"It all comes in threes, in threes, threes..." the caged one cackles as the crusaders finish their third barefooted lap around the mine. The sun scorches the skin and blinds the eye, it's noon in the outskirts of ancient Eridu. Just short of twenty men they are, the long road has tattered them in numbers, in garments, in meat on bone. Yet they persist in their tiredness, performing penance only days after the finish of their long journey. There is no other way, two nights have passed here, two nightwatch squires have gotten sick. The bishop Adhemar blames his own sins, Ceolmund blames the dirty water that gathers in black puddles everywhere, some blame the one in the iron cage, that is dangling off of rudimentary mine crane high in the sky. Away they were from the glorious battlements of Francia, Adhemar knew, now the humble wooden structures for transport of broken rubble made long ago were their new palisades."If Jericho's walls fell after three rounds of encirclement, now let our walls never fall, Saint Michael, as we are paying the same price for the opposite... " Adhemar, leading the procession, finishes their barefoot penance with churchly monologue, extorting health and success from worship worthy figures from the cannon. Behind him are the three knights in the expeditionary group - the german twins Godrick and Gebehart, stuck shoulder to shoulder as always, and behind them - the englishman Ceolmund the Paragon, who is now ordering something to the men..."Osbert and Thorley, fetch fresh water from the hills we passed as of late, as to rid our bloodied feet of those black pebbles and to bring relief to the two sick boys in the tents... Riley and Aldwin, send the Assyrian to those native abominations and get them back to mine work..."Someone needs to stand guard tonight, the leaders decide it should be one of them this time.>Ceolmund the Paragon>bishop Adhemar>the twins Godrick and Gebehart
>>6152987>Ceolmund the ParagonThis looks interesting
>>6152987>Ceolmund the Paragon
>>6152987>the twins Godrick and Gebehart
>Ceolmund the Paragon
Absolutely rad artwork & concept>Bishop Adhemar
>the twins Godrick and GebehartBetter two guards than one.Will this be horror as in the horror of war? Or is this horror as in oh fuck demons are real and they're hunting us horror?
>>6153130considering they're outside the ancient Mesopotamian city of Eridu, where no Crusader force ever reached before but is strongly associated with the major gods of the Sumerian pantheon, I'm going to go with 'demons'.
Rolled 2 (1d2)Equal amount of votes so I am rolling 1 for Ceolmund, 2 for the twins
The night is cold and cloudy, the naked caged man is huddled in the embrace of his own arms, grinning at the two brothers who are scaling the horizon. Nothing is seen, nothing can be seen. Time passes and the camp grows silent with the advancement of night. Somewhere deep below, mining efforts can be felt, heard. The twins look at each other, it's a look they have rehearsed for ten thousand nights. Helmets are off and beautiful long gold hairs spill across the armor. Then the armor goes, beautiful long gold hairs spill on naked flesh. "Three are naked, three, three..." the caged man exclaims.Godrick had sustained new badly scarred wounds in the siege of Jaffa a year ago, these were wounds that Gebehart didn't have. Unforgivable. They are blood, they are kindred, they have shared a womb, they are perfect copies and a Saracen sword is trying to mark one as if to say that he is different from the other. Gebehart takes his sword and digs in his own flesh, tracing the same scar lines as his twin brother, Godrick assists him. Soon they finish without so much a whimper. "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead or living, as I am the Lord!" the caged madman exclaims again with a huge grin. Then continues to mumble "Three wounds, three, three..."Gebehart, blood running across his torso, lifts his now red sword and speaks"Whatever you endure, I endure. Whatever you suffer, I suffer. Whenever you laugh, I laugh. Whenever you die, I die. Let that blood that runs now be my witness, as it is yours as much as mine, my words hold true. On this sword, I swear it." Godrick repeats the same words and with that their nightly oath is completed. He tends his brother's wounds with the attention of a lover and when the morning rays advance the beginning of the day both of them feel the lack of vibrations under their feet."They have stopped digging...""They'll begin again."The twins finish their first night. Soon the next night approaches, the one who stands guard is...>Ceolmund the Paragon>bishop Adhemar>the twins Godrick and Gebehart
We're off to a good start.>Ceolmund the Paragon
>>6153198>Ceolmund the Paragon
>>6153198What in the goddamn....>Ceolmund the Paragon
>>6153198>Ceolmund the ParagonVery spooky vibes OP
>>6153198>Bishop AdhemarDamn madman... Three... Three... Three... Let the holy trinity heal you.
>>6153198>>bishop Adhemar
>>6153198>bishop Adhemaryou got my attention, OP
>bishop Adhemar
>>6153198>bishop AdhemarGood stuff
>>6153198>bishop Adhemar
>>6153198>>Ceolmund the Paragon
It's dusking hour and soon night will be upon them, Ceolmund is already on his post atop the wooden structures. Riley and Aldwin bring him the Assyrian who comes with a request told in broken latin."The hardship of labor makes the miners thirsty, lord. Assist them in...." the Assyrian is rudely cut off."Aren't there enough soot puddles around for these wretched creatures to drink from? Bring yourself to them and translate this properly, there won't be further accommodations before the work is done!" Ceolmund barely looks in his direction. The Assyrian has the liking of a woman, yet walks and smells like a man. A crooked man in a crooked land, Ceolmund thinks to himself and spits after his men lead the translator away.Night falls, Ceolmund vigorously walks on the improvised battlements, nothing can be seen on the horizon. The caged man has fallen asleep, the english knight starts feeling a strange tiredness overcoming him. Alas, he cuts his finger with a trusty dagger, now jolted aware and virile he continues his watch. The blood from his pinky flows on the wooden palisade and falls on other, already dried blood. Some time passes and the same tiredness wrestles him again. Another finger is cut and the pain brings back Ceolmund to his senses. Time passes. The caged man moves restlessly in sleep, making the old wooden crane that lifts him squeak with age. Ceolmund's eyelids start closing on their own this time and just before he manages to cut a third finger he falls asleep.The wooden palisade is gone and now under him are the beloved hills of his native Northumberland. In those hills there is a cave and in that cave - a holy man doing austerities. On one particular day the holy man observes a cat chasing a mouse. In his mercy he smiles upon the mouse and rids it of its wretched fate by transforming it into a boar and the cat runs away scared. Days pass while doing severe austerities the holy man sees that same boar being chased by a hound. For a second time the holy man takes pity on the animal and transforms it into an elk with huge antlers, the hound runs away scared. Some time passes and in the middle of prayer in his mountainous cave again the holy man is disrupted by noise, the elk he saved was now being chased by a pack of black wolves. For a third time the ascetic takes pity on the animal and transforms the elk into a mighty lion, the wolves run away scared. Now no one could hurt the mouse turned lion, and the animal knew that. Days passed and wherever the lion went, predators bowed down in respect and pray ran away. The lion was happy in his strength and grew in arrogance. There was just but one thing that bothered him - the only one who knew his true identity of a small and weak mouse was the holy man that ascended him. On the following day the lion went to the ascetic's cave, searching to rip him apart, however the holy man read his intentions and turned him back into a small and frightened mouse...
Ceolmund wakes. The caged madman is awake too and says with humiliating cackle"Craven honored one... thiefling granted triumph... the backstab paragon... O, in threes, threes, in threes." More hurtful laughter follows.The steady vibrations under feet tell that the mining efforts continue.Ceolmund realizes that he fell asleep on his post and wildly looks around. Everything is quiet and orderly, there is no enemy, the first sunrays are on the horizon. Frustrated in his failure as guard he picks a black rock and throws it at the caged man, then sucks on his cut fingers. The blood is a good liquid in his mouth. Two days have passed since Osbert and Thorley left to fetch water, they haven't come back.Ceolmund finishes his first nightwatch. The thirst begins.
To be continued with bishop Adhemar
Highly intriguing, I take it we're down to 15 "healthy" men, two sick, a prisoner, a translator, & the miners?
>>6153709waiting warmly
I don't get the message behind Ceolmund's dream, but at least he seems normal compared to the twins.
>>6153995I think it means that he's a false paragon. He probably leeched off someone else's deeds and claimed them as his own, and they didn't survive to say otherwise, or the bishop is propping up his reputation. Certainly his nightwatch doesn't paint him as the faultless sort.
>>6154008I would say refusing to let his workers stop for a drink break, berating his translator and calling them wretched creatures firmly puts him in the 'asshole' category
>>6154008Reading it again, you're right, he's probably not who he says he is.>Craven honored one... thiefling granted triumph... the backstab paragon... Maybe he killed the actual paragon and assumed his identity.
Festering boils cover the bodies of the two bedridden squires. Bishop Adhemar gives instructions to one of the miners, brought here for handling the contagious healing process, through the Assyrian translator."The concoction needs to be applied every two to three hours. If their skin begins to dry in redness, you wait for six hours before applying again, otherwise the boil will burst and spread the disease..."The miner is strange looking. Him and his ilk are nothing alike compared to other peoples, even Saracens shun them. Bishop Adhemar investigates silently... they have the sloped forehead of northeastern celts, the bulbous brow of ancient greeks, the crooked nose of the semites and the protruding jaw of a halfwit. Their eyes are small and beady, sunken deep into their prolongated skulls, their bodies are short and stout, enduring to abuse. Combined with their mellow nature and intrinsic goodness, they made for perfect servants, the bishop concludes. Their most prominent trait however is the length of their shoulder blades. Placed on their wide backs, their protrusion make it seem as if they have been made to handle much longer arms..."They are children of the God" the Assyrian says, his womanly face and body are betrayed by his androgynous voice. He wears a silk tunic that goes over one shoulder, golden stiches run through the fabric. He doesn't seem short of money."We are all God's children" replies Adhemar.Time passes and the bishop is now on the wooden wall, his nightwatch has started, night has started.Some of the men-at-arms are burning wood, the charcoal is needed in the filtration of the soot puddles. Adhemar watches them, then watches the fire, then watches the caged man who is keeping him company on the lonely wall. The caged man is watching him too. Silent and sullen he is this time around, crouching in his iron cage, hands clasped around the iron bars, big black eyes now glow in red and orange, maybe reflecting the fire that burns somewhere below, behind them.A long time passes."You like watching, observing... now watch there, there, look in there..." the madman points to the far reaches of the horizon, where blackness now rules, where no light touches. Adhemar watches and observes for a long time. In that same blackness suddenly shapes start moving, joining, intertwining, combining and separating in a sick amalgamation of events long past.
Adhemar sees himself walking with a black cat on his left shoulder."Follower of the saintly Agatha you are, the platter carries her breasts, her bosom is on the silver..." the madman says.The blackness in the far distance changes, new forms emerge and Adhemar sees himself resting in the cremation grounds with a multitude of burning bodies, all dead by festering boils. "Follower of Hertha you are, her legs are wide apart, all naked in her maturity..." the madman says.The shadows do their play once again and now Adhemar sees his own mother on a pyre, burning and screaming. "Follower of... is this your doing, bishop-hat? Maybe you are follower of your own ways, your compulsions and nobody elses..."There are tears on Adhemar's cheeks, a nose bleed is running down his chin, joining dried up blood on the floor, that has joined older dried blood.Adhemar's nightshift has ended. Previous shadows are now visible, advancing Muslim Saracin force is on the horizon.The one who stands guard next is...>Ceolmund the Paragon>bishop Adhemar>the twins Godrick and Gebehart
>>6154345>bishop Adhemar
>>6154345>the twins Godrick and Gebehart
>>6154345>the twins Godrick and GebehartShould be safer with the obsessive twins.
>the twins Godrick and Gebehart
>>6154345>the twins Godrick and Gebehart>they have the sloped forehead of northeastern celts, the bulbous brow of ancient greeks, the crooked nose of the semites and the protruding jaw of a halfwit. Their eyes are small and beady, sunken deep into their prolongated skulls, their bodies are short and stout, enduring to abuseneanderthals, or near enough
>>6154506+1 on both counts, who is Saint Hertha?Was the Madman here before we arrived, or did we bring him here?
>>6154565Might be Saint Bertha, missionary to the Anglo-Saxon through her marriagehttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_of_Kent
>>6154345>>bishop Adhemar
Updating tomorrow.>>6154565I like those questions
A well dressed emissary tries to negotiate with the crusaders, yet no one understands his queer tongue and the arab is mocked by Gebehart to such an extend that he returns to camp, his endeavor - fruitless.It's late afternoon and the Saracens have rested a whole day just a few hundred feet away from the mine. There, a tunnel collapses partially and an unfortunate soul perishes while it's miner kin make attempts to retrieve the body. While Adhemar and the Assyrian investigate the bodily trauma on the dead miner, the Saracens who felt the shock of the earthly collapse interpret the event as favorable for attack.A mountainous terrain surrounds the mine from three sides, the only viable attack strategy is a frontal assault. According to every stratagem that the twins have read the crusading Christians were now on death grounds. There is no escape. "At least the morale won't suffer" one tells the other with laughter.The twins Godrick and Gebehart are atop the improvised wooden battlements with several german man-at-arms, Ceolmund the Paragon is there too together with his fellow englishmen. The dozen men face a hundred foes, the highground is their only ally, the former wooden rubble disposal path - their keep. Crouching at several strategic strongpoints they target the yelling advancing enemy with volleys of scarce arrows. The muslims are undeterred and push forward, deploying their only sieging tool - a scaling ladder in the middle of the christian wall.The fighting is fierce. Saracens rush the ladder, as they know it's physical integrity is in danger while kissing the defended wall, muslim archers vehemently try to dispose of the crusaders near it. Godrick is striken by an arrow in the torso, breaks it and continues to fight. The christians run out of arrows quickly and deploy other means of ranged defense - black rocks from the miners' rubbles are brought to the wall and hurled at the attackers, dried and shrunken centuries-old wooden trunks bring down those climbing the wall. But those, once thrown, can't be retrieved and the enemy is relentless, despite the head crushing and limb breaking. Soon the crusaders run out of stone rubble and wood. Godrick is handed his halberd, Gebehart - his spade spear, Ceolmund the Paragon equips his two-handed Claymore, the bloody business of the day continues.The first Saracen walks on the palisade, the christians are loosing ground and are momentarily shook."Fear not, as the Paragon is with us!" Godrick bellows with a lion's roar, broken arrow sticks out of his chainmail.
Ceolmund delivers to the praise, his sword sinks deep into the skull of the first enemy arrival, Gebehart's spade spear throws him over the wall, yet the arabs keep coming one after the other, singing praises to their Lord all the meanwhile. The knights are veterans and their work - surgical. Slash, stab, push over, slash, stab, push over, slash, stab, push over... yet it's not enough in front of overwhelming numbers, three arabs climb the wall now. Godrick splits his enemy head to groin with his mighty halbert, Gebehart stabs the one infront of him through the eye, Ceolmund crouches in mid swing and takes a pair of legs under an unfortunate Saracen, more climb up... Muscles start to ache, joints crack overstrained, the fight goes on for an hour, Saracens bandage their wounds and join the fray again, the crusaders don't have that privilege. It comes a point where the former's advancement becomes too much, the crusaders can't remove the ladder and are almost overwhelmed until the arrival of bishop Adhemar who brings with him one of the sick squires and a miner, armed with his regular pickaxe. His wonderous strength frightens the Saracens, until a lonely arrow finds itself embedded in the fearsome creature's eye. The arabs advance one again. The disease ridden squire is one of Ceolmund's and now raises tired yet devout voice."Sire, I bear no strength in my arms and I can barely lift my axe, use my body as your tool so I can perish honorably and not of sickness, living up as a proper squire to thy glorious name, oh my lord!" he addresses Ceolmund with passion and the latter cries in anguish witnessing his selflessness. The body of the squire is lifted and thrown towards those Saracens yet to finish their ladder climb, many fall. Seeing this momentary opening, Ceolmund takes in hands the two giant ladder hooks that have attached themselves to the wall and try to unclench them from the wooden frame. With tremendous effort the ladder moves away, yet its center of mass brings it down on the wall, the crusader has no leverage. Again, an attempt is made - Ceolmund holds the right hook, Gebehart - the left, and on the count to three both men exert huge effort pushing away, the ladder is detached again, yet even with arms outstretched the center of mass plays against the crusaders. The tiredness of the hours long battle brings certain aloofness in Ceolmund's mind, the self-sacrifice of his squire has brought a certain awe in his heart, so now Ceolmund jumps on the highest wooden rampart of the improvised defenses, takes both hooks in his arms and uses his own body as leverage, going over the wall with the ladder in hands, crashing down with the ladder, taking many enemies with him."The Paragon guards over us!" he hears Adhemar's shouts while loosing consciousness somewhere down bellow among the enemy...
It's night time, Godrick and Gebehart stay on watch. Godrick, naked and bloodied, aches at the medicinal efforts of his brother. The arrow head is finally pulled off his torso."Go and rest in the tents, Adhemar will stay over you tonight" Gebehart says, already knowing his twin's answer."No.""You're wounded." Gebehart protests."Everyone is."Majority of the men stay in the tents, the Assyrian tries to be useful by providing filtrated water and bringing them amenities. Soon he visits the twin guards, high on the wall. "Water for drinking" he says while putting down one canteen."Hot water for the wound" he says while putting down another.Gebehart thanks him, Godrick watches him closely. The Assyrian is in his early twenties and resembles a woman more than a man. His frame looks brittle, his gestures are calm and gentle. His satin garments aren't worn out and look almost exquisite, shaping his form very much to that of a woman. In squatting to put down the canteens his bottom reveals shape of a pear, his scent carries a tinge of cinnamon. The wounded Godrick suddenly doesn't feel the pressures of his pain to that extend, as another feeling overcomes him."What does it symbolize?" the Assyrian asks while looking at Godrick's bare chest. He is pointing at a tattoo of a snake biting it's own tail."What is this?" Godrick parries, pointing at darkened skin on his thigh, exposed by the unruly tunic of the Assyrian."A birthmark" the translator answers. "What about this?" he now questions Gebehart's necklace that he wears only on battle days."It's the hammer of my people" he answers vaguely.Godrick and Gebehart exchange a look that they have had a hundred other times.~~~The twins' nightwatch finally ends. In the early hours of the morning the body of the Assyrian is found under some barrels in the far reaches of the mine, a tremendous wound splits him across, from neck to groin. His tunic is thrown to the side, revealing two sets of genitals, masculine and a feminine one, bleeding.The fate of whom unveils next?>Ceolmund, the captured Paragon>bishop Adhemar's bodily investigations
>>6155396>bishop Adhemar's bodily investigations
>>6155396>Ceolmund, the captured Paragon
>>6155396>"What does it symbolize?" the Assyrian asks while looking at Godrick's bare chest. He is pointing at a tattoo of a snake biting it's own tail.>[...]. "What about this?" he now questions Gebehart's necklace that he wears only on battle days.>"It's the hammer of my people" he answers vaguely.>In the early hours of the morning the body of the Assyrian is found under some barrels in the far reaches of the mine, a tremendous wound splits him across, from neck to groin. His tunic is thrown to the side, revealing two sets of genitals, masculine and a feminine one, bleeding.So the twins probably came from a pagan culture that underwent recent conversion. I really want to know why they thought killing the hermafrodite was a good idea. >Ceolmund, the captured Paragon
>>6155396>>bishop Adhemar's bodily investigations
>>6155396>bishop Adhemar's bodily investigationsThis world just keeps getting weirder and weirder.
Saracens lost most of their number I take it, so they may try to ransom Ceolmund if reinforcements aren't expedient. Alternatively, they may kill him quickly if he will convert. That said, the insights they have on the mine might reveal more than Adhemar's examination of a hermorphidite corpse.>Ceolmund the Paragon in the bondage of the Mohammedons
>>6155723*won't convert
Update tomorrow.
>>6156009waiting warmly
Strong underground rumble is felt, the earth shakes. Minutes after, a half-crushed miner is brought in Adhemar's quarters, dead. The Assyrian keeps him company, he is writing rudimentary latin phrases on a parchment. Both examine the corpse, going through previously noticed physical characteristics they finally lay the corpse on it's stomach. The short neck is loose to the touch, its broken. Many lacerations can be noticed on the crushed right side. The black rock that is being excavated from the ground as rubble is sharp, indicating intense volcanic activity in the area long time ago. The spine is crushed in several points, the tail bone is protruding through the flesh. Again Adhemar's sight is attracted to the shoulder blades. Their unusual length and position indicate the creature's capability of having much longer and stronger arms, which is only true to an extend. The Assyrian carries a hand over the one that isn't crushed and hearing Adhemar's perplexion he says:"Not for hands, priest. For wings."Someone sounds the horn, the Saracens are attacking.~~~All night long the bishop helps the wounded. Every Christian soul matters, every Christian body matters in their sacred mission. Some wounds are treatable with the rudimentary medicinal science, others aren't. Two men in particular are on the verge of dying, two less swords for the next fight, Adhemar thinks solemnly. Or maybe not if he can do something about it.The bishop takes ink away from the parchment scrolls and starts spilling it across the medical room in forms unknown to the rest of the soldiers. In minutes strange geometrical shapes form in all kinds of angles and entanglements, interconnected with one another. Then the chanting starts, none of the wounded has heard anything like that in the Sunday sermons in their european churches and cathedrals.The bishop Adhemar's foreign words and actions, first careful, grow more sporadic and spontaneous until everyone's neck hair stands up, a huge invisible vortex of energy can be felt. Finally, the culmination leads to a new presence in the room, a figure draped in a long white cloth, a girl is now here, her arm hides her chest.
"Oh, Saintess Agatha, help me heal those two worthy souls from their demise in the physical!" Adhemar points to the two severely wounded crusaders."I will guide thy hand..." Agatha says with the sweetest voice.One man is healed from a deep saber slash, several black hairs turn white in Adhemar's hair."What do you want, bishop?" Agatha asks and receives no reply.Second man is healed from a spear wound in the lung, several black hairs turn white in Adhemar's hair."Why are you here, bishop?" Agatha asks again and receives no reply.The morning arrives and with it the newly found corpse of the Assyrian. His naked body is laid on one of the tables with quickness, Adhemar inspects it. A huge slash follows a straight line from the left clavicle to the genitals. The Assyrian's body has budding breasts, on them, along the torso and arms are many signs of forcefulness. The masculine genital misses testicles, judging from the healed scar they were removed in early childhood. Next to it, the feminine genital is covered in blood and has many small lacerations that go all the way to the cervix. The anus is prolapsed. On the lower thigh there is a dark birthmark resembling a three pointed star."Saintess Agatha, tell me what happened to him?""He is more of a she" her hand goes over the torso and hovers over the vagina. "She was a virgin until today. A good family. This being had seen a pleasant life... Why was she here? What is your purpose here, bishop?" Agatha wants an answer."In threes, threes in threes" the caged madman cackles somewhere outside."My only purpose is to serve you, sweet saintess.""You lie." Agatha disappears.The day passes quietly. At the fall of night a battle horn is sound, the Muslims are attacking again.
The repaired ladder is on the walls, the crusaders are defending their position. Godrick and Gebehart are leading the Christians. The hours pass in bitter even fight, however the Saracens slowly start to gain advantage on the wall, the crusaders get pushed further and further."Retreat orderly towards the mineshaft!" this is where their last stand will be. Behind their backs they don't notice new geometric circles made not of ink, but of blood. However they hear words, different than the ones in the medical tent, yet just as foreign. The Muslims now control the wall, emboldened in their success they pressure the crusaders even more."Hertha, come forth!" Adhemar shouts and a infernal flaming wind vortexes between the two forces. A naked woman stands there now."Heresy... Devil work... " such whispers can be heard and more.The woman oozes fresh blood from each and every pore of her body, then that blood catches fire only to make way for new oozing fresh blood, creating a giant halo of flames around her. Her tongue is hanging out and her face is stuck in a terrible mocking grimace. All in the nude, her breasts bounce at every movement, tempting men to try and embrace her, her only garments are metallic rings of precious metals that beautify her long arms and legs. Christian and Muslim alike falls flat on the ground almost instinctively, her presence is that ferocious, that terrible..."What do you want, boy?!" her voice is both calm and angered, she addresses the aging Adhemar who is the only one to have enough fortitude to be on his knees."Oh, great and terrible one, the one who rests on serpents, who makes company with the spirits, who has danced since the start of Creation, beautiful and beloved Hertha! Grant me all those Saracens dead!" Adhemar makes his wish."Done" and she disappears.~~~Charred dead bodies cover the vicinity, men-at-arms throw them over the walls. Bishop Adhemar is sitting with his back to a wall, exhausted. His second nightwatch ends, his hair now only has white.>the twins Godrick and Gebehart (third nightwatch)>bishop Adhemar (third nightwatch)>Ceolmund the Paragon
>>6156410>Ceolmund the Paragon
seems like Hertha is some version of Ishtar
>Ceolmund the ParagonLet's see what's going on with him.>Not for hands, priest. For wings.Guys, I don't think the locals are neanderthals at all. I'm guessing they're the "devolved" descendants of the Assyrian genies?
>>6156410>>Ceolmund the Paragon
>>6156419sounds more like a take on the nephilim, the human-angel hybrids from Judeo-Christian esoterica
>Ceolmund, Captive of the Mohamedons
>>6156410>Ceolmund the Paragonso the bishop knows of the esoteric. now I'd say that the first invocation he did wasn't a saint at all, depending on how liberal OP is being with the supernatural, and like Hertha it's something else, but not necessarily a demon.
>>6156422I don't know, the description makes them seem vaguely bird-like with protruding jaw and beady eyes.
His eyes are tired, many broken bones crack within him, his eyelids close, then open, then close again.York, NorthumberlandSeptember, 1174 ADA street urchin steals a loaf of bread but is caught by the baker. Instead of giving him a beating, the baker takes the urchin in his shop and starts showing him the trade. In a few months time the urchin is taught most of the baker's recipes except for one, his notorious puff pastry that is so light, buttery and flaky that even the archbishop of Kent had inquired to possibly relocate him in his monastery with a noble monetary compensation. The street urchin begs the baker to teach him his secret yet the baker refused, claiming that the recipe is bound to his family and the person who will learn it one day is his infant son. Time passed and occasionally the urchin pesters the baker with his demand but the baker remains steadfast. Until the day in which his house burns down, his wife and son trapped inside, only then does the baker relent and the urchin gets to knowhow of the godly pastry. Realizing that he can't learn anything new from the baker, the urchin leaves once the bakery burns to the ground with the baker trapped inside. Where did the street urchin go? To the archbishop of Kent.Canterbury, KentApril, 1178 ADEarning a place in the monastery is easy enough with the urchin's skills in bakery, yet something is missing. The urchin secretly envies the resoluteness and spiritual fortitude of the monks, he envies their ability to read, so naturally he wishes to become a monk. Already satisfied with his usefulness the archbishop decides to indulge him, enrolling him in the freshmen monks. There the urchin learns how to read, scribe, pray and love Christ, make wine, take care of a garden. Time passes in many such activities and again things start getting stale for the urchin. One day, while in class, the urchin glances at an item on the wall that hasn't been moved for many years - an old two-handed sword that the archbishop kept as a souvenir from his youth. While looking at the sword the urchin has a cathartic experience - the sword itself is a cross! The urchin decides to do God's bidding on the battlefield but there is a problem, the archbishop doesn't let him go. The archbishop, as a knight templar himself, advised him that military life isn't a proper way to connect with God, rather the monastic cell, the fast and the rosary were the expedient tools for inner growth. No matter how much the urchin nagged him, the spiritual leader wouldn't relent. Not long after some monks find the archbishop dead, choked on a light, buttery and flaky pastry.
Cressing, EssexJune, 1186 ADThe urchin arrives in the templar castle with an intricate and beautifully ornamented letter of recommendation, bearing the sigil of the English archbishopric. He is taken in and makes a great impression on the monk knights with his priestly rhetoric and writing skills. Soon they enroll him as a warrior, just the thing that the urchin has wanted. Several years pass and the Third Crusade for the holy lands starts. Him, his knight benefactor, Evrart Demar, and many other knights from the castle join the crusade, aiding the war efforts of their brothers to the east. Now the urchin begins looking for glory, falsely lying to himself that he is doing it all in God's name.Acre, PalestineNovember, 1190During the two year siege of Acre the urchin starts devising ways of entering the city and ending the siege, as there is the agreement in the crusading forces that whomever gets control over it first, will have it in possession. Despite the warnings of recklessness and unnecessary pride from Evrart, the urchin presents the plan to the rest of the templars and in his love towards the urchin, maester Evrart backs him up as guarantor. Eventually the templars enter the city but are met by relentless arab forces who enter fearsome melee. Seeing that Christians are fighting, other Christian forces go with the intention of helping yet are thrown off the city, the whole endeavor remains unsuccessful making the urchin's plan a disaster. The Lionheart, king Richard himself, calls forth for the one who made the english monk knights break rank with their spontaneous attack. The urchin doesn't dare step forward, rather maester Evrart takes the fault. In his fury, the king orders his hanging at once and with strength in his silence Evrart departs from this world. Acre falls four months later due to starvation.Humiliated, shunned and mocked now the urchin takes on a new name, Ceolmund, the repenting one, and with this new name, he starts behaving as a new sort, the sort whose actions don't benefit him, ever. He is the first on the enemy walls seven times in a row, he volunteers for the ram whenever the defenders have the boiling oil, the pitch, the rocks and the flames. He alone is the one who pursued Salahuddin in his defeat at Arsūf, taking his coat of arms as trophy. With this Ceolmund becomes known as the Paragon, his identity finally cleansed.Until a boy in Jaffa points at him and says: "The King of Jerusalem! You are like a king, m'lord..."~~~Ceolmund's eyelids open again, a Kurdish man is vigorously trying to wake him up, visibly shaken. The whole field is covered with charred bodies, the Kurd repeats the same three things pointing to the mine."Sultan... concubine... inside... sultan... concubine... inside..." ~~~After Aldwin's death, Riley was solely responsible for the mining efforts. Now he comes up to Gebehart and with equal amounts of excitement and distress announces:"We have hit marble"
>the twins Godrick and Gebehart (third nightwatch)>bishop Adhemar (third nightwatch)>Ceolmund the Paragon (third nightwatch)NB! Last choice
>>6157068>bishop Adhemar (third nightwatch)
>>6157068>the twins Godrick and Gebehart (third nightwatch)while the bishop grew in my interest, the twins are still in my top ones.
>>6157068>the twins Godrick and Gebehart (third nightwatch)
>>6157068>Ceolmund the Paragon (third nightwatch)
>>6157068>Bishop AdhemarThe twins are certainly odd & mysterious, & the Paragon intriguing, but with the Holyman, therein lies the greatest mysteries.
>>6157068>bishop Adhemar (third nightwatch)So we got a serial backstabber, a possible torturer/rapist ex-heathen twins, and a magic using priest who's paying for each summons with his very life. I'm going with the bishop since he's the one directing everything.
>>6157068>>the twins Godrick and Gebehart (third nightwatch)
3 votes for Adhemar and 4 for the twins so far. I'll give one more day for voting, however those who vote need to have at least one previous post in this thread, otherwise their vote won't count.The ending in nigh.
>>6153027>>6153211>>6153817>>6154565>>6155723>>6156433>>6157253These were all me.
Crusaders make their way through the narrow underground passages of the mine, Riley leads them. The strange looking miners observe them in timid silence, occasionally pointing with a finger the way to the new finding. The walls are black with cobalt, coal and the occasional layer of obsidian, the air gets heavier and heavier as they make their descend.Riley leads the Christians in a tunnel, it's a different kind of tunnel this time, this tunnel has an ending. The squatting and gawking creature looking locals are pushed aside with force, the men are excited. An outer marble pillar can be seen protruding from the ground, upholding another intricately patterned marble ceiling. One swing, two swings, three swings and Godrick's pickaxe penetrates the beautiful ceiling, an encrusted scene, telling the tale of a myth long forgotten, is lost forever."Depart these creatures from this wretched world, they have done their part" Godrick says and the crusaders draw their swords...A rope is brought, a leverage point established, a reel mounts the rope, a group of crusaders lead by the german twins enter the cavernous space below. Once they reach solid ground the torches are lit, welcomed light penetrates a gigantic emptiness. The crusaders start walking. Across the walls the mythos of Creation is told, all through the eyes of the Serpent. Then the story of Lilith is told, her life after the voluntary exile from the Garden. Then there is Abraham, who according to the engraved composition on the walls was a full fledged demon who did the Demiurge's bidding. Then there is a prophecy, made by a forsaken angel about a God made flesh who entices a young woman to become his disciple, their love story is described in flustering details. Another student of his, only he remains loyal out of twelve, pictured with a noose around his neck. Finally, there is the downfall of this God, as multitude of others arise from long slumber..."Blasphemy, all of this!" Ceolmund is disgruntled. Approving grunts are heard. The twins look around. The distances in the underground hall are huge and every hundred feet there is a pillar cut short, holding a different item on it's cut side. There is a helmet with design long abandoned, an archaic suit of armor made out of huge copper rings overlapping one over the other, a scepter, a nose ring, foot of a bone puppet, a skull from an unknown animal... Such curiosities and oddities fill in the space, some crusaders start pillaging. Finally, the end of the tomb is reached, a statue of a giant angel embraces an empty broken marble sarcophagi. The stone angel is crying stony tears.
The crusaders make their way back to the surface. It's noon and waiting to be blinded by daylight the christians' hands hover over their eyes, however not sunlight but dark and stormy clouds greet them. The outside is almost as dark as the depths they have been crawling for the past hours. The cage of the madman is broken, he is not there anymore. Rather another creature who resembles him strongly now hovers above, the occasional lightning shows it's far reaching figure in the sky. It's wings are huge, it's voice thunderous, coming with every lightning."Who killed my prophet, the one who was neither a man or a woman, the one who kept company with kings, the one who was marked by me for prosperous life and unsullied nature?" the flying creature asks.Gebehart is about to speak a lie for his brother's sake. Godrick knows it, he stops him with a hand."Lying is beneath us. It was me!" he proclaims to the flying one."Who killed my children, my gentle progeny that had all gifts, that were worthy of Eden?""It was done on my order" Godrick says."Who broke through the shell of my tomb first?""Again, it was me!" Godrick braces himself, steeling his heart for whatever may come. "And who are you?" he asks."I am the storm bringer, the ruiner and upholder of the Crescent of the two rivers, the son of Azazel, the nephilim Shemhazai is who I am! What is your name?""Godrick of Magdeburg.""Since you freed me from the faith that the angel Gabriel ordered on me, I forgive your transgressions and will do your bidding... for a while. Now, what do you wish?" the nephilim asks."Make all those around me, who do not believe in what I believe, die a death." Godrick says calmly.All Christians around him experience a gentle bleed from every orifice. Fast, they lose strength, their legs give way under them. Sliding into the pits of the unconscious, Ceolmund murmurs a final curse towards the twins and a fantasy of him being the king of Jerusalem plays in fast forward.
Adhemar finds a wooden pike to rest his back on, now sitting, nostrils and mouth and ears and eyes are bleeding. His ending is near. Feeling the large disruption in his system, the gentle Agatha materializes next to him. She whispers honest words of encouragement, her girlish hand caresses his white hair in his final moments. Then another form takes shape close by, Hertha is there too, all naked and bleeding and burning as always but this time her tongue is in her mouth, her mocking expression has left her face. She comes closer, her voluptuous body jouncing with each movement, her golden rings covering forearms and ankles sing with each step. Then she waves a hand over Adhemar, assessing, thinking, and says"I can revert the occult made on you, but the cost will be tremendous and what is left in you won't handle it, boy.""I have made my peace, my gorgeous Inanna" Adhemar responds with hardship, blood is entering his lungs."Yet listen this, I know that you will take on another human form and once you come back, we will meet once more." Hertha strokes his cheek once last time. "Now as a proper devotee, die a proper death" and stands up."Take care, little one" she says to the gentle Agatha, and disappears.~~~The German twins Godrick and Gebehart stand on the wall that they have defended with so much sacrifice. Now they are joined by a mighty force on their side, so what is next need be Jerusalem and Nikea and Constantinople and Rome. And if Rome falls under the sigil of the Aesir of old, then Germania would follow.
[THE END]
I hope that you all enjoyed the quest, it was definitely very fun for me, it was my first attempt at making something more scary.1. If you have any question regarding it, make sure to ask and I will answer, unless something has been specifically left ambiguous.2. For my next quest, what would you guys prefer - a Norse viking Saga, or a quest based on the A. L. I. E. N. franchise?>>6157273this post made me laugh when I read it, yeah pretty much anonP.S. I also loved everyone's theories throughout the quest, good job guys
>>6158474Very nice, QM. When I get home I’ll give you a proper thanks.
>>6158474>1. If you have any question regarding it, make sure to ask and I will answer, unless something has been specifically left ambiguous.didn't get who was the sultan the kurd was alluding to. guess he died alongside the other saracens? was it saladin?>2. For my next quest, what would you guys prefer - a Norse viking Saga, or a quest based on the A. L. I. E. N. franchise?mix up both. vikings vs aliens vs predators
>>6158466So the other anon was right and the local really are the diluted spawns of the nephilim.>>6158474That was great fun, thanks, QM.1. So the twins are still full on norse pagan? What was their purpose for joining the crusade, surely they couldn't have known about this demon tomb?2. I'm guessing that this expedition was unsanctioned since they seem so under-supplied while also being stuck deep in enemy territory. What's happening with the crusade right now? Still historical?3. What would the endings be like if we chose Ceolmund or Adhemar? I'm guessing that Ceolmund would try to take the crown of Jerusalem, but I'm still not sure what Adhemar's goal is.Also, Alien quest sounds like great fun.
>>6158474>>6158556+1 to a mixture of Vikings + Aliens vs Predators, but I could go for either if left separate. This somewhat reminded me of the QM who keeps running mysterious Qsts with taboo vibes, such as Joan of Arc & Entombed.What's the lore behind all these entities? Herta, Agatha, Shemhazai, etc.Was Godrick more a psychopath than Gebehart, & why did he rape the hermaphrodite if he's an Asatruar?I'm also confused about the sultan & concubine lines.
Also, what were the relics & murals inspired by/symbolic of/depicting beyond what was said?
One last question, what inspired the protagonists, & what other characters did you consider if any?
>>6158474About st. Agatha and Hertha, was the first really a saint ? and what exactly was the second one, demon doesn't seem that correct ? and was there any reason why the twins raped the hermafrodite or they just were that evil ?alien would be a nice change of pace
>>6158687>This somewhat reminded me of the QM who keeps running mysterious Qsts with taboo vibes, such as Joan of Arc & Entombed.wait, so that troll quest about st. Joan was done by someone who had been qm before ? at the least the good option won on that quest
>>6158760I don't think those were troll Qsts, just a flakey QM.Charya, are you still answering questions? My one criticism is that the ending reveal was a bit rushed.
