Chapter 6: Tangled Fates

Chapter 6: Tangled Fates

Silenthall
Quest: The Town of Fog


After days of travelling, the Delvic Horde finally reached a settlement called Silenthall. In order to avoid any possible contest with the Ramoan Army in Redwall, they decided to take the mountain pass and through rough terrain which pushed them further north.

Borgon decided that they would try a peaceful approach at first to try and get Silenthall's cooperation. He tasked a small group of Delvas to go and meet with the leader of the village and discuss their situation. Borgon only wishes to set up camps outside the city to rest a few days before continuing west. He doesn't want the village to think they are being targeted or are being threatened. But, should they resist or try to send word to the Ramoan Forces, they the Horde would be forced to attack them.

Borgon chose Durzan of the Dragthrall tribe to lead this operation and to convey his message to the ruler of the village. Durzan will be accompanied by five Delvas in his task.


Built on the base of a mountain, the village of Silent Hall is home to humans and other races. They are ruled by the Cray family. This village has hidden secrets, which is of great importance to the people of Silent Hall. The village itself looks misty and eerie. With its maple wood rooftops, golden brick walls and the native bird species, Hull has a ominous atmosphere. Silent Hall has a failing economy, mainly attributed by the mysterious events that plague the town.

Wrozan. A brave new world for Durzan to explore, full of opportunities to earn glory for his clan! A Righteous expedition to reclaim his people's most treasured ancient relics...

That had been the pitch that had gotten Durzan on the boat to Wrozan. The reality was considerably duller. After the initial excitement when they made their landing in Skullenport, they hadn't done much else aside from march through the cold. Durzan cursed, was all of Wrozan so damn called? They should call the continent Frozan!

Durzan hated the cold, but not enough shirk his duties, especially when he had received orders from the war-chief himself. Leading the envoy to Silent Hall would be his first real bit of action since he had arrived in Wrozan. It would be his first chance to impress the war-chief, and if all went well Durzan may be chosen to take on more and more important jobs during the expedition.

As Durzan and his entourage made their way to Silent Hall, a sense of unease slowly began to creep over them. It was nearly midday, and yet the morning mist still hung over them, dense and fog-like. Durzan could barely make out where the sun was in the sky. Thankfully the road to Silent Hall was well defined, otherwise, they very well may have gotten lost.

Finally, after several hours of walking, Durzan could faintly make out the shadowy silhouette of the village through the mist. He could see no people as of yet, the mist was too thick. Durzan had one of the other Delva hold up the banner of peace they had brought with them, signaling their desire to parlay. Durzan wanted to appear as non-threatening as possible, or rather as non-threatening as a group of a half a dozen fully armed Delvic warriors could be.

They approached the entrance of the Village, but still, there were no villagers in sight. Had they seen or heard of the horde's approach and decided to all hide in their homes? Durzan wouldn't have been surprised if that was a case. There were few things more terrifying and awe-inspiring than the march of a Delvic war party that was over eighty thousand strong.

Durzan and the other Delvas stood at the entrance to Silent Hall for several minutes, hoping that someone would come to greet them, but to no avail. Durzan took a deep breath and cupped his hands around his mouth.
"TO THE PEOPLE OF SILENT HALL!" DURZAN BELOWED, "WE MEAN YOU NO HARM! MY COMRADES AND I HAVE BEEN SENT TO ASK THE LEADERS OF YOUR VILLAGE FOR SAFE PASSAGE THROUGH YOUR LANDS! IS ANYBODY HOME?!"



The Delva warrior behind Durzan even waved the banner a bit for good measure. Durzan really hoped someone heard him. He'd rather not march through the village, especially one so eerie and glum. It gave him a bad feeling, almost like the feeling he'd get before an ambush, but much more sinister.
"Is it just me, or does this place look depressing as hell?" Durzan scoffed, winking at his companions, "I've seen outhouses that looked more cheerful and welcoming~"

Chapter 6: Tangled Fates

Silenthall
Quest: The Town of Fog

Durzan's words were met with utter silence. Moving deeper into the village, they notice that the doors to every house were left open, looking inside reveals that the place appears uninhabited. The village looked abandoned, and yet the lanterns and torches are lit. What was going on here? Could it be that they were spotted coming and the villagers ran from their homes? Or perhaps something else was at play here. Surely standing around and yelling would solve nothing, Durzan had to get to the bottom of this. Durzan has a choice, he can either go back to Borgon and relay what he has seen or he can press on and try to find out where the villagers had gone.

One of the Soldiers who was investigating the houses noticed that there were tracks in the snow, numerous. It could belong to the villagers and they were all heading to one place, towards the tall brown house at the top of the hill.

"Durzan. I found tracks! Should we follow them?" One of the Delva soldiers asked.

The houses were all empty! Had the village been abandoned? 
No... Durzan thought to himself, Who had lit the lanterns and torches then?
]Beyond that, Durzan could smell it in the air. There had been people here. How long ago? He could not tell... but he figured it had to be somewhat recently. Durzan cursed, kicking the door to another abandoned home shut. How was he supposed to convey the war-chief's message to the leaders of Silent Hall if they weren't home? 

He could return to camp. Report the village as abandoned. The horde could just keep marching on. The again... what if the village had already sent word to the Ramoan Forces? What if they evacuated the village to flee the ensuing battle. Durzan did not want to be responsible for leading the horde into an ambush. He couldn't abandon his first real mission. If he was to report back to the war-chief, he needed more information as to just what in the world was going on with this dreary village.


"Durzan. I found tracks! Should we follow them?" One of the Delva soldiers asked. Durzan perked up. A lead? Perhaps the villagers were still close by. 


"Aye! Let's follow them" Durzan nodded. He went over to inspect the tracks himself. "I'm not going to give up unless we have a bloody damn good reason. Come on, let's see if we can find these piss-poor villagers.~"

Durzan really wanted to draw his sword and have it ready. He refrained from doing so, just in case they did find the villagers soon. He didn't want to look too hostile. For now, he took the peace banner from his comrade and led the other through the village, following the tracks they had found.

Chapter 6: Tangled Fates

Silenthall
Quest: The Town of Fog

Durzan had decided to follow the tracks in the snow and try to find out what happened to the villagers. Together with his companions, they delved deeper into the village, deeper into the fog. There was a strange feeling in the air brought about by the mysterious white mist. It made the visitors feel like they were being watched, or rather, stalked.

The footprints on the snow led them to the top of the hill, at the entrance of what looked like an old cathedral. Among all the houses and buildings in the village, the cathedral was the only one which had it's doors closed. Looking suspicious and ominous, the other Delvas thought that this might some sort of trap. They warned Durzan of that fact and suggested that they return to Borgon and regroup. However, little did they know that they will not be able to exit the village anymore.

Unknown to them, Durzan and his comrades have fallen under a powerful dream spell. They still think that they are wandering the village, but the truth is they have all fallen in to a deep sleep.

Back in the illusion, the Delvas await Durzan's decision. But just as he was about to decide, a moving light was seen on one of the top windows of the cathedral. It was most likely a torch or a candle being carried by someone.

"You know? I think I was too harsh before..." Durzan suddenly said aloud, "Now that we're walking through it... this village is actually kind of cozy... comforting..."

It was strange. While the air felt close and oppressive, Durzan didn't seem to mind. He could feel as though he and his soldiers were being watched... but he didn't really care. Durzan felt as though he was losing all motivation and strength. It was so peaceful here. Perhaps that is why they called this place Silent Hall. He hadn't felt this relaxed since he had left Dorgul. Durzan hadn't had a proper night's sleep since the horde had landed in Wrozan,  but now he felt rested and calm.

The footprints in the snow... which suddenly didn't seem as important as they did before... led Durzan and the others to the top of a nearby hill, upon which stood a grand old cathedral.

"Wow... what a beautiful old buidling~" Durzan smiled as he placed a hand against the old wooden doors, "I always wondered how people built stuff like this, stacking stone and mortar in such a beautiful way..."

The other Delvas didn't seem to share Durzan's appreciation. The looked tired and fearful. Why were they so skittish? One complained that the cathedral was a strap, that enemies could be waiting inside to ambush them. Pssssh, how ridiculous. The cathedral looked so warm and inviting. Surely there would be friendly priests inside who'd welcome them with food and drink.

Another of Durzan's escort suggested that they turned back and reported to Borgon. Durzan lifted his arms... why did they feel so heavy? And clasped both hands on either side of the Delva's face.


"Nooooo~ Don't be such a... such a..." Durzan paused as he tried to recall the word he wanted to use, "Such a hornless feck! We've got a mission to dooo~ I gotta find me the leaders of this here vilgauge... Villinge... Vilga-Village! Damn that's a funny word. Isn't it? Village. VILLAGE. Oh wow, when you keep saying it over and over again it sounds so weird. Haha. Vill-AGE. What was I talking about?..."

Durzan's mind felt cloudy. He couldn't seem to concentrate.


"Hey guys I feel weird... What's going on here? I think- HEY!" Durzan was suddenly distracted as he caught sight of a light flickering in one of the top windows of the Cathedral, "Look! Seeeee~ I told you this cathedral was friendly~ It's waving at us! Let's go inside! I'm sure it's even friendly inside..."

Durzan brushed past the other Delvas and pushed the open the giant, creaking doors to the cathedral.


"Hellooooo~" Durzan called out as he entered, "I've come to say hi to the friendly waving light thing! Where is he... or she! I dunnooo~"

Chapter 6: Tangled Fates

Silenthall
Quest: The Town of Fog

It didn't take long for tragedy to strike. Almost immediately after Durzan opened the door, a large block of stone fell on one of his comrades, crushing the Delva in the snow. The others struggled to lift the massive object but it was too heavy. One of Durzan's party members took a breather and decided to stretch his back after trying to lift the stone. Right at that moment, an arrow came flying from an unknown direction and right through the Delva's skull.

"Ambush!" One of the surviving Delva's cried out loud. Being trained warriors, they knew that they needed to move into a place where they can defend themselves from multiple attacks. They ran inside the cathedral with Durzan and formed a circle, with their backs against one another and their shield and weapons raised.

"Sound the horn!" One of them had a horn, which they used to signal their comrades should they find themselves in trouble. The Delva blew hard on the horn and it seemed loud enough to be heard by the camp. But there was a problem... Minutes after sounding the horn and then sounding it again multiple times, there seemed to be no response from their camp. They didn't know that this was a spell, nor did they realize that their true bodies are asleep in the fog.

For now the appear to be safe inside the cathedral. No one was attacking them nor were there any traps. But they mustn't let their guard down. Two from their group already died.

"Durzan! What should we do!? The camp isn't responding to us." One of the Delvas asked.

(I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream...)


What was that? A voice? The wind? Durzan shook his head. It didn't matter. There were more important things he had to deal with. Like the fact that his warriors were dropping like flies. Two dead. A simple envoy mission and two had died under Durzan's watch. Just where in the hell had that stone come from? To speak nothing of the bloody arrow that appeared as if from nowhere. It all seemed so surreal, Durzan could barely believe what his eyes were seeing and yet... it was real, wasn't it?

The loss of his comrades spurred Durzan into action. He felt his heart pumping as the fear and panic drove up his adrenaline. They were under attack, no time to admire cathedrals or anything else for that matter. His comrades were in danger, he had to act. For now, at least, Durzan seemed to be able to focus a little better. Damn this mist, it seemed to cloud his mind as much as his vision!

They appeared to be safe inside the cathedral, for now, but that gave Durzan little comfort. They were sitting ducks, cornered into a glorified box. Speaking of which, who knew what enemies or traps could be lying in within the cathedral. What troubled Durzan even more was the fact that despite sounding their war-horn, they had received no response. Even in this bloody mist, the sound should have carried for miles. Durzan would understand if the camp missed hearing it the first time, but the second, third, and fourth? No. Something was amiss.

Had the Horde been ambushed? No. That didn't seem possible. Besides, they'd have heard dozens of war-horns going off if that was the case, not to mention the screams and cries of battle. For some reason, the horde could not hear Durzan and his soldiers, that meant they were on their own for the time being. 


"All right, weapons at the ready and shields up. " Durzan ordered his remaining warriors as he drew his own Delvic sword, "For now we are abandoning the mission. Our own safety is our main priority. Be on your guard and assume everyone and everything we meet from here on to be a possible hostile. I'd like to avoid killing any innocent villagers for now... if there even are any. Something fishy is going on here. I intend to get to the bottom of it!"

Durzan focused on his anger. Anger at the failure of his first mission. Anger at the loss of his comrades. Anger at this damn bloody mist! It was familiar, it was something to focus on. It helped Durzan find his center and clear his mind somewhat. 


"Alright, spread out but stay in formation and keep withing sight of one another. We'll sweep the entrance for traps and hostiles before moving further into the cathedral. There must be someone in here, I saw a light coming from a window near the top. We make our way there for now, slowly and carefully. Call out any potential threats you see."

Durzan's remaining warriors fell into position, but Durzan could tell they were shaken. Two of their comrades had been killed off in an instant, they could be next. Delva didn't fear death, they charged into battle and embraced it willingly. However, there was a difference between dying gloriously in battle and being picked off effortlessly by some unseen force. Durzan banged his fist against the chest plate of his armor. He had to inspire his comrades, raise morale a bit.


"For the Horde!" Durzan shouted, growling fiercely afterward. With that, he began to slowly and cautiously lead his men through the chapel, their goal was to find a way upwards to investigate the source of the mysterious light Durzan had seen. It seemed like Durzan's imagination, but he could swear he heard a voice singingly faintly in the distance.

(I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam...)

Chapter 6: Tangled Fates

Silenthall
Quest: The Town of Fog
#DurzanSilentHall #TheTownofFog #Chapter6 @Durzan

Durzan's instincts had him pointed in the right direction. He was starting to realize that things here might not be as real as the seem. But how exactly did he get that kind of idea? 

The group decided to spread out and move in formation, as they searched the cathedral. They encountered no traps during the first few steps. But soon, one of the Delvas stepped in a pressure sensitive switch hidden underneath the floorboards.

*Click!*

When the trapped clicked, the Delva who stepped on it quickly jumped and rolled out of the way, avoiding a blade that would've cleaved his head clean off. He sighed in relief and laughed. But there was a second trap, the floorboards had collapsed and the group fell into an 18-foot pit full of deadly spikes.

The floorboards of the cathedral gave way, revealing a deadly pitfall. Hiding traps within traps? Whoever rigged this place wasn't playing fair, Durzan lamented. There was no time to complain, however, as Durzan and his warriors had a split second to act before they would be skewered by the spikes below.

Acting on reflex, Durzan shoved Delva closest to him as hard as he could, hoping to at least save one of them. Durzan could then feel the floorboards beneath his own feet start to give. He tried to leap to safety but only succeeded in pushing the floorboards down. Still, with his long slender arms he reached to grab hold of one of the pews, perhaps if he could grab the edge of one he could stop his fall. Sucess! 

"Yes!- AH! NO NO NO NO NO!" Durzan cried out. 

He had celebrated too quickly! Durzan was able to grab the end of a pew, but it was too close to the edge and Durzan was too big. All he did was succeed in pulling the pew down into the pit with him. 

(But if I know you... I know what you'll do...)


 There it was again. That singing. Was it real? Or was it simply the afterlife calling out to Durzan? No! It would not end like this. As Durzan fell into the 18-foot pit, he grabbed the pew and pulled it close to his chest. He then did his best to turn his body as he fell, so that the pew was under him. His hope that the wood of the bench was thick enough to shield him from the spikes...

Not like this. Durzan thought. Not. Like. This.... 

The member 'Durzan' has done the following action : FFMSL Dice

---

'#10 Challenge' :

Result :

Chapter 6: Tangled Fates

Silenthall
Quest: The Town of Fog
#DurzanSilentHall #TheTownofFog #Chapter6 @Durzan




Durzan was the only one who survived the trapped, however it was more luck than skill that save him from death. All his other teammates are dead now and there was still no sign of the horde. He was all alone and vulnerable inside this nightmarish world.

After climbing out of the pitfall trap, Durzan noticed that there was someone on top of the stairs, hidden in the shadows, watching. Could it be the person who setup all this death traps, entertaining himself by watching his creations take the lives of Durzan's men?

As soon as Durzan noticed the figure, it ran off towards the corridors of the second floor. Durzan should be very cautious in pursuing this person, there might be more traps hidden inside the cathedral.

There was a strange sound coming from behind the walls of this ancient building. It sounded like the something sharp was grinding against the walls, more hidden blades perhaps? Or was it something else? It would be dangerous to attempt anything rash at this point, Durzan was alone and the nightmare had just begun.

Dead. All Dead. Even the Delva Durzan had tried to save. Dead.
His very first command and all of his men had been massacred. What had he done wrong? What had he missed! Despite all of his training and experience, nothing had prepared him for this accursed place. Silent Hall. As silent as the grave. And a grave it would be for Durzan's comrades.

It was then that Durzan saw it. It was only for a moment, but there was no mistaking it. Eyes peering back at Durzan from the shadows atop the stairs. Durzan wasn't sure if he should feel afraid, or furious. In the end, anger won out. This figure in the shadows, if they were the one responsible for the deaths of his comrades, Durzan would tear them inside out!

"COWARD! SHOW YOURSELF!" Durzan roared, but it was too late. The figured had already taken off down the second-floor corridor. He was hesitant to pursue. No doubt there would be more traps ahead. Durzan considered leaving the Cathedral altogether, but what if there was another stone waiting to drop outside? Or worse, more mysterious archers lying in wait. 

Then Durzan heard it, the sound of something sharp grinding against the stone walls of the cathedral. What in the hell was making that noise? Was it coming from inside the walls? Or outside? Durzan pictured a massive beast, sharpening its razor-like claws on the outside of the cathedral. As if this whole situation wasn't already a nightmare.

Durzan decided to go after the shadowy figure, for now, his sword raised defensively. He moved cautiously, feeling for pressure plates with each step, keeping an eye out for tripwires. Durzan was incredibly paranoid, but he also had been given every reason to. What lay in wait for him on the second floor of the Cathedral?

(Yet I know it's true, that visions are seldom all they seem...)

That singing... That voice... So familiar... Was it coming from Durzan's own mind?...

Chapter 6: Tangled Fates

Silenthall
Quest: The Town of Fog
#DurzanSilentHall #TheTownofFog #Chapter6 @Durzan


Durzan did the right thing, not minding the walls, and also being very cautious on his way up the stairs. He had missed two traps already because of him being careful. But not all traps in this dream were triggered physically. After all, in this dream world, the one who controls the dream is king.

Durzan received no answer. There was no one visible on the second floor. There was also no trails on the dusty floor, left by the dark figure that ran awhile ago. Perhaps it was just the light, playing tricks on Durzan's vision. 

Visually, there doesn't seem to be any traps on the this floor. But that was the same with the first floor, these death traps were very inconspicuous. At the end of the corridor was a table and a chair. There was light coming in from the left side, it didn't seem like anyone was there. It looked like an obvious trap, but in order to progress, Durzan had to push forward.

He who is without

(has come for Vengeance)

It took Luc six days to track down and catch up to the Delvas, all the while he had been pulling Marlow, who is still unconscious, on a makeshift sled. He stood on top of a cliff, enduring the freezing winds blowing on his face, staring down at the Delvic camp just outside the town of Silent Hall. Just the thought of them breathing made Luc's blood boil. His eyes turned red and his heart aflame.

He rested Marlow inside a small cave beside a bonfire. He left all the food he had inside the cave and then said farewell to the unconscious man who saved his life.

"This might be the last time we meet. Thank you for saving me, goodbye."

Luc grabbed his gear and left the cave, and headed over to the Delvic camp. After learning who he was through the power of the Vermilion Eye, Luc knew what destiny wanted for him. But he also knew that he wanted to avenge the people of Skullenport, and Polethea. The lost prince could wait, his vengeance, however....

Chapter 6: Tangled Fates

Silenthall
Quest: The Town of Fog
#DurzanSilentHall #TheTownofFog #Chapter6 @Durzan @Luc Seifer

Chapter 6: Tangled Fates

Silenthall
Quest: The Town of Fog
#DurzanSilentHall #TheTownofFog #Chapter6 @Durzan @Luc Seifer


The four Delva soldiers proved to be no match for Luc, not with his Vermilion Eye. The Vermilion Eye was given to Luc for the sole purpose of helping him find the Lost Prince. But Luc was using it as a weapon. Taking advantage of the artifact's side effects, Luc is able to freeze his enemies momentarily, enough to cause significant damage against them.

The Eye gave a bright redish glow when activated, which was enhanced even more by the fog. The Delvas, after seeing it for the first time, thought that Luc might be using blood magic. After seeing their comrades fall helplessly against Luc, they got into battle formation around Luc and surrounded him.

They knew better than to charge carelessly against someone who could be using Blood Magic. They used their shields to act as walls, trapping Luc inside the circle. Then, from a safe distance, they loosened arrows and threw spears at Luc.

A desk and a chair? Had Durzan come upon someone's study? The second floor seemed peculiar, ill-suited to a cathedral. Was someone squatting in this abandoned ruin? Durzan strained his neck to see if there was anything upon the desk, but it was too far away. 

Just what was at the end of this corridor? It felt like a trap, that much was obvious. The whole damn cathedral was just one big mess of traps. Just what was going on? Who had laid all of these traps? The didn't seem as though they were a part of the original cathedral. Someone must have gone to ridiculous lengths to install all of them, but for what purpose? Was there some kind of treasure to be found in the ancient cathedral? Or perhaps, was it simply the home of some deranged hermit?

It honestly didn't matter at this point. Blood had been spilt, and Durzan's men were all dead. He refused to go back to the camp as a failure. It was up to him to avenge his comrades and put an end to the seemingly sinister plot brewing in this god forsaken town. Silent Hall. Durzan cursed the name of the town he had come to.

"Enough! I'm not going to tip toe around anymore like a bloody fool!" Durzan called down the corridor, "Can you hear me? You cowardly creature! If you're responsible for the deaths of my warriors, I WILL see justice be done! FOR THE HORDE!"'


 Durzan charged down the corridor, sword at the ready. Perhaps if he was quick enough, he could simply barrel through whatever traps there may be...

The member 'Durzan' has done the following action : FFMSL Dice

---

'#10 Challenge' :

Result :

Chapter 6: Tangled Fates

Silenthall
Quest: The Town of Fog
#DurzanSilentHall #TheTownofFog #Chapter6 @Durzan @Luc Seifer


Durzan's plan, charging head on in a corridor full of traps, proved to be a terrible idea. He ran into more traps than he would've taking it slow. He was lucky the last trap missed him or his head would be rolling on the floor by now. Still, Durzan was far luckier than his comrades, at least he was still alive.

The injuries Durzan had suffered were near fatal. He didn't have the strength left to walk straight, let alone stand, but that's not the worst of it. The blades attached to the traps were rusty and full of bacteria. Durzan's wounds will become infected soon if he doesn't find a way to clean them and get the proper dose of antibiotics. But infection, still, isn't the worst thing Durzan should be worrying about.

As Durzan laid motionless on the floor, brown leaves started blowing in from the ceiling. It scattered all around the corridor and even on top of Durzan's body. A few feet away from him, a dark and ominous creature rose up from the floor boards. It's eyes, of glowing yellow, stared deep into Durzan's heart. It saw the fear the delva's heart, an emotion the monster fed on for strength.

It was just a dream, but the suggestive powers of the mind was too strong, dying here would also mean dying in real life. The monster knew that Durzan was too weak to protect himself. It crawled out of the floor and slowly made it's way towards Durzan's helpless body.