Broken Bodies
Our journey has been a difficult one the past few days.
After defeating the shadow creature at the elf-home, we have been using the maps we obtained to travel farther through this great cosmic maze of the Shattered Realms. Each step we take brings us closer to our goal, and threatens to hurl us far astray.
Krisa’s wounds went foul following our battle. Some sickness traveled on that monster’s claws. The long, bloody gashes would not close, and leaked a murky pus. She would not last long. I was amazed she still stood in the first place, much less walked on her own two legs. On top of, or perhaps simply exacerbated by her wounds, her fading in and out had become more regular and more complete; time was slipping through our fingers.
My skill in medicine is lacking—my aptitude lies in repairing machines, not people. I have treated my own wounds before, though. In Krisa’s case, I thought that I might perhaps apply some of my usual treatment on a broader scale.
I fashioned a small device for measuring out minute portions of my medicine which allowed me to control the dosage I got in her wounds. Too little, and the infection might remain. Too much, and I risked blowing her arm apart. That being done, I cocked the hammer on my pistol, held my breath, and pulled the trigger, spending sparks flying upon the gunpowder I’d treated her wounds with. An angry lick of flame shot up her arm before burning out just as quickly, and she fell unconscious.
Krisa was alive. The infection had been burned away.
I found myself reflecting with Caesar. What I would give for myself, and all those around me, to be wrought in pneumatics and clockwork, rather than oh-so-vulnerable flesh! My medical expertise is crude at best. In the face of danger, I have always been able to rely on the resilience of my mechanical arm. I always know how to repair it afterwards, at the very least. Caesar, though… He speaks as a full automaton who perceives his metal body as naught but a curse. Every last inch a marvel of engineering, and every last inch reviled by him. He seems to miss human sensitivities he once had. If he’d lived for as long as I have, perhaps he would have grown numb to them, anyways—metal body or none.
My reveries did not last long. They hardly ever do, don’t they? We had made camp on the edge of a forest of jagged trees, right on the border of the place called Infernus. They looked less like ice-sheathed pines and more like fangs. They seemed to snarl at us through the dusk. Caesar and I kept watch. Krisa rested.
A shifting in the dark nearly took me by surprise, and I saw dark figures creeping through the teeth, flames licking through a dragon’s maw. It was the same sort of monster which nearly tore us open at the elf-home. Here, though, were many, many more of them.
No time to waste. I was up in a flash, jolting Krisa awake. They would be upon us in seconds if we attempted to flee with her together. Hungry eyes and churning jaws fell toward us in the twilight. I told Caesar to carry Krisa away while I held the beasts off. My Gryphon roared, and Caesar spirited the frail mage to safety.
If I peeled away too soon, the twisted things would have simply overran us as we fled. With every muzzle flash and crack of my pistol I saw them draw closer—closer—closer. Only when the frontrunner’s claws began to swipe past my face did I turn and run. Shadows lapped at my heels like hungry flames.
As I turned to run along the border of the jagged forest, I quickly noticed that my companions were not present ahead of me. Damn. Either they had been abruptly swallowed by the deep snow, or…
A quick glace ahead of me made the answer clear when I saw heavy footprints abruptly disappear: Caesar had fallen through a fissure again. I spared hardly a moment cursing the odds. With malignant beasts on my tail and nothing but desolation ahead of me, I decided to follow my party into the space between worlds. I leapt through the angry crack in the air, and in an instant felt an icy fist grip my chest.
Water filled my gasping lungs, and the cold seemed to crush my body. The murk pressed down upon even my shadow-piercing sight. I found myself flailing about, a primal fear keeping my head below the water. I had to regain control. I had to think.
I forced myself to still my body, ignore the chill fire in my lungs. My eyes swept the gloom, and I seized an understanding of up and down. My legs kicked off the soft, sandy bottom of a lake, and I surged to the surface.
Now that I was above the water, I had another threat to contend with: frostbite. A stiff breeze nipped at my face, and the ice water drenched my clothes and dragged at me like a mother pleading her little soldier not to go. Where were Caesar and Krisa?
The latter I heard explode to the surface, jettisoned from below. She beat the water more than she swam as she made her way towards the shore. Fortunate that it was close by—we might’ve froze to death otherwise.
Well, perhaps not all of us. Again I found myself in envy of Caesar’s metal body as he simply walked to shore from the bottom of the lake, breaching the water fully upright. I wonder if he rusts. My arm does not. But then again, I take good care of it. I wonder, had I a mechanical body, if I would simply spend all day maintaining myself. The hours disappear as-is when I have my opportunities to tinker. There is music in the gears, music it surprises me few others seem to hear. I could listen to it ceaselessly.
Krisa finally put her magic to good use, setting a fire for us as we gathered ourselves. I really don’t ask for much more than that, nor have I. From her.
On the other side of the lake there is a temple. It appears to be a forlorn thing, not unlike that which we saw in the Shifting Sands. Perhaps for that reason alone I’m not eager to approach it, despite the shelter it might offer. It would be unwise for me to separate myself from my companions in this hostile place, but I can’t say I’ll go happily…
After all, the last time I delved such a deep, those whom with I entered never left.
Orkallael's Journal Ordered oldest to newest
-
What the hell am I getting myself into?
08 Nov 2020 08:28:03
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The Brian Bjornsten Affair
09 Nov 2020 03:21:02
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Fire and Prophecy
15 Nov 2020 12:19:01
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The Road North
21 Nov 2020 04:54:07
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From the Dust
30 Nov 2020 05:07:11
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A Deadly Web
21 Dec 2020 02:59:48
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Found and Lost
25 Jan 2021 04:25:21
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Wayfaring Strangers
18 Apr 2021 02:49:29
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Broken Home
14 Jun 2021 04:00:56
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Broken Bodies
29 Jul 2021 09:07:49
08 Nov 2020 08:28:03
09 Nov 2020 03:21:02
15 Nov 2020 12:19:01
21 Nov 2020 04:54:07
30 Nov 2020 05:07:11
21 Dec 2020 02:59:48
25 Jan 2021 04:25:21
18 Apr 2021 02:49:29
14 Jun 2021 04:00:56
29 Jul 2021 09:07:49
The major events and journals in Orkallael's history, from the beginning to today.
Broken Bodies
Our journey has been a difficult one the past few days. After defeating the shadow creature at the elf-home, we have been using the maps we obtained to travel farther through this great cosmic maze of the Shattered Realms. Each step we take brings us c...
09:07 pm - 29.07.2021Broken Home
Just as the evidence had presented itself, the strange homestead was occupied. We approached to the sound of firewood being split. The sound was piercing against the arcane sky. Its source was an elf outside his home—he greeted us as we approached. S...
04:00 pm - 14.06.2021Wayfaring Strangers
We’ve wandered six months through these shattered realms. The grinning creature, Zadrin, left us with three parting gifts: The first was a scrying stone, an exquisite gem which seems to hoard light instead of reflecting it. Through it, I can see t...
02:49 pm - 18.04.2021Tursk--Warrior Goro--Friend
04:26 am - 25.01.2021Found and Lost
Whatever horrid monster pursued me, it could not fit through the narrow doorframe which guarded my exit. I dragged the cocoon behind me, thudding up the stairs. For some reason, I knew it was Toomi, hoped it was Toomi; I’m not sure why. Her abrasive per...
04:25 am - 25.01.2021"Di'Varne Armory is proud to present the newest line of personal sidearms on the market: the Gryphon-series Revolver! This SINGLE-ACTION, SIX-CHAMBERED, side-loading revolving pistol is defined by its REMARKABLE LOYALTY to its esteemed wielder, just like the FIERCE, NOBLE beast it is named for. Gone are the days you risk your hand, your fingers, to the whim of a misfire! Its high-caliber chambers are designed to dampen what few explosive firing errors may occur, keeping you SAFE in the face of ANY catastrophe. Our DISTINCTIVE DI'VARNE FAMILY ALLOYS result in a smooth, balanced frame, with an iron sight so ACCURATE and UNERRING you'll swear you were letting loose magic missiles. The comfort-leather grip will fit your hand like a glove--it was meant to be in YOUR HANDS." "The Gryphon series: FIERCE. NOBLE. LOYAL."
06:07 pm - 21.12.2020A Deadly Web
I awoke amongst the dead. The nightmares which had visited me echoed still as I came to. I was in a dark room, like a crypt, flanked by stone caskets. There seemed nothing to be done except to continue on. I wasn't seeing clearly--it was as if I was tr...
02:50 am - 21.12.2020Krisa and I were able to convince Oswald and Toomi that we should stay out of the abandoned temple. Only the two of us were able to perceive anything at all within, and I the most sharply. I have to wonder; is it our elven lineage, granting us echoes of the past? Or simply a malign force with intentions solely for us? We were making our way towards the cliffside. It's more exposed, true; but also more defensible. And farther from that cursed temple. As we were climbing, however, a fog swept over my mind. Oswald and Krisa... vanished. Into thin air. It unsettles me how easily they were whisked from my senses, and Toomi's as well. We called out for them. No response. The night air was thick around us. We ran towards the temple, the only place they might have gone. But inside... Inside was the wreckage of the past. I found myself in another place, another time... searching for Asa amidst the fire. I'm closer to you, darling, I'm so close... Again, I saw Kingsport burn. And then, amidst the fires, a man in armor, atop a black horse, sword in hand. His gaze fixed upon me.
06:33 pm - 05.12.2020Orkallael returns fire
12:38 am - 05.12.2020Never cared to learn Orcish, but these are the things one learns when traveling with mercenaries: Sugra--coward, cur Madre--grim reaper Peska--outsider
05:09 am - 30.11.2020From the Dust
Much to account for in the stretch of so little time. We continued on from the fort where we stayed the night, out into the Shifting Sands. Toomi initiated what turned out to be fruitful discussion in the beginning of our journey; she told me what her...
05:07 am - 30.11.2020The Road North
The day has been uneventful. If I've learned anything in my years, that ought to be a concerning sign. I purchased munitions and a new weapon on my way from town, a sawed-off shotgun from a furtive dwarven shopkeep. I hadn't known people were so squea...
04:54 pm - 21.11.2020The Shifting Sands
08:41 am - 21.11.2020The Shifting Sands
12:21 am - 21.11.2020Fire and Prophecy
Horace is letting me recuperate in his home for a moment before we head out. I should consider buying extra munitions soon, maybe a rifle if it's within my means. Threads of the past grew taut again today just as I was expecting them to slip away. This...
12:19 am - 15.11.2020The old man
03:07 am - 14.11.2020The old man
12:48 am - 14.11.2020It occurs to me the initial encounter with Caesar would've been a great opportunity to test the Standoff/Duel rules!
04:32 pm - 10.11.2020Firing and returning fire.
03:31 pm - 09.11.2020Me? I've made my peace.
03:22 pm - 09.11.2020So... What's up with the potatoes?
03:21 pm - 09.11.2020The Brian Bjornsten Affair
Made contact at first dark. Quarry was in camp with two companions. A simple approach and brandished weapon sufficed to draw him out of camp while his companions were away. Perhaps I should spend more time practicing subtle movement? I haven't much needed...
03:21 pm - 09.11.2020What the hell am I getting myself into?
I've narrowed down the search for my latest quarry. All the fingers are pointing to Zadia. It's funny to think that after all the years I've lived, all the years I [i]will[/i] live, the measure of the fewest has been spent in obsession with one halfli...
08:28 pm - 08.11.2020The list of amazing people following the adventures of Orkallael.
Social
Birthplace
Redhearth
Wealth & Financial state
Was very comfortable, now more vagrant
Family Ties
Scion of the di'Varne family, a reputable artisan family in Redhearth.
Religious Views
Understands the gods are real, but has trouble investing much faith in them.
Contract with the Machine God is one of necessity; his tinkering he dedicates to it, and has been tasked to record any mechanical secrets or discoveries he uncovers. In exchange, he gets an incredibly study arm with a number of tricks up his sleeve, and an affinity for machines.
Social Aptitude
He's got a charming, assured personality, informed by the courts of Redhearth, but this doesn't blossom until he gets to know someone well. Otherwise, he's all reserve and gritty determination.
Speech
He speaks softly, like sand running across metal.