[IC] Book of Aeos (V1)

[Lich]

Sakem Ba

Sakem hummed as he waited by the treeline. He had been collecting wood for a while now, coming back just in time to for the lumberjack to start telling his story. From what he paid attention to? It sounded like an absolute waste of perfect organs.

Sakem looked up at the sky and closed his eyes, thinking back to his younger days, the days back among the Ba. Of all the things he wished for, the return of the Ba was definitely in first place. Sure, he could ask Fathom, but it could never be the same for him as he was now. Now that he thought about it, he and the lumberjack had more in common than he thought. While he would never admit it, the thought of sharing something in common with his enemies truly scared him.

Putting those thoughts aside, Sakem shook his head and made his way back into the forest. Glancing at the sky, he figured he would most likely get back by the time the moon was high in the sky. In the mean time, he would search for a sacrifice to Ita.

[Lord Orgasmo]

"Chuckles knows what they look like. He knows what I do. He knows what they look like, sound like, everything I know. As for the whole corruption part, that's very unlikely. He'd have to connect with my mind directly to do so. And with all the Eldritch taint in there, he wouldn't have a good time, not to mention some of the higher-ups might have something to say about a member of their little society was to taken. Ysran gave another yawn. Much quieter this time. His magic had taken a toll on him. He reached back into his pack. With any luck... Ah, there it was. He pulled out a leather bound tome with a gold plated metal plaque that was inscribed: The Occult. "If you have any other questions, you can likely find them in this. I've carried this thing around since my early days as a Magician. It's always answered my questions. It details several subjects that many people ask about. If you want to give it a read, feel free to take a look. Ysran held the thick book and held it out towards Elyria.

@Wick

[Shoe Thief]

Kathryn

Kathryn tried to hold back a chuckle as Caractacus tried to find the best way to describe his undead army. Though it did make sense, they acted as more or less a collection if tools for him. The idea still made her uneasy, but she had worked with all sorts of situations before. Then she caught him looking at her bow, and then offering to help her with her job. "Hunting? I mean I wouldn't mind the help. But my skills with a bow are not great still." She pulled out the knife that was partially hidden by her armor and showed it to Caractacus. The blade was only a few inches long, with a handle just a bit smaller. On the blade were some engravings, most of it had been scratched out from the knife's many uses though. "This will normally cover all the range I need. Been my favorite knife since I was a little girl." She slowly put it back in it's sheath.

She smiled for a moment though. "I'd love your help though, in this world, there is nothing better then an ally who is willing to help you." She was about to pat him on the shoulder when she heard the rustling from the trees. Out of reaction she raised her shield and pulled the mace off from her hip, ready to cause severe harm to whatever was coming.

As she readied to attack, a large creature, one she had seen before at least once, but couldn't identify, had revealed itself. She put her mace in a position to take out it's leg first. She found the best way to take on something larger then herself was to knock it down first, and if the first blow didn't bring her foe to their knees then normally they were startled enough to a good blow to the head. That normally brought down her enemies fast. But something was off, unlike most creatures like this one, it didn't attack, it waited.

Kathryn continued to investigate the situation, she was surrounded by a necromancer, a ton of dead people, and a creature that could potentially do some decent harm. And... It was holding something. A piece of parchment? She put the mace back on her waist and brought her sheild to her front so she could get close while avoiding a possible direct attack. Her hand slowly reached out to grab the paper, hoping this wasn't a trap.

She grabbed it fast and jumped back pulling her Kukri just in case. And again, nothing. "This seems odd. Be ready to run like hell back to the camp." She opened up the crumpled parchment and started reading it. "Odd way to send a message, but I think this is from our people. They seem worried about our time out." She slowly put away her blade and looked at Caractacus. "Maybe we should head back, but I have full intentions on keeping that in my sights." She motioned to the creature. She would make her way back to camp when Caractacus was ready. Leaving him behind out here didn't seem like the best idea. There was too much going on.

[Wick]

Elyria

Elyria took the book Ysran handed her and she looked at it and then back at him. He was getting ready to fall asleep. "Thank you. You are clearly about to fall over asleep. You should rest." Realizing that there was no one else around she wondered if everyone else was safe and if they were indeed trustworthy. She figured if Ysran wasn't he wouldn't deplete his energy around them, especially if he were lending her a book on his magic. Deciding that he was indeed trustworthy she sat next to the fire near him and facing into the woods.

She began to worry about Alberich being in the woods so long. In reality, she was really wishing the others would come back. She didn't like the dark woods at night. The noises creeped her out. There were too many things in the woods. She felt silly but Ysran was being quiet and he looked to be sleeping. She stayed near him and recited another protection spell against turning evil. She hated the dark.

@Lord Orgasmo@aquanthe

[Carlyle]

Alberich

Interacting With: @Wick, @Lord Orgasmo

---

Alberich stormed off deep into the woods, and the only sound that was heard throughout was his rage snapping several trees in half with the massive axe he carried as a weapon. Explaining his past to Elyria was difficult, and he had relived moments he hadn't wished to think once more. The lumberjack needed to find a way to cope with his pain and sorrow, and taking his anger out on the nearby forest was an option. Of course, Alberich would have rather struck down a number of soldiers serving under the Dark Lord, yet for now, there hardly seemed to be any sign of his dreaded foe's presence.

After cutting a swath through the forest, Alberich was clearly worn out. Several full-sized trees behind him were shattered and cracked, fallen onto the ground because of the lumberjack's strength. Sitting down on a fallen tree, Alberich placed his head into his hands, remembering the death of those he cared about. He severely desired to travel to past, to be able to erase the painful memories that haunted the lumberjack, but Alberich had no power to do so. Digging into his pocket, Alberich pulled out a frayed bracelet, doubtlessly made by the daughter he cherished so much. The mere sight of the bracelet made the muscular man cried, and Alberich took the time to bawl his eyes out.

"Linde... Eike... Forgive me for not doing more." Alberich muttered as he sat the bracelet on his lap and pulled a handkerchief free from his pocket to dry his tears. The lumberjack sat in silence for several minutes, mourning and lamenting his fallen family. His best friend, Liebwin, had fallen as well during the battle for Alberich's village, and Liebwin's memory struck a chord within the lumberjack as his memory graced his deceased friend. Alberich's hands twitched into fists, as almost a spectral force was driving him forward. Why was Alberich crawling into a shell, mourning the lost, when he could be out there protecting the weak and fighting for all? Perhaps it was the thought or spirits of those the lumberjack cared for pushing him towards this conclusion, yet regardless, Alberich felt that he had to do something, to continue the quest he set out to finish.

Standing up from the log, Alberich gathered all the trees he had cut down. It was a considerable pile, enough to start the base of a small building, but the lumberjack didn't let the sight deter him. Prowling the nearby lakeside and forest, Alberich searched for some strong twine or plants strong enough to act as a rope. A few minutes of searching led to the gathering of several reeds and roots, which Alberich in turned wrapped around the logs to bundle them tightly together. With all his might, Alberich lifted them over his shoulder, yet the logs were numerous and therefore heavy. Even a muscular man like himself was visibly straining his body to carry them back to the campsite.

The fire was still bright and burning by the time Alberich returned. Eager to drop the lumber, the lumberjack tossed them to the ground with a loud thud that stirred dust around the encampment. "I'm tired of standing around. If you two want to sleep, then rest. I'm a busy man, and I need to stay that way. Don't worry about the rest. I'll watch for them while I work." Alberich stated, yet his breathing was labored, doubtlessly caused by the straining he forced onto his body to carry the logs back to the campsite. The night was indeed dark and full of terrors, but Alberich had a new goal in his life: to make the world a better place once more. He couldn't stand around and dilly-dallied with his hands in laziness when work had to be done.

[Lord Orgasmo]

"Right. I'm off to bed. Wake me up if I'm on fire or Chuckles starts eating my stuff. Or if we're under attack. That too." Ysran dragged himself over to the fire, much like that of his shambler. There really wasn't a bed of any kind, but he'd slept through worse. If rocks were soft enough to sleep on, the dry earth beneath him would only be an improvement. Setting his head onto his pack and lying down. He closed his eyes. With any luck, sleep would come soon. His mind began to wander. How would he get home? He lived in a city, there weren't any forests around. He must of wandered pretty far. Oh well. He always managed to get home somehow. But what about Chuckles? He wondered what he was doing. He'll be fine. Probably. He wouldn't hurt anybody unless he was told to. Ysran slowly felt his senses dim. Sweet sleep was at last approaching.

(For the rest of the night, I will be playing as Chuckles, the Shambler. Don't worry, he doesn't bite!)

[Wick]

Elyria

Elyria jumped and started coughing from the dust when Alberich dropped the wood. The man was huge in comparison to Elyria and she felt bad for upsetting him. She was glad he was on their side as the thought of being hit by one of his weighty arms was very intimidating.

"Alberich? I'm sorry to have upset you. I know what I asked was very painful and it was not my intent to cause you pain." She looked at the pile of lumber and back at the lumberjack.

"It's dark but it's still early yet and I'm not really tired. Is there something I can do to help?" she asked. "Ysran has gone to sleep. I think his magic wore him out. Are you hungry? I could make you some fish?" She stated trying to make amends for her part in his darkened mood.

@Aquanthe

[Carlyle]

Alberich

Interacting With: @Wick

---

"Don't worry yourself, Elyria." Alberich replied, smiling at the worried witch. To the lumberjack, it was nice to have someone dot over him, to care for his well being. The feeling reminded Alberich of his home, before the assault on the village. Back then, Alberich's wife and daughter were always there for him just as Elyria was now. "Could you gather up some rocks near the lake and place them in a large circle around the campsite? While you're doing that, I'll start shaving a point on the top of the logs, and using the rocks as guidance, I'll start building a wall around our campsite." Alberich said as he sat down beside the fire and drew the wood-cutting axe from the sheathe by his waist.

"This'll take me awhile, so I imagine you'll be done by the time I finish with this. If so, can you gather some reeds next? Just as the rocks, there should be plenty near the lake. I need them to tie the logs together so they don't fall." The lumberjack asked, begging the shave away pieces of the first log. The strips Alberich cut off would be saved for fire starters and other useful tools.

[dereken]

Caractacus

Why was she laughing? Had he said something funny? Caractacus held onto the thought for a few seconds, though he snapped to attention when she started speaking again. He looked at the small, personalized knife she presented. It certainly seemed to be well-used, but certainly not neglected. He peered over it, trying to make out the engravings a moment before she returned it to its sheathe. "It is certainly a, er, good knife. Well made. I-I think." Caractacus had nothing of the sort, of course. His staff was a simple oaken design, unadorned and unmarked, and his own blade was a dull, ill-managed piece of steel. He hardly used it.

She smiled again, Caractacus noted, and accepted his offer of help. He nodded a few times, smiling back for too long. "Yes! Of c-course, we can help each other. Now, if I've a moment, I think I c-can..." Caractacus closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and magically reaching out into the ground in search of something he could revive. He found it easily, and began starting his spell. This would take a bit more effort than the standard zombie, but it would serve a purpose hunting much better. Before he could animate his target however, he was startled out of concentration by movement in the brush, and Kathryn turning to prepare herself for battle. Stumbling back, Caractacus faced the source of concern, and started calling his zombies to him.

The intruder emerged from the bush, a large, grotesque creature, only vaguely humanoid. Even to Caractacus, it was somewhat off-putting. He readied his attack, in line with Kathryn, the order 'Attack' on his lips, but he hesitated as he watched it. It wasn't getting any closer. Were he alone, he would not have thought twice, but Kathryn was holding off her attack, curious about the monster. She seemed to snatch something from what could be generously described as its hand. Caractacus nodded at the plan to flee to camp. His zombies could at least hold it off while they fled. Despite himself, Caractacus couldn't help but try to peer over Kathryn's shoulder to read the note, and when she turned to speak to him, he hand to jump back to try and seem as though he weren't.

"Right, yes, b-back. With them. That is a...good idea, I th-think." Caractacus turned, first away from the beast, then around again. He wasn't quite sure where he had wandered on his quest to find lumber for fire. But with Kathryn here, he could at least pretend he wasn't lost, and merely let her lead the way. "Let us go then. I can keep my zombies in between us and that thing, and you can watch our f-front, yes?" The hunting solution would simply have to wait.

[Wick]

Elyria

Elyria nodded at his list of things for her to do and turned to go back to the lake's edge. She wondered how big the rocks had to be. Assuming they would be markers for where the wall would be going she made them at least the size of the palm of her hand. It took a while. There were several places she could find them but some of them required that she walk into the water. Her shoes were soaked and her feet were beginning to hurt by the time she was finished with the large stack of rocks.

Elyria took off her shoes and set them next to the fire to dry and then she carried as many rocks as she could at a time and placed them around the camp's perimeter just inside the boundaries that she had cast her protection spell. She had been making a pile reeds as she found them while looking for rocks. She was quite pleased about that since it would have put her walking back into the water had she not. After she had piled the reeds from near the lake she realized that she had no where near enough. She looked over at Alberich and bit her lip. She needed to go further out around the lake, into the dark and out of the protection circle.

Gathering her courage and her cloak she kept her mind on the task at hand and looking at Alberich working on the wood and Ysran sleeping, she stepped into the woods near the lake and ventured out into the dark on her own. She stayed by the edge so the moonlight could guide her way. The reeds were all around the lake's edge. She retrieved as much as she could carry and returned to the camp piling them high. She did this repeatedly. Three or four trips later she realized she had worked her way very far from the camp. The realization of this also made the hair on her neck stand up. Hearing animals in the forest nearby made her adrenaline kick in. Grabbing the reeds quickly she all but ran back to the camp.

When she arrived back at camp she dropped off the last of the reeds and removed her cloak and she sat by the fire and checked on her shoes to see if they were drying well. Her feet and back were a bit sore from the chore of running barefoot and bending over so much to gather the reeds.

"Alberich I'm finished. I hope that is enough of the reeds."
@Aquanthe

[Lord Orgasmo]

Chuckles had completed his mission. It was time to head back. The walk through the forest was short, and he quickly found the firelight of the camp. Shuffling out of the shade, he looked around. The woman seemed to have an armfull of... something long and thin. Chuckles didn't quite know what they were. Looking in front of her was the big man that Master told him to listen to. Master was asleep by the fire. Well... now what? For now he guessed he'd wait for another order.

He stood silently. Minutes passed. But no orders were given. Maybe he simply couldn't hear anybody. He shuffled closer to Alberich. He seemed to be making things out of a tree. Master never made things out of trees. He usually didn't make things. He liked to look at things though. Chuckles stared intently at the wood. Picking up one of the logs, he sat down and began to copy Alberich. Shaving the end of the logs with his large claws. Slowly. Methodically. Chuckles wondered what the man was making. The log the man was holding was almost looked like a long claw. Why was he making a tree-claw? Did the other trees need claws? Maybe he needed a claw? People like master didn't have very good claws. So the man was making claws. That much he knew. But for who? He decided to wait and continue to help making a tree-claw. Until he got another order that is.

@Aquanthe

[Carlyle]

Alberich

Interacting With: @Wick

---

While Elyria went off to do what Alberich requested, the lumberjack was busy at work cutting away at the logs. First, Alberich cut away any branches that might be hanging off the side of the logs and placed them in a nearby pile, the newly cut branches adding to the already growing pile of firewood. Next, the lumberjack began to shave away each side of the trees into a point, similar to a modern pencil edge. One end of the log would be shoved deep into the dirt, while the other point was sharpened as to keep intruders from easily climbing the walls. It was exhausting, and the work had taken a delicate hand to master, but Alberich was skilled with his craftsmanship.

The trees he had brought back would be a start for the wall, and soon Alberich would have to return to the forest to clear more trees. By the final log, Elyria had come back and forth with piles of rocks and reeds, adding them to their collection. To the lumberjack, it felt nice seeing someone so young and able help Alberich with his duties. As he finished shaving away the point on the last tree, Alberich wondered if he could request the aid of the nearby villages he planned to visit soon. The villagers were always afraid of what was out there, but Alberich believed there might be some promising souls out there to help him in exchange for a piece of what the party had begun to gather.

"You did well, Elyria. You gathered enough for me, perhaps more than enough. I'll go set up the first section of our wall with what you gathered. Get some rest; I imagine the others will return soon." Alberich replied, and began to transfer all the gathered supplies. Using the treeline and the lake as a guideline, Alberich started to place the rocks around the encampment in a large circle, big enough for them to expand inside the walls. The sharpened logs were then tied together, and with a rope wrapped around them, the lumberjack pulled them upwards and forced the logs deep into the ground. With a rock and the butt of his axe, Alberich started to dig up the dirt around where the wall section was implemented, and then the lumberjack forced the dirt into a mound around each individual log for extra support.

Once the wall piece was secure, Alberich took a step back and wiped away a pool of sweat on his forehead. It would take Alberich a lot of effort to finish all the projects the aspiring mercenary had in mind, but at least he had friends to help him in his quest. Fortune had smiled on Alberich, and that thought made him smile.

[Wick]

Elyria

Elyria smiled at Alberich's words and picked up the book Ysran had given her to read over. His magic was really different than hers she realized. Hers was a gift but he had to pay for his with energy and exhaustion. She would have to keep that in mind and offer to use hers more to try and not allow him to get worn out. Feeling thirsty she grabbed a cup out of her bag and took it to the lake and reached down to fill it up. As she looked into the water the moonlight shining on it caught her attention and she fell into the water while looking up at the moon. She bobbed upwards quickly and she gasped air loudly and something grabbed her leg. She screamed and she splashed wildly. "Alberich!" She screamed as she was dragged underneath the water.

She popped up again. "HELP!" the word almost disappeared as she was dragged under again choking out the water. She was kicking and fighting with whatever had her by the leg. She had not seen it but it almost felt like a hand. It was most certainly not a mouth full of teeth that had a hold of her. She kicked at it and she was fighting for her life frantically.

[Shoe Thief]

Kathryn

The walk back to camp was awkward, Kathryn herself had no real idea where they were going. She was pretty sure it was this way, but something seemed off. She couldn't see a fire, she couldn't hear anyone, had this been a trap? Had the creature been sent to catch her and Caractacus off guard? Part of her wanted to stop, to be able to see what Caractacus was about to do before getting interrupted by the creature. Caractacus did bring up the idea to use the undead army they had as more or less a meat shield in case the creature did decide to attack. "I definitely like that idea, the thing seems big enough to do some real harm if it really wanted it to. The first strike is normally the worst too." She kept watch, still trying to find the camp.

Almost out of nowhere everything seemed to show up. The fire, the lake, the partially made defenses. Damn that was fast. "What did we miss while we were out? Anything good?" Her guess was that there was a cloaking field of some kind. They had a few people here who could do some magic. It was definitely a good idea though.

She went to talk to Caractacus again before the night let out. "Hey, stay close alright? If you need any help I'll be close by. It's always good to have an ally close by." She said with a smile, one that was cut short of a splash and a cry for help. Kathryn turns to see Elyria pop out of the lake for a moment screaming for help. Did she go for a swim and get stuck? Did something pull her down? Is she hurt? It didn't matter, Kathryn was here and ready to take action... more or less.

Kathryn made a dead sprint for the lake, taking off her armor as she went piece by piece. It was heavy, her actions would be meaningless if she drowned herself on her way out... Or took Alyria down with her... Kathryn was about six inches into the water now, removing the last of the under armor she stopped with a slight trip. And as if her body just realized where she was, she froze. Her heart rate started to rise rapidly as she tried to move... but to no prevail. Almost as if she was frozen. Her body felt like it was getting weaker by the moment, she was struggling to stand... She knew she needed to move... it only took a few inches of water to drown... sometimes less... all that needed to happen was to not be able to breath again.

She tried to move again, this time only falling down on her face. Her body had quit on her, everything was going dark. She tried to think to herself, was she passing out out of fear? Or was it of her physical reaction to trying to do something she couldn't? Alyria was still trapped in the lake... so was Kathryn... was it a trap for anyone who came in? Or was she just that weak? Her body seemed to just stop working all at the same time... it seemed like hours were passing by as she lay flat in the water. It had been only six seconds since she stepped foot in the water until she passed out.

[Carlyle]

Alberich

Interacting With: @Lord Orgasmo, @Wick, @Remipa Awesome

---

"Chuckles, make your way to the forest and try your... erm, claw at chopping down more trees for us." Alberich told the beast that followed him around the campsite like a duckling follows its mother. As Chuckles took off to do his bidding, the lumberjack couldn't help but to feel awkward. The shambler would do his bidding, and it was nearly incapable of conversation, excluding the various grunts and moans Chuckles would make. Still, Alberich, as much as he felt uncomfortable, wondered if Ysran had the capabilities to teach his pet how to speak. The being had shown signs of intelligence, so Chuckles certainly had the capability to learn.

Then, a scream was heard. Elyria was shouting for Alberich to help her, yet Alberich was far from the actual campsite. He looked in the direction of the panic, and quickly sprinted over to the commotion. By the time the lumberjack had reached the lake, Kathryn had returned and tried to save Elyria too, but before she could do anything, the woman had passed out in the water. "Curses..." Alberich muttered as he cast his battleaxe aside, and wallowed into the lake. There was something beneath the water, and it was pulling on both of the females as the lumberjack tried to get the women out of the water. The women had become the rope in a tug of war match, and Alberich was determined to keep them alive.

With a grunt, Alberich was sent flying backwards onto his bum with the elf and human in his arms. He hadn't the time to rest, and the beast knew that, yet the lumberjack wouldn't allow the monster another chance. Scrambling to his feet in the muddy water, Alberich struggled his way up to the shore before sitting the women beside the fire. "Elyria, are you alright? What about you, Kathryn?" Alberich asked, his lower body soaked in mud and water. Looking at the two women, Elyria certainly had the ability to reply, while Kathryn had appeared to be still out. "Kathryn? You there? Wake up, trooper." Alberich replied to the fainted woman, the lumberjack lightly slapping her cheeks to help Kathryn come back to her senses.

[Wick]

Elyria

Elyria had seen Kathryn run into the water to help and she had seen fear in her eyes right before she fell into the water. When Alberich came charging into the water Elyria had managed to kick hard enough for the grasp of whatever had her leg to loosen it's hold on her allowing Alberich to grab her and pull her out without too much damage. Picking up Kathryn at the same time was a feat and yet he managed it. The mud was thick where he had been and when they got out he was covered from his waist down.

Elyria was coughing up water and trying not to keep choking. Her hair was soaked and all over her face. Flinging it back she stood up and hugged Alberich. "Thank you. I think Katheryn passed out from fear. I think she is scared of the water. Whatever had a hold of me had hands." She walked over to the fire and lifted her skirt on one side just enough to see see if there were any marks. Her leg hurt like it had been squeezed very hard. There were red marks all over her leg. The knowledge that there was something else in the water made her walk to the edge cautiously and cast a spell on the lakeside as well as the rest of the perimeter. She would have to use magic to get their water out.

[Carlyle]

Alberich

Interacting With: @Wick, @Remipa Awesome

---

Listening to Elyria, Alberich nodded in agreement to her words. Kathryn had passed out due to her fear of water, and there wasn't much more they could do until she woke up. Reaching over to his belongings, Alberich grabbed his sleeping bag made of deer hide, with the inside coated with soft wolf fur. "She should be fine, I think. I suppose we should give Kathryn some time to wake up." Alberich replied, looking back up at Elyria. "You said the creature that grabbed you had hands, right? Is that all you saw or felt?" Alberich asked, digging into his belongings once more. After a few seconds, Alberich had a book in his hands describing a number of the known creatures in the world, especially those known to serve under the Dark Lord.

"Would say that they were murlocs? If they are, we'll have to fight and exterminate their holdings. Those pesky fish men may be weak, but they are damn smart. We're lucky that they didn't swarm us when we were in the water." Alberich asked, flipping through several pages before finding the murloc page. Turning the book to Elyria, Alberich waited for a confirmation from the witch.

[Wick]

Elyria

Elyria looked at the book with him and nodded slowly as she pictured what she could remember seeing of it. "I didn't see it as clearly as this is but the hand and part of the face or head looked similar so I think that it is a merloc." She shivered at the thought that she was almost killed and by a weird creature such as those.

"What else could be in those waters? Are there other things we should be looking for?" She asked sitting closer to him as she realized they weren't really safe anywhere. "I hope you don't mind if I stay close to you. I'm a little nervous about the dark and it's creepy crawlies already and now there is this thing. Was it going to eat me or was it trying to drown me for fun?"

[dereken]

Caractacus

Caractacus followed after Kathryn back toward camp, his eyes on the woods and his zombies, just in case anything should happen. He didn't know what other things lurked in the woods. Not all of them could be aligned with himself and the party. Yet nothing came as they marched on through the wood. Caractacus was beginning to wonder if his luck had changed. No one was trying to kill him, and it seemed Kathryn really didn't have intentions of tricking and ambushing him after all.

As though in response to his sudden optimism, the camp materialized ahead of them. Caractacus smiled, glad to be out of the woods both metaphorically and literally. Caractacus nodded toward Kathryn, about to respond in kind to her advice, but he was unable to respond, a shout of help precluding his speech. Caractacus followed after Kathryn, looking for the source of the cry. He stopped, staring out into the lake, looking at the splashing and struggling. He froze, staring at the water with wide eyes and a clenched jaw.

Even as Kathryn rushed in to save Elyria, all Caractacus could do is watch. He was locked in place, and a rush of primal fear overtook him. He did not react when the woodsman dove in, saving both of them. When they were ashore, he stared at the water still, unmoving from his spot by the lakeside. Then he heard mention of murlocs. He snapped out of his stupor, striding forward once more into the lake. "I'll kill them. Kill them all. To me." The zombies shuffled forward, following him until he stopped, knee deep in the water. "They will come. Drag them from the waters and tear them to shreds."

[Lord Orgasmo]

Chuckles had a new command: get more trees. Easy. Chuckles began to shuffle once more into the woods to get more trees. Not a minute had passed before he was surrounded by dozens of the things. Chuckles took a mighty swing at the base of a tree, knocking a large chunk out of it. This followed by another. Then another. Then another. Within moments, a mighty crash could be heard as the tree hit the ground. How many should he get? Chuckles lifted the tree. It was a little heavy, but he could carry it with one arm. Reeling back, Chuckles began to swing away at another tree. Just like the first, the tree fell with another crash, and Chuckles lifted it underneath his arm. Two more. He could probably get two more. So he did. Slashing away, two more mighty crashes could be heard, as more trees fell victim to the Shambler. Putting two of the he trees under each arm, he began to drag them back to the camp.

About halfway there, Chuckles could hear a screeching sound. The sound people make when they see him. Was there another one of him? Chuckles began to go somewhat faster towards the group. Upon arriving, everybody was around the fire, and they looked different, too. One of them didn't have her shiny skin on, and she looked to be asleep. The other one was covered in something. It was probably water. Chuckles knew that people like master liked water. Maybe she went... what was it called? Swimming? But then there was the man with a lot of others around him. He said something, but Chuckles couldn't quite hear him. Dragging the trees over to Alberich, he set them down by him. He gave a short grunt to signify his presence, and sat down next to Alberich.