The World of Layonara
Character Development => Development Journals and Discussion => Topic started by: SiliconMagician on November 12, 2009, 12:22:38 AM
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Uhtred crouched in the bushes on a stormy night on the outskirts of Krandor. His squinted through the visor of his helmet as water ran in torrents over him. Washing away the hours of road grime he had aquired getting to this place.
He was a pauper, no doubt. He was adorned in a very tarnished suit of copper half plate, and carried an equally tarnished copper blade. But it was sharp, oh was it sharp. It hacked through ogre flesh quite easily.. which was what brought him here on this stormy night.
Through hours of patient watching. Uhtred began to notice certain behaviors among the ogres that he took advantage of to allow him to hunt them efficiently, and rather safely.
For one, he prefered to hunt on rainy nights. The ogre's vision was often poor. Poor enough that he could sneak quite close to one without it noticing he was there. Close enough for a killing blow on the first strike.
But he had to patient. Strike to soon, and he'd have 3 or more of the beasts on him in an instant, if one happened to be a mage....
He shook these thoughts from his head and peered deeper into the woods. Trying to look through the drops of water that ran down his visor. It was like trying to look through a waterfall.
Then the wind shifted and he caught the familiar odor of the creatures. A foul stench that was so awful as to cause horses to shy away, and any sane man.
Uthred was sane, no doubt. But he was also poor. Work was slow in coming, so to make ends meet he would rob the beasts on the side of the road, who in turned scavenged off the inexperienced and unwary... travel to far from the road.. and you'll find yourself in a goblins cooking pot or worse.
Once, while foolishly creeping through the Brech Mountains outside Fort Vehl, Uhtred stumbled across a pack of enraged Yeti. The creatures roared adn charged, and Uhtred decided the better part of valor was at hand so he ran for all he was worth.. he made it back to Fort Vehl quite safe if winded.
This time would be different. The first Ogre faded into view through a mist. It lumbed back and forth, checking the various bushes and trees in the area. Sniffing at the air, looking for any sign someone was intruding into it's territory.
Suddenly, a second one appeared. Farther to the right and by the shallow creek that ran through the area. It cross the creek and lumbered off into the mist.
The first ogre, a smallish brute. One of the younger, weaker ones no doubt. Grumbled something and then stopped.. it sniffed the air.. growled and turned its gaze directly on Uhtred, hiding within the bushes.
The beast howled and charged forward carrying a huge axe. Uhtred was ready in a moment and sprang to his feet. "You are no match for me!" He screamed and charged at the beast, his face, now bearing a few scars of its own, was as twisted and angry as the foul beast that looked down on him in awe as his blade swung forth and opened it's belly. It screamed in pain and fell onto its back with a thud.
Uhtred quickly searched the rags the creature was wearing. No luck.. empty. Suddenly he heard a snap, and looked to his right. The other, much larger ogre was returning. Perhaps he heard the commotion a few moments ago. He crouched down next to the body and waited patiently..
This one was different. It wasn't a juvenile. It was a full head larger than the one he had just dispatched and the look on its face was one of pure murder. It know something was wrong, and was scanning in all directions.. looking for the source of the noise in the rain dampened forest.
Uthred decided to sneak around it onto the road where he could get it into the open and fight it on his own terms, and headed in that direction. His attention was focused solely on the ogre... moving around in the bushes just yards off from him. He didn't see an even greater danger lying just in front of him until it was almost to late.
He turned in time to look and see a terrfying sight. Assassin vines! Outside Krandor!? He was shocked, and scared. It reached out for him.. making some awful noise, but he managed to dodge it and run through the thicket. Somehow they missed him and he was out on the road, breathing heavily from fear. He looked instantly to his left down the road, for the ogre was still out there bu twas now out of sight.
He caught his breath and patched up a wound, then began stalking down the road towards the stand of trees the ogre was last seen lumbering into. The rain had stopped by now.. and an eerie silence replaced the thunderstorm.. water dripped off the leaves and soaked him as he passed by.
Then it came into view! It lumbered across to his side of the creek and paused. Uhtred quickly hid behind a large tree. Peeking around it side to see what the creature was up to.
It looked around towards the road and then something caught its eye nearby to Uhtred. Perhaps he had made a noise of somekind, but it definately was angry. It let out a roar and raised it's weapon high in the air, then ran for the tree Uhtred was cowering behind. He waited until the beast was right on the tree, then sprang from behind it and drove his blade deep into the beasts abdomen.
It howled in pain and fell back, clutching at the deep wound just above its navel. It then looked up and a twisted, black toothed grin crossed its lips. It then charged again, swinging its weapon wildly. Uhtred ducked it, then returned the blow, striking the beast in the shoulder. It recoiled and he backed up onto the road.
The beast came again, and the brawl continued. Stroke, counterstroke, followed by movements and feints. Uhtred backed away and downed a potion of healing and the warmth spread thru his body.. then he howled a the creature his own fierce warcry and charged for the killing stroke.
The beast was ready and caught Uhtred as he was midswing, knocking him back and wounding him again. He shook his head and charged in again, determined to finish the beast once and for all.. he swung his weapon with all his might and felt his blade bite into the thick, knotty flesh of the creature.
Blood pooled up around it as its life force was ebbed out in moments, and it fell to the ground. A limp, lifeless corpse..
Uhtred checked the body and was disappointed to find he had gone through that trouble for nothing. The bodies were empty.
He quickly turned back down the road and headed to Krandor.. he needed a rest..