Stories from Th' Horror

[CosmicHorror]

Hrm... I'm not much of a poet, but I've got a pretty creative mind. I wrote (and am writing) some very short stories about one of my character's background. Origonally so the DM could use them for plot hooks and such. Anyway, I figured I'd share them and see how people like them.

First some info on the character. Her name is Phoenix, or goes by that. She is a fiery pyrokinetic (pun intended.) mercenary. She's smart, agile and strong of mind and body, in addition to being very, ahem, attractive. (Rolled crazy for stats.)

And some bits of history from her bio. She was born and raised in some backwater, middle-of-nowhere village. When she was 14 her psionic powers emerged, instinctivly protecting her from a wolf. After that mind flayers attacked and enslaved half the village and killed the other half. Under the illithids, her psionic powers grew and she became very skilled in combat. Then, during a githzeri attack on the mind flayers, she nearly died. After the gith's left, she died, sortof. Just as she was about to leave for the afterlife (in otherwords, -9 hp on her way to -10), she was given a second chance by some god, outsider or something. Her pyrokinetic powers activated, and she found herself in a sea of bodies. Then she made her way to the surface with the help of some deep gnomes and became a mercenary taking the name Phoenix after her rebirth. She also has no memory of before her rebirth.

The stories arn't very well formated, due to my "unique" way of collecting my thoughts, but should be easy enough to read.

Constructive feedback would be apreciated. But please don't say: "You spelled x word wrong" or stuff to that affect, I know I have bad spelling... 

So, without further ado, onto the stories.

[CosmicHorror]

The Ancient's Tower

In the forests around Berunen, there is said to be the ruins of an ancient castle. Little is known about who it belonged to or how old the ruins may be. Adventurous youth of Berunen sometimes venture into the forest looking for the ruins against the wishes of their parents. However, none have come to harm in the forest from supernatural causes. Wolves and bears abound however. It is in this forest that the young Cybele explored one day with a close friend named Jaman. While still below marriageable age, both had strong feelings for each other. Jaman was the son of the silversmith and was the most sought after boy in the village for the girls. However, both he and Cybele fell in love and spent most of their spare time together.

“Come on. It’s not that far.” Cybele called to Jaman from across the stream. “That’s easy for you to say.” Jaman called back, “I’m not the one training to become one of the temple guards.” Jaman finally gathered the speed and leaped across the stream into the arms of Cybele. “Let’s go. I think I saw something above the trees in the distance.” Cybele said, though she was reluctant to leave Jaman’s arms. “Sounds like we are heading in the right direction then.” He responded, also unwilling to part. Eventually they began their trek again. The midday sun filtered through the dense canopy bathing everything in a soft green with rays of white piercing through. Cries of the forest animals sounded around them, peaceful.

After about a half hour of walking, the couple broke into a large clearing. The sight of what dominated the clearing took their breath away. A white marble tower soared above the trees, slightly overgrown with ivy. The place radiated peace and safety. “Wow.” Was all Jaman could say while Cybele just looked on awestruck. After a few minutes of admiring the tower, they decided to investigate the door. The wood of the door had rotted and filled with termites, and was easily smashed open. Inside was a very well lit interior. The tower being rather small didn’t have a lot of room inside, but a staircase ran up the wall. Light poured in from the top of the tower. Together, in silence they climbed the stairs. At the top was an actual landing, with a hole in the middle to allow light into the bottom of the tower. The hole was ringed by a marble railing running around it. A ladder lead onto the top of the tower from what they could see. Cybele climbed up the ladder while Jaman looked down into the tower. “You have to see this Jaman.” Cybele called from above. Jaman climbed up the tower, where Cybele helped him up. From the top floor of the tower, the two could look out over the tops of the trees and see for seemingly forever. Birds nested in the top of the tower and life itself seemed stronger here, more vibrant. The two stood there for a long time in each other’s arms, admiring the view. “Look.” Cybele pointed, “There’s the smoke from our village.” The two stayed there for a few hours more before returning. “We can’t tell anyone else about the tower.” Jaman said. “Agreed, it’s too peaceful there, almost like a dream.” Cybele responded dreamlike herself.

The two returned to the village, where the other villagers asked them where they had been, to which they responded that they had just gone for a walk. The younger villagers knew why they had gone for a walk, and asked them if they found the ruins. Again, they said they hadn’t. As the months passed, Cybele and Jaman returned to the tower occasionally, finding peace and quiet there.

[CosmicHorror]

The Ray of Light (still thinking about a better name.)

The crowd cheered, but not a sound was heard. The crowed booed, but not a sound was heard. At least it seemed that way to anyone watching the gory spectacle. Illithids filled the seats of the arena, all sending out telepathic messages. Cybele, the focus of most of these could only cover her ears futility against the psychic onslaught. Eventually one voice broke through clearer. Well done. It intoned, You have earned a rest. Return to me. Feeling the compulsion wash over her and dull the background thoughts. Cybele returned to her master, a powerful mind flayer called Xentharg. She found him in his halls, dining on the brain of a dueregar. You are late. Xentharg sent. Do you want to end up like this one? He motioned to the dwarf. “N..No sir.” Cybele said, shaking visibly. Well I suppose I should be forgiving, after all, you are hardly past the larval stage. You have earned a break. Return to your quarters. Cybele bowed, compelled, and left.
She wandered through the twisting halls of Xentharg’s domain. Eventually coming upon the slave quarters. Xentharg kept his slaves better then most mind flayers, seeing that a dead slave is no better then a live one. And an underfed, malnutritioned, and exhausted slave is no better then a dead one. As such, he lets his slaves have a more or less free run of their part of Xentharg’s massive home. Lit by magical orbs of light, the slave quarters held 30 slaves in Spartan condition. Cybele took a glowing ball and made her way to the room she shared with another slave. Through her time under Xentharg’s domination, her and Rythalas, a very young elf girl had become close friends, bonding for mutual protection. Cybele, seeing Jaman cut down by her dominated father had left deep mental and emotional scars. Rythalas later revealed that Xentharg had single-handedly taken her family prisoner, and that she was the only one left, having been forced to watch the illithid eat the brains of her family. The first night Cybele spent among Xentharg’s corral, she cried until she passed out from exhaustion. Rythalas helped her to regain her strength, telling her that if Xentharg saw her as week, then he would kill her. Cybele grew strong under Xentharg’s eye, honing her psionic abilities to become the best gladiator in the mind flayer city. Today, her mental armor broke. When she arrived back in her room, she collapsed sobs wracking her body and tears pouring down her face. Rythalas rushed over to her, “What’s the matter?” She asked her voice full of concern. Cybele only answered with more tears. “Come.” She said, lifting Cybele up so she could stumble onto one of the beds. Cybele curled up into a ball, sobbing. Rythalas sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed her hair, then she noticed the blood clotted in Cybele’s red hair. “The arena, I see.” Rythalas murmured, “But you’ve never been like this before after a fight.” To which Cybele only curled up tighter and cried some more. “Xentharg wouldn’t be pleased to see you like this.” She warned, finding this usually helped. But not now, Cybele only stopped sobbing to say “So? Then I’d be released from this nightmare.” Rythalas hadn’t seen her friend like this ever. “What did they have you do this time?” She asked, seeing that she had at least established a foothold with her earlier inquiry. “They… “Cybele choked back some more tears. “They had me kill my.. my old friends… from…” Cybele broke down again into tears. Rythalas could only sit there, trying to imagine her friend’s pain. Then she thought of something. “But if you let Xentharg kill you, or any other of his kind, then you would never be able to get your revenge.” She said, hoping this would cause Cybele to regain her senses. Cybele stopped for a moment, considering her friend’s words. She then threw her arms around Rythalas’s neck and started crying on her shoulder. The elf, seemed a bit startled, but then put her arms around Cybele, comforting her. Cybele cried, not because she was saddened anymore, but because she knew that even in this nightmare, there was still some hope yet, and a good friend to stand by her side to the end.


(I don't like the end of this, I might revise it later.)