Erias
Erias Hart
When the hot, dry wind blows in from the barren desert, that is when you know he is coming. When a nameless voice echos through the mountains words that are barely audible and just beyond the reach of comprehension, that is when the ghosts of the past herald his approach.
The man with no name is legend. His reputation is as large as the west itself. Whether traveling to right a wrong, enact vengeance, or defend the helpless; he will not leave until the job is complete. His wands are his best friends, and the evil-door's worst enemy.
So, when the hot summer wind suddenly grows cold, and the hair on the back of your neck stands on end be watchful. It is a sure bet that you are being watched from the hillsides. Pray it isn't you that the spellslinger is coming for.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Not much is known about Erias before he crossed Morgan's gate into this new, strange land. Some say that he is on the run from the law in the Common Lands. Coming to this new world for a chance at a clean slate. Others, believe that he is his hunting for something, or someone, that wronged him in a past life.
Others do not believe that he walks fully on this plane. Whoever he is, or wherever he comes from, Erias has baggage. Will anyone every truly know him?
Morality & Philosophy
"Oh, you are innocent? Well, ain't that somethin'. I have two wands that don't much care.... Please, don't go for that sword, it will never leave the sleeve..."
"Told ya' not to go for the blade.... Now I have to carry your sorry hide..."
Bring justice, collect the bounty. It is not Erias' duty to judge.
Taboos
Carries (and occasionally smokes) a cigar. Quiet, stern, unforgiving.
Species
Children
Eyes
Grey, squinty from hous in the sun
Hair
Long, sleek, raven black
Height
6'0"
Weight
150 pounds
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Into the wild
We left the Green City heading south. Supposedly there is a large hole in the ground that everyone is all hot and bothered about. Don't much know why, but I have to do something to make folks talk to me. Makes it hard to get info on a bounty if folks don't talk at ya.
It's clouding up again. Rothgard, was able to stop the rain for a short spell, but I see it on the horizon. Apparently, that short little cleric can't stop this for long. While I'm grateful for the respite, he might want to stick to bashing heads and leave the magic to others.
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A day into the journey, we ran into a sight that was truly peaceful. An elven burial ground showed the true classification of different elves elves in this group. The high elves have a ritual which turns the bodies of the Fallen into Gardens beautiful Lush areas of plants rising to the heavens. The Woodland elves, leave their dad where they lie. Allowing them to be overtaken by the ground around them. What we found, is a location where high and wood elves were buried.
However an unsettling quiet came over the group. Some black tar-like substance had covered all of the bones of the Woodland elves. I knew this work, this was the work of a necromancer. Necromancer's use these types of creatures to clean the bones so that they can be used in the Demonic rituals.
They disgust me.
Now, resting in a graveyard may not seem like the best of ideas. However being Elvin this did not bother him the majority of the party we rested well with very little fear that anything would come upon us however upon wake we discovered that all of our rations both in store and that we were going to have for a well-deserved breakfast, we're all rotten destroyed by some foul presence nearby. Within moments I realized that my wands themselves were molding and rotting. Being natural substances, made of ivory, I assume that made them more susceptible to the light that was affecting the rest of our gear.
While the respite from the seemingly perpetual rain was nice, we had to go.
The rain that was simply a mist through the elven graveyard was a full-on gail. My entire body weight had to be put against the fury of the storm. Wind whipped my sarape, and my had risked being blown from my head if I wasn't careful. Going was slow - we couldn't take much more of this.
"We need to turn toward the Shivering Keep!" I shouted against the storm to my companions, "if we don't, we will all die out here!"
The wind treated my words like a child's kite, blowing them against the sky. I held on to them as tightly as possible, afraid that I would lose them in the tempest.
"We need to get with Nova" Rothgard shouted, "she won't know which way went." His weariness showed in his voice, despite being one that is used to struggle.
We continued on through the day and finally came to the edge of a great forest. Nova waited at the tree line. Large trees flanked us on the Western side, blocking the wind. Large hedgerows of brambles littered the ground. "This place is just lovely" I sneered, my mood as cold as the weather.
"We should go to the Shivering Keep and wait out this storm" I reiterated now that the whole party was together. "We'll all catch pneumonia if we stay here. Then, our reputation will the the least of our problems!"
Conversation commenced with all in agreement. We were all tired, cold, and ready for a change. One night under a roof wouldn't hurt on on our trek. Our discussions were drawn to an abrupt halt be a noise behind the trees. There, a man burned from the waist down shivered under some brables. He was a pathetic figure, tall and lankey. His eyes displayed a feeling that I knew all too well - pain. The man was completely nude, which further exacerbated his pitiful state. Lucious, being the one of the group with the most straight moral compass, covered him in a cloak. He was mute, at first, until Rothgard stared at him closely. We learned later that there were two creatures there - a wolf and a man. Lycanthopy is a dangerous and deadly bed-fellow. None were two excited to have him around.
As seems to be the case with our group, debate ensued about what to do with him. Should we put him out of his misery, or move on and let him live. Concerned for the way this confrentation would conclude, I moved behind him to keep him from getting a flank on the rest of the group. I placed my want to the back of his head, ready to render him unconcious, if needed.
Before the situation could "go to Hell in a handbasket", Jack interviened. He moved with a speed that I'm not used to, knicked the man (who was quickly changing).
"Great, Jack" I thought to myself, "a papercut is all we need. I'm certain he'll surrender now". The creature reacted with a fierce rage, flailing at the attack. In the tirade, I felt my arm gashed open and blood flow freely.
Recovering from this blow, I prepared to fire - point blank, into his back. I couldn't miss at this range. Just as I felt the energy whell up inside of me, and the runes on my skin burned, the creature caught my eyes. The pain within them stopped me in my tracks. The energy subsided and I couldn't force myself to "fire".
"Stop", I yelled to to the group, echoing Jack's plee for mercy. "I don't think he is going to hurt us. Look at him, his muscles are limp."
Ensuing conversation revealed that he wanted us to leave him be, but I could see the anxiety stirring among members of the group. Cinderclaw, seemed poised for strike. To add additional angst, pelt began acting strangly, and growling at the approaching dark.
The premature night was crossing the field of brambles faster than any natural night could. Seizing his opportunity, Cinderclaw pounced, faster than any cat, and reached for the unfortunate lichen. I drew my wand and fired, runes for levitation burning across my back, while my blast struck home on Cinderclaw - doing no harm - he had already latched onto the wolf-man. Both raised into the sky and into the branches of the tree above.
Cinder had figuratively grabbed the tiger by the tail, and the tiger wasn't having any part of it. It lashed into him, ripping it's way through Cinderclaw's scaly hide. Blood and scales rained down from below and the smell of burning hair and flesh made me nauseous. I almost fired in amongst them, just to put them out of my misery.
The lichen shook Cinder off and fell to the ground, injured and definitely shaken. I didn't have time to be concerned, the darkness and fog was incroching
The Battle in the Dark
The dark figure stood over me. The figure darkened the sun as he stood over the top of me. A laugh erupted somewhere in the distance. There was a flash as the figure lunged at me. Then, dark.
I awoke in a black-as-pitch room smelling of dead fish and salt. The pounding in my head would be a long-time subsiding, but I knew that the pain would have to wait. The physical damage was minimal, as was evidenced by the small trickle of blood into my left eye. Unconsciously I wiped it out; though it would do no good because I still couldn’t see.
I would find who did this and make them pay…. How to get out of here, though. That was the real question.
I forced myself to stand, pain shooting through every part of my body.
“No time to sit here and rot.” I muttered to only darkness. Slowly, I made my way to my feet, feeling my way along walls in the darkness. There was a sensation of descending, like the agents of Hell were slowly carrying me to my final resting place.
I would have to find my way out soon.
I located a door (or what I sincerely hoped was a door) and shoved with all the might that my pain-lashed body would allow. I felt it shudder, then give – I was greeted with more darkness. An empty abyss from which there seemed no escape. Though the dark was crushing, I made my way slowly through the endless hallways, always turning right and always making my way up. If this was a level of Hell that my Theological background failed to tell me about, I figured it was best to keep moving. At any time, the denizens may discover my presence and make me a permanent resident.
It must have been hours one hand on the smooth-hewn walls, covered slightly with seaweed, or some other such plant. At least, that’s what my mind told me it was… I stumbled more than once, falling to my knees in the remaining salt water left when the cavern drained.
Finally, I saw a light. It was dim at first, but slowly grew brighter. “Well, if this is Hell,” I mused to myself “I think I have found the furnace.”
Before me was a room made up of mostly volcanic vents. Spirits of long deceased flame spirits burst from the walls, vomiting gasses that aren’t acceptable in most decent company. Well, no turning back now. I would have to press through. I stood for what seemed like hours. Judging time between the volcanic spirts. What that a 5 second window, or was it 10? Either way, push through…
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If that is what a lobster boil feels like, I don't know that I'll ever eat 'em again. While pushing through steam that equates to the bowels of Hell, I got my timing off, just slightly and singed my left arm.
Back into the oppressive dark - not that I minded after the last room with light that I went into. Slowly, I trudged through the darkness, ever so slightly upwards. Once, an old man told me the way through a labyrinth is to always take a right at any intersection - wise advice. With my hand on the right wall of the cavern, I consistently veered right at each intersection, not knowing if there was a foul beastie waiting in the next zone of dark.
Was it hours, or days that I wandered in the maze? Time seems to lose all meaning when you are in the crushing dark and silence. The sensory deprivation is enough to make one lose his mind. Still, not seeing critters dancing in the dark, was a good sign.
Finally, I breached the darkness. A light, small at first then growing brighter drew me like a moth to the flame. I chose not to consider that it is often not too great of an end for the moth...
I stood on the edge of a precipice at least 150 feet tall. The spherical room below me was the control room, though devoid of all water. The worst part of it - there was no way down. Here, finally in the light, I was just as trapped as I was in the dark. Or was I? Across the room, about 50 feet away, were the bowls that held the water. If I could hit one and knock some water out, perhaps it would fill the room up enough to make the jump. It was worth a try and certainly better than going back down into the dark. There was also another motivator - I felt my wands pulsing with power and they were close.
I pulled out my trusty boot knife, not much more than a toothpick, but it was all I would need. Thank God for many late nights playing darts in the bar. Uttering a short prayer, I threw the knife and watched, almost in slow motion, as it cut through the air. My aim was true and the smaller of the two bowls took a hit and slowly tipped over.
A sound like a thousand demons emitted through the chamber as water rushed in from the lowest doors. I heard voices - distressed voices - and saw the SOB's that had hit me in the head. My bag was on one of their backs...
Well, the plan was to use the water to slow my fall. Now, a new idea presented itself. Without a weapon to speak of (I didn't even have my boot knife), I had to make the best of my resources. One doesn't survive long without thinking outside of the box. Gravity works, and I decided to use it.
Flinging myself into the air, I began the long fall into water below. Silently, I cut through the air and "aimed" directly for the leader. There was a sickening "crunch" as my elbow smashed the top of his head.
Falling 100 feet and hitting a solid object doesn't do too well for your anatomy. Sharp pains coursed through my body, but I'm used to it by now. As we both sank to below the water, a glint caught my eye. He had my wands! Finally, I snatched them up and swam to the safety of another cavern.
The two remaining were no longer surprised. I saw the fear, anger, and desperation that, just momentarily, shadowed their normal features. Vengeance waits for no man. I opened up with my wands, using the cavern for cover. Several shots hit their mark and the girl fell limp in the water.
The man, on the other hand (or rather on the other HANDS). Turned to be less than "normal". Carrying each companion in two hands - yeah, you counted right, that is four - another two hands continued swimming. Now, momma always told me not to mess with anyone with multiple appendages - advice I tend to hold near to me.
Finally, my traveling companions joined the brawl. Serros (at least I prayed that it was Serros) crawled across the ceiling as a gigantic spider - carrying a rope that allowed Lucious to plummet into the cold waters to continue the fight.
Very nice!