered, yet the flames only grazed me. Then great Buffman, raising his shield high, brought it down with thunderous force. His first strike missed its mark, but the second landed heavily upon the Oranar’s shadowed form.
Yet still, the fire grew bolder, spreading outward, swallowing more of the golden fields.
With steady hands, Klippe called upon sacred light, seeking to heal the rift of darkness that plagued our foe. But alas! The vile creature resisted his holy touch, its essence coiling away from the light. Yet Aldan, undaunted, seized his moment, his axe biting deep into the shadowy form, drawing forth a howl of rage. In swift retaliation, the fiend turned its wrath upon Ithrenna, raking her with claws sharp as winter's chill. Frau, ever the trickster, summoned his mirror self to strike, but fate turned against him, and his blow went astray. In that moment, I raised my voice, invoking a blessing to empower my steadfast companions, lifting their spirits in the heat of battle. Yet the villain, cunning and cruel, retaliated with a strike that bit into my flesh, bringing me low but not defeated. Then, from the heart of the storm, Ithrenna unleashed another tempest of snow upon our enemy, swirling flakes encasing the villain in icy tendrils, though its dark heart remained resolute against her fury. The second Oranar, sensing the tide shifting, vanished in a flicker of shadow, appearing anew to rain fire upon Aldan and me, striking true with flames that seared our skin and left us gasping. Yet Buffman, undeterred by the chaos, surged forward with righteous strength, his mighty shield crashing into the Oranar assailing Frau and Ithrenna, striking true and shaking the very ground beneath its dark feet.
Around us, the fire raged, reaching out for new fields to burn.
With determination aflame, Klippe again summoned the divine light, striking at the remaining foe with a burst of healing energy. The malevolent creature recoiled, suffering from the sacred touch, though it shook off some of the pain, its dark form unyielding. Aldan, his heart fierce and his axe keen, dashed forward to meet the beast, striking with unrelenting might. His blade cleaved through the shadows, separating the fiend's torso from its legs, sending it crashing to the ground in a heap of smoldering darkness. But as the vile creature drew its last breath, it let loose a horrifying scream that echoed across the steppe, a sound that gnawed at our courage, chilling our bones and draining our spirits. In the chaos, the remaining Oranar vanished into the very flames it conjured, mending its wounds in the fire's embrace. It then unleashed a barrage of distant assaults, fiery tendrils striking at Frau and me, but fate smiled upon us; both blows missed their mark. Frau, ever quick and resourceful, brandished his crossbow, the bolt singing through the air as it found its target, striking the creature and drawing forth a growl of pain. Meanwhile, I, sensing the darkness within, called upon my healing power, mending my own wounds and rising from the brink of despair. Ithrenna, with unyielding resolve, conjured yet another storm of snow, enveloping the creature in frosty tendrils that sought to bind it, though her follow-up strike fell short, failing to pierce its dark defenses. Buffman, undeterred by the chaos of flames around him, strode boldly into the fire, aiming to smite the creature, but the shadows danced away from his mighty swing, eluding his grasp.
Still stronger did the fire burn, and all in its path was ash.
With steadfast resolve, Klippe invoked a wave of despair upon the remaining fiend, his voice echoing with the weight of sorrow. Yet the dark creature, steeped in malice, shrugged off the attempt, its will unbroken. Aldan, fierce as a tempest, charged forward, his axe slicing through the air. He struck true, landing a solid blow that echoed through the battlefield like thunder, though the wound barely daunted the monstrous form. In a flash, the villain vanished, reappearing beside Frau, seeking to empower its next attack with dark sorcery. But Frau, ever vigilant, countered with swift instinct, his strike a blur in the gloom, this time disrupting the incantation and causing the creature to miss its intended target, the air crackling with the remnants of thwarted magic. Emboldened, Frau seized the moment, landing another blow with cunning precision, his mirror self drawing the enemy’s ire, distracting it just long enough for his true strike to land deep. I summoned forth a deep baritone melody, my Hymn of Healing filling the air with soothing notes that washed over Frau, restoring some of his vigor. But as I reached out to aid Ithrenna by nudging her fate, a flicker of my curse consumed me, darkening my visage further. With fierce determination, Ithrenna conjured the very winds, sending a blade of air to slash at the villain. Her magic struck with the force of a blizzard, cutting through the creature’s defenses and causing it to wail in anguish. Yet Buffman, charging in with all his might, swung his shield twice at the beast, but the shadows wrapped around it, evading his powerful strikes, leaving him to roar in frustration.
The fire roared, nearly beyond control, as it hungrily crept in all directions.
With a voice as thunderous as the sky, Klippe summoned forth a chilling aura of fear that gripped the heart of the dark fiend. It recoiled, its confidence shattered, trembling in the shadow of impending doom. Aldan, seizing the moment of dread, surged forward with the ferocity of a wild beast. His axe cleaved through the air, striking true, and with one mighty blow, he split the villain in twain. The creature’s form fell apart, releasing a horrific scream that echoed across the battlefield, sending shivers through the hearts of even the bravest among us. Yet victory brought no solace, for the flames that had spread across the golden reeds threatened to consume the land. The air crackled with the heat of the fire, and its greedy tendrils reached hungrily for all in their path. From his perch overseeing the battle, Sora rallied us to fight not just against the darkness of the Oranar but against the raging inferno that sought to claim the steppe. United as one, we turned our might toward quenching the flames, determined to safeguard the land we knew so many to depend upon.
As the winds calmed and the fires dwindled, the golden fields lay scorched but not without hope. The brave Company of the Broken Banner stood tall, their hearts united in triumph. Klippe lifted his voice in thanks to the stars, while Buffman grinned wide, feeling the warmth of victory amidst the charred earth. Ithrenna, fierce in spirit, surveyed the battlefield, and Aldan, now at peace, rested his weary axe against his shoulder. Frau, ever the trickster, danced among the shadows, his laughter a bright contrast to the dark remnants of battle, weaving tales of victory that would inspire and entertain.
Thus do I lay this tale before you, dear Lady, so that you may know the valor of those who faced the Reeds Devil in the fields of the Golden Expanse. Let this song echo through the ages, a testament to the strength of unity, the power of courage, and the glory of those who dare to stand against the darkness.