The Gambler
2nd July 2004, 17:29
OOC - Dug this up, God knows how old... enjoy.
The Storm Gathers
The storm clouds were gathering as I turned and looked back, for a second the shadows seemed strange and elongated but it must have been a trick of the mind. I turned to again face the road ahead, up ahead I could see the lights of the local village. I continued along the road towards the village. Some way down the road I passed the ancient Guarding Stones that stood tall in the dark night. As I passed these ancient monum3ents of good a wave of calm washed over me and I knew I was safe. I continued down the road and started to pick up my pace, as I wanted to get to a nice warm in before the storm hit. There was a flash of lightning and the rolling boom of thunder, the flash of thunder lit up one of the alleyways as I passed it. I saw some large men outlined in flash, luckily for me they had their backs to me and looked like they were in deep conversation with some figure I could not see. I hurried on so that if they perchance did turn around I would not be in their view. I scanned the street and spotted an inviting looking Inn called the “Wild Boar”, light flooded out of the windows and there was the sound of a lot of people having a good time. Safety in numbers is what he needed and by the looks of the horses tethered up outside there must be quite a few armed men inside, perfect. My hand went to my pocket and I quickly touched the thing that this all centred round, my burden, and the item that had nearly cost me my life so many times. I heard a sound behind me and spun round drawing my dagger, I crouched ready to flee or fight. But all that there was behind me was a scruffy looking dog that took flight as son as I laid eyes upon it. I shook my head and placed my dagger in to its hold that hung off my belt. I looked around me before quickly making my way to the “Wild Boar”, as I pushed open the door the sound of merriment and drink hit me square in the face. I stepped into the Inn and scanned the packed bar, I smiled inwardly as I counted no fewer then 30 armed men of the king. I would be safe here, for now, and the item would also be safe, once again I put my hand into my pocket and rubbed the item reassuringly.
I stepped towards the bar and looked upon the Innkeeper, he was a chubby man with a scared face. He was large and by the look of the way he held himself obviously an ex-soldier of some army. The way he moved I could tell that he had an assortment of weapons hidden upon his person but this just made me feel even better about this place. If the Innkeeper was an ex-soldier then there as even less of a chance that there would be trouble. He was wearing the apron that every Innkeeper seems to wear and was smiling at one of the patrons who had had too much to drink and was rambling on about some such thing or another. He looked up scanning the bar as if looking for anyone who would make trouble and that’s when he spotted me. He smiled at me as he moved closer, he began cleaning one of the glasses with a rag that he pulled out of his pocket. He looked me up and down and took in my clothes with a raised eyebrow but said nothing about it, “So what will yours be?” I was not really in need of any drink, I needed my wits about me at all times, but my stomach growled at me reminding me of my hunger. “A room and a good hot meal would not go amiss.” He smiled at me as he produced a book from under the counter and he flicked through a few pages stopping at one, he ran his finger down it and stopped at an empty space between some other names. “Your in luck my friend, I have a free room for one, it’s 4 Imperial Rubells a night with 2 Rubells down payment now and another 2 for that meal.” I nodded and dipped my hand into my over coat pocket pulling out 4 Rubells, I slid them across the counter towards him and he took them up. He dropped them into a pouch that hung off of his belt and he motioned to a table in the corner and I nodded in thanks before moving over towards it. It was in the corner away from preying eyes, I sat down and began to contemplate the situation.
I was in a village that I had never been to be for, I was wearing the clothes that left home with, the clothes of an Imperial Ranger. The clothes of a ranger are plain to look at but that makes us easy to spot, at the moment I had on the metal plated leather under vest which was covered by the leather over jacket that was buttoned up to my chin. The symbol of a ranger was embroded onto this, the Eternal Tree with the Imperial Phoenix flying above it. Then I had my metal plated leather trousers with some good sturdy boots I had bought from a town a few miles away. These were the clothes given to all Imperial rangers along with the Ranger dagger and a magically blessed blade. Every Ranger gets a blade with a spell that compliments them. But I had come top of my class with the highest marks for a hundred years and the King’s own sorcerer had personally imbedded the blade with four spells and a dwarf rune. The spells made the blade give me extra speed so I could get five strikes before my opponent could get one, then another made the blade as hard as diamond and another made it as light as a feather. The last spell and by far the most powerful made the blade seem as dark as night, one wound from the blade would kill instantly, though the spells only work if I hold the blade, another person would get a nasty surprise. Then there was the Dwarf rune, the rune gave me protection from all but the most powerful dark spells. With these items I felt safe, again my hand went into my pocket and began to touch the item they lay resting in there. Everytime I touched it I could feel the evil in it, and I could feel the good within it as well. I was to take it to the Imperial house and then be done with it, then I could make my way home with out the fear of monsters trying to kill me just to get their hands on the stone.
A sound above me jerked me out of my contemplation and I looked up into the eyes of one of the serving girls. She smiled at me and took in my flaming red hair and deep blue eyes, she placed the plate on the table and moved off. I looked down at the feast that had been laid in front of me, my mouth began to salivate as I picked up my knife and fork and began to tuck in. As I was eating I heard a chair scrape back and some armoured footsteps pull close to me, I took a glance up and saw one of the king’s men. He had the blood red cloak and a golden Phoenix badge above his heart which symbolised him as a Captain of one of the many Phoenix Guards, the basic core troops to the Imperial army. The captain looked me up and down before moving to the seat opposite me. I took a quick glance at the rest of his unit but they were deep in conversation with themselves or other patrons of the “Wild Boar”. I looked back at the captain as he was pulling out the chair and I took him in analysing him just as I had been taught. He looked like he could handle himself in a fight. He carried a Warhammer at his side and this indicated that he was a good fighter as only the best could wield these deadly weapons and live through a fight. He had scars on his face and on his hands that showed that he had been in a fair few fights, he was good looking with blond hair and green eyes. “We don’t get many Rangers round these parts.” The way he said ranger I could tell that he believed the rumour that we were the trained assassins of the king and in a way he was right. Rangers are picked form birth and taught from birth to be able to move through the shadows and kill with all manners of weapons, we were also taught basic magic. But we were not assassins in the traditional sense, we did not kill dukes or other figures like that, we were to kill the monsters that lurked in the woods, the evil warlords that ahd been corrupted by evil. But stories of our deeds get warped when they get told from one person to another so we have reputations. “I am only passing through.” He smiled at me, “We don’t get many Rangers passing through here either, with the guard around these parts we don’t need Rangers. We can kill our own beasts and al the other spawns of the evil one.” He then made the sign of the Imperial Church to protect himself form evil. Though in the real world the sign does no good, only cold hard steel will protect you. “I am not here on business, and no doubt you are going to ask what I am doing…” the captain smiles to himself, “How did you know, they teach rangers how to read minds as well?” I lean forward and rest my head on my hands, “No they don’t but they teach us many other useful skills, as you know the forces of evil are gathering for a Dark Crusade into our lands and I am being recalled. The rangers as you know, are the kings foremost weapon in the destruction of evil and it’s our job to kill as many Beastlords and Warlords as possible so that the army of the evil Torack will be weak.” The captain is taken aback at the mention of the name of one of the evil ones servents.
The Storm Gathers
The storm clouds were gathering as I turned and looked back, for a second the shadows seemed strange and elongated but it must have been a trick of the mind. I turned to again face the road ahead, up ahead I could see the lights of the local village. I continued along the road towards the village. Some way down the road I passed the ancient Guarding Stones that stood tall in the dark night. As I passed these ancient monum3ents of good a wave of calm washed over me and I knew I was safe. I continued down the road and started to pick up my pace, as I wanted to get to a nice warm in before the storm hit. There was a flash of lightning and the rolling boom of thunder, the flash of thunder lit up one of the alleyways as I passed it. I saw some large men outlined in flash, luckily for me they had their backs to me and looked like they were in deep conversation with some figure I could not see. I hurried on so that if they perchance did turn around I would not be in their view. I scanned the street and spotted an inviting looking Inn called the “Wild Boar”, light flooded out of the windows and there was the sound of a lot of people having a good time. Safety in numbers is what he needed and by the looks of the horses tethered up outside there must be quite a few armed men inside, perfect. My hand went to my pocket and I quickly touched the thing that this all centred round, my burden, and the item that had nearly cost me my life so many times. I heard a sound behind me and spun round drawing my dagger, I crouched ready to flee or fight. But all that there was behind me was a scruffy looking dog that took flight as son as I laid eyes upon it. I shook my head and placed my dagger in to its hold that hung off my belt. I looked around me before quickly making my way to the “Wild Boar”, as I pushed open the door the sound of merriment and drink hit me square in the face. I stepped into the Inn and scanned the packed bar, I smiled inwardly as I counted no fewer then 30 armed men of the king. I would be safe here, for now, and the item would also be safe, once again I put my hand into my pocket and rubbed the item reassuringly.
I stepped towards the bar and looked upon the Innkeeper, he was a chubby man with a scared face. He was large and by the look of the way he held himself obviously an ex-soldier of some army. The way he moved I could tell that he had an assortment of weapons hidden upon his person but this just made me feel even better about this place. If the Innkeeper was an ex-soldier then there as even less of a chance that there would be trouble. He was wearing the apron that every Innkeeper seems to wear and was smiling at one of the patrons who had had too much to drink and was rambling on about some such thing or another. He looked up scanning the bar as if looking for anyone who would make trouble and that’s when he spotted me. He smiled at me as he moved closer, he began cleaning one of the glasses with a rag that he pulled out of his pocket. He looked me up and down and took in my clothes with a raised eyebrow but said nothing about it, “So what will yours be?” I was not really in need of any drink, I needed my wits about me at all times, but my stomach growled at me reminding me of my hunger. “A room and a good hot meal would not go amiss.” He smiled at me as he produced a book from under the counter and he flicked through a few pages stopping at one, he ran his finger down it and stopped at an empty space between some other names. “Your in luck my friend, I have a free room for one, it’s 4 Imperial Rubells a night with 2 Rubells down payment now and another 2 for that meal.” I nodded and dipped my hand into my over coat pocket pulling out 4 Rubells, I slid them across the counter towards him and he took them up. He dropped them into a pouch that hung off of his belt and he motioned to a table in the corner and I nodded in thanks before moving over towards it. It was in the corner away from preying eyes, I sat down and began to contemplate the situation.
I was in a village that I had never been to be for, I was wearing the clothes that left home with, the clothes of an Imperial Ranger. The clothes of a ranger are plain to look at but that makes us easy to spot, at the moment I had on the metal plated leather under vest which was covered by the leather over jacket that was buttoned up to my chin. The symbol of a ranger was embroded onto this, the Eternal Tree with the Imperial Phoenix flying above it. Then I had my metal plated leather trousers with some good sturdy boots I had bought from a town a few miles away. These were the clothes given to all Imperial rangers along with the Ranger dagger and a magically blessed blade. Every Ranger gets a blade with a spell that compliments them. But I had come top of my class with the highest marks for a hundred years and the King’s own sorcerer had personally imbedded the blade with four spells and a dwarf rune. The spells made the blade give me extra speed so I could get five strikes before my opponent could get one, then another made the blade as hard as diamond and another made it as light as a feather. The last spell and by far the most powerful made the blade seem as dark as night, one wound from the blade would kill instantly, though the spells only work if I hold the blade, another person would get a nasty surprise. Then there was the Dwarf rune, the rune gave me protection from all but the most powerful dark spells. With these items I felt safe, again my hand went into my pocket and began to touch the item they lay resting in there. Everytime I touched it I could feel the evil in it, and I could feel the good within it as well. I was to take it to the Imperial house and then be done with it, then I could make my way home with out the fear of monsters trying to kill me just to get their hands on the stone.
A sound above me jerked me out of my contemplation and I looked up into the eyes of one of the serving girls. She smiled at me and took in my flaming red hair and deep blue eyes, she placed the plate on the table and moved off. I looked down at the feast that had been laid in front of me, my mouth began to salivate as I picked up my knife and fork and began to tuck in. As I was eating I heard a chair scrape back and some armoured footsteps pull close to me, I took a glance up and saw one of the king’s men. He had the blood red cloak and a golden Phoenix badge above his heart which symbolised him as a Captain of one of the many Phoenix Guards, the basic core troops to the Imperial army. The captain looked me up and down before moving to the seat opposite me. I took a quick glance at the rest of his unit but they were deep in conversation with themselves or other patrons of the “Wild Boar”. I looked back at the captain as he was pulling out the chair and I took him in analysing him just as I had been taught. He looked like he could handle himself in a fight. He carried a Warhammer at his side and this indicated that he was a good fighter as only the best could wield these deadly weapons and live through a fight. He had scars on his face and on his hands that showed that he had been in a fair few fights, he was good looking with blond hair and green eyes. “We don’t get many Rangers round these parts.” The way he said ranger I could tell that he believed the rumour that we were the trained assassins of the king and in a way he was right. Rangers are picked form birth and taught from birth to be able to move through the shadows and kill with all manners of weapons, we were also taught basic magic. But we were not assassins in the traditional sense, we did not kill dukes or other figures like that, we were to kill the monsters that lurked in the woods, the evil warlords that ahd been corrupted by evil. But stories of our deeds get warped when they get told from one person to another so we have reputations. “I am only passing through.” He smiled at me, “We don’t get many Rangers passing through here either, with the guard around these parts we don’t need Rangers. We can kill our own beasts and al the other spawns of the evil one.” He then made the sign of the Imperial Church to protect himself form evil. Though in the real world the sign does no good, only cold hard steel will protect you. “I am not here on business, and no doubt you are going to ask what I am doing…” the captain smiles to himself, “How did you know, they teach rangers how to read minds as well?” I lean forward and rest my head on my hands, “No they don’t but they teach us many other useful skills, as you know the forces of evil are gathering for a Dark Crusade into our lands and I am being recalled. The rangers as you know, are the kings foremost weapon in the destruction of evil and it’s our job to kill as many Beastlords and Warlords as possible so that the army of the evil Torack will be weak.” The captain is taken aback at the mention of the name of one of the evil ones servents.