RP:Aarika Lanlan and the Giant Egg

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RP: Aarika, Lanlan, and the Giant Egg

'After discovering an egg shaped piece of amber the size of a house, Lanlan returns with backup; Aarika and Henry, mercenaries who he hired temporarily to work as bodyguards. 2000 gold to stave off a platoon of zombies in enchanted armor? Worth.'

Lanlan leads Aarika through the forest. Years ago, they were his home, and not much changes in an ancient forest like this one. The biggest trees and other landmarks still stand, so he navigates easily. Eventually they reach the spot where he, Kamakio, and Karasu found what was described as a 'mysterious but definitely magical phenomenon'. Maybe it was strange, but living in the Underdark did nothing to influence his demeanor toward elves. Obviously he manifested it when politically prudent, but in truth elves were empirically better than most other races, no matter what color the skin. After pushing through the last bush obstructing their line of sight, Lanlan stands proudly to receive Aarika's awe. "There, Aarika," he says with a triumphant yet slight smile, "I'll bet you've never seen anything like that." What he was referring to was a piece of amber the size of a house, covered butt to head in what were definitely magical runes. And within the translucent fossilized goop, were sixteen humanoids standing in a circle, all their arms raised in a 'v'. Aarika was never found alone so as she followed Lanlan, Henry followed her. Aarika's blonde hair was battle braided from her face,. Aarika and Henry were lightly armored, the female housing an axe in her belt while a sword hung from her hip and a round shield was strapped to her back, Henry equally armed. Being elvish was only apparent with her ears. She seemed to have been raised in a different light, one of a northern paganism, what could be mistaken as a viking in a different world. "What a drow smile?" There was a playful joke before the moved brush stole her attention, "What's going on here?" The matriarch asked in a hushed tone, not sure if those gathered about the valuable stone should know if their presence should be known or not. Henry was a foot and a half taller and wider then the blonde so he easily leaned over her frame to also suss out the situation.

Lanlan was unprepared to deal with this last time. Today, he wore a whole backpack, enchanted with a minor levitation so he barely felt it around his shoulders the whole time they trekked. Besides that he was wearing comfortable, yet expensive clothes. The black and purple dyes were to blame. He disrespected his xalious-wood staff by using it as a mere walking stick. He dispelled the levitation spell on his backpack when they got to the amber monolith, and emptied it. It was full of logs, reams of paper, and charcoal. "Human," he says gesturing to Henry, "Arrange these sticks and logs together for me such that it resembles a small man made of wood." He lifted up the end of a stump, first gesturing to the part where the bark was scraped off, and a smiley face was carved in. Then he turned it upside down and showed him how it had a socket. "This is the head." There was enough pieces to make a small humanoid, each joint had hinges and sockets. All that was needed was to look at it all and hammer them into place. Lanlan was no good for hammering. Assuming Henry was working on it, Lanlan would take Aarika aside. "Aarika," he begins with a puzzled look, "Why have you brought this stupid, ugly man with you? I wanted all 2000 of those gold pieces to go to you, not to this...creature." Aarika nodded her flaxen head toward Henry as Lanlan began his orders. If it wasn't for the matriarch's gesture nothing would have been set in motion, he only followed her and to the ends of the earth if necessary. His big mitt hands started the arts and crafts and as the drow tugged his shield maiden away he tilted his head to keep them in his peripherals. It was very clear this one was very protective over the woman. Lanlan's hushed complaints of the extra company pulled a deep smile from the petite warrior, "Oh don't you worry about him, he follows me for free. Though if it's not him it's someone else." Aarika was seldomly found alone and she found it tiring at times. "Besides who'd do the leg work...?" The blonde rose a hand and waved it as if pushing the topic else where, "What do you need of me?" The question came with a cant of her head, a few plaits falling over her shoulder in the process.

Lanlan could see he hadn't actually made his point, and he recalls how naive elves can be. As if he really cared who pocketed the money. "I'll be honest with you, Aarika. It's the smell. Every time I come into contact with one those I feel as if I've somehow become infected... with something." But he knew how different the bonds between servant and master were here. She actually cared for this brute. "Ah! I knew you would get it eventually, you aren't as ugly or stupid as the others all tell you, I'm sure." Anyone could've build that log man. Anyone. That was the point. Now that it's complete, Lanlan slots a small gem in a crook on his staff, and begins tapping the dirt with it. If you're sensitive to it, you'd feel tiny bursts of magic pulse around the area. And if you're really, REALLY sensitive, you'd hear a response from far below them. Almost like an echo, magic bouncing back to them. The log comes abruptly to life, and awkwardly balances on its limbs and stands still, waiting for direction. Lanlan removes the first gem he's slotted, and places another one, tapping it again. The stump guy picks up one of the reams of paper, and presses it against the wall of amber. "Now, tell your man to hold one end. Daath is going to wrap the amber with the paper." Yes, the stump servant is named Daath. The peace was about to come to an end, however, as all at once poorly preserved undead fingers begin bursting through the soft dirt under them. Undead soldiers of a long dead legion claw their way out of the Earth. The first skeleton to free himself, rushes at Aarika, its closest target. Its armor and sword are both strangely pristine. With hardly any strength, it waves the greatsword gently toward Aarika.  Aarika cracked a smile as the drow told her what the 'others' said about her brother in arms. Wouldn't be the first time someone teased them about their appearance today, lies didn't phase her and the humor that played upon her face showed such. Besides she knew how drow could be and Lanlan was living up to their reputation. "Well, thank you." Aarika nodded for Henry though he groaned in the back ground, if his matron wasn't doing a job he'd most likely send a fist right for Lanlan's front teeth, "And don't worry I met a healer today, so if you catch anything, it'll be my treat." She winked before the soft vibration under her feet dropped her to a squat, her battle skirt parting around her legs. Fingers pressed into the cool earth as a soft rumble tickled her hand. Again Aarika rose as she instructed Henry to follow instructions and boy was it good she did. The first hand that ruptured from the ground just barely missed grasping the blonde's hand. The matron closed her eyes for a moment welcoming her approaching foe, the bubbley blonde consumed by the inner warrior. Each sound burst to life and the metallic 'shing' of her blade being freed melted and merged with the clatter that enveloped the three. The blonde parried the creature's swing adding a new element to the amber soundtrack, heavy metal. A grunted shove and kick of her boot allowed space between the two before she spiraled closer adding momentum to her impaling the creature upon her blade. "Look out!" She called toward Lanlan as one approached him from the rear, he could either react or run to one of the sellswords to defend him, his best bet would be Aarika.

Lanlan uses his drow insignia to levitate himself off the ground and away from the inevitable melee as more and more armored skeletons emerge from the dirt. Luckily for his mission, the undead soldiers were only interested in living things, and stump-Daath was able to labor peacefully. Presumably Henry would be unable to assist him, so he would bleed sap out of a wooden finger and use it to stick the paper to the amber. Eventually, it would come to the end of one roll of paper. Then it would stick the unstuck end to the amber, grab a new piece, and start over. Once the whole base of the egg was covered, it waited for Lanlan's instruction. But levitating didn't make Lanlan safe! One of the armored skeletons emerged with a loaded crossbow, which it leveled at Lanlan. Levitating wasn't flying, he could only move slowly up or down using the magic. If nothing could obstruct the bolt, he'd be an easier target than ever floating up there. Before the sluggish skeleton could shoot, Lanlan grabbed hold of a branch and pulled himself behind a tree as the bolt shot through his cape. He lingered here until he was able to focus hard enough to telepathically instruct stump-Daath using the gem in his staff. But behind him, the threat increased drastically. Along with a new group of soldiers, a leader of some kind emerged. He was much more well preserved, not a skeleton, more like a mummy. His eyes glowed orange and it thrust its sword up to the sky, drawing power from the sun. It visibly engulfed his blade, then flowed into each skeleton soldier working for him. All at once they became much more lively, and their weapons were suddenly endowed with a kind of force magic. A touch of their on metal would now create a concussive blast. If you parried them with an unenchanted blade, you'd find your weapon blasted back with such force you might be disarmed. And if you weren't someone of great physical strength, it'd probably at least wrench your arm back and leave you wide open to receive another attack. Aarika caught a quick glance of Lanlan as he dodged around a tree, thankfully an extra body that didn't need her attention at the moment. Henry swiftly closed the distance between himself and his matron with four strident leaps forward, clobbering his way to Aarika's side. Soon the duo found themselves back to back, Aarika brandishing her sword at the bow-armed fiend. Being a mere pile of bones it crumbles with ease, leaving an arm-span's width to be filled by Henry. Aarika brushes bone-dust from her cheek a smirk tracing her lips as she witnessed Henry ramming two bodies onto their skulls with ease. A quick motion has the shield from her back and axe from her belt, each upper cut was followed with a well trained swing of her hatchet. As the obvious leader submerged Aarika knew her next target, but the way they were getting closed in on made her path obstructed. A tap to Henry's shoulder has him lacing his mitts together for a one footed launch. Aarika flew past the first wave landing with cat-like reflexes as she hurled her axe right for the more humanoid being's skull. Next she'd charge just in case her blade wasn't true, Henry more then capable of holding his own, bones turning to powder with each blow.

Lanlan saw how Aarika and Henry were performing. If it wasn't for the rise of their general, the undead soldiers would've definitely dwindled to nothing in seconds. Aarika was right to target him, once he was down, their dwindling numbers would fall quickly. All the while his minions fought, he held his sword aloft, interpreting the suns rays into power that he shared with his fallen comrades. He was different than the rest, along with his skin, he retained his muscle memory. Knowledge of battle tactics. But that didn't prepare him for the brazen strike of Aarika. Her axe sticks as aimed, and half its blade cuts through the generals helmet and wedges into the bone of his brow. It feels no pain, but its frown turns into a snarl as it drops to a knee. And for that moment, the enchantments on his minions fade. Henry takes advantage and begins busting through boneheads in a flurry until only a few remain, to be disposed of shortly. NOT SO FAST says the undead general. He rises again with the axe still lodged in his face, and raises his sword up to the sun again, claiming more magic from the sun's rays. Only this time, he doesn't disperse it among his last few remaining comrades. He grabs the greatsword in both hands and rolls it vertically in his hands. At the end of this flourish, there's a bright flash, followed by an arc of burning energy zooming straight for Aarika. Before it hits her, it splits, part of it suddenly going in a different direction and washing over Henry's leg, the surprising change in direction giving him little chance to dodge. Instantly the burning energy engulfs his leg in fire. Meanwhile Lanlan, after directing his stump more, joins the fray by creating the illusion of ten drow warriors. They engage the rest of the generals minions and allow Aarika to focus only on the general himself. Aarika had rolled forward in a fluid, practiced motion in an attempt to evade the electric strike chasing her form from the fallen soldier's sword; however - this strike wasn't meant for her. Henry cried pain-stricken profanities,the smell of singed leather flooding the air, chased barely by burnt flesh. He crumbled to the ground, flailing to pat out the fire though frantic swipes at his build, leaving him to resort to the old-fashioned stop, drop, and roll. Steel meets a shoulder-blade as another curse cuts across the commotion. Aarika spun once more, aiming for a low sweep of the leg. Only two things could happen at this point: one, the general falls and Aarika seizes the opportunity to spear the devil to the dusty earth with her freshly-acquired weapon of choice; or two, or the shyte would pounce - leaving Aarika to thrust upwards, transitioning her weight to power an attack aimed right at his wretched jaw.

Lanlan directs his illusionary minions to dodge and evade while always keeping close quarters to the dead soldiers so they'd always attack them, always be distracted from the real targets. Meanwhile Stump-Daath has now begun scraping charcoal over the giant paper ring it glued to the amber. The general swings its sword out to instantly decapitate Aarika, at a terrible time. She goes low, and kicks his knee out while his momentum carries him forward and to the floor. It barely has room to roll over before Rinn impales it through the chest with a spear. It grabs hold of it in one hand with a surprisingly strong grip, and pulls it down further and Aarika along with it. "If you release it," it rasps ethereally in elven, but its accent is strange, "you'll doom everyone." With astonishing quickness, it takes Aarika's arm and holds it with an astonishingly strong grip. "I can't let you. I won't let you." It starts to slowly reel her in hand over hand. Henry's struggling and in massive amounts of pain, but when he sees Aarika begin to look vulnerable, he forces himself to help. He grabs Aarika's axe, and pulls off the generals helmet along with it. Then brutally he stomps the zombies head and the decrepit skull caves, then he stomps again and it squishes into zombie jelly. The brain, body, and arms die, along with the rest of its troops. Aarika felt her frame jerk lower and lower with each clamp of the general's hands, his strength supplied by duty. His words burned into her brain as Henry comes charging in to finish the final blow before Aarika has time to protest. "No, no, no!' A groan flowed along side of the wet 'squelch', axe whacking through body parts. "Ugh..." Aarika growled as she slowly rose, she used the hilt of her sword, that the earth still bit, to push to her feet, winded. A foot on the body helped her tug the weapon free and a quick rotation of her wrist spun guts off her blade. Her gaze shifted towards the drow. "Now I'm only going to ask you once." She stated sternly, "What the hell was he on about." Her head jerked towards the lifeless body on the ground. "What kind of job did you -really- hire us for?" What was to happen next was in Lanlan's hands.

Lanlan floats back down to the ground once his minions exterminate the threat, stepping carefully between bodies of nasty dead skeletons and piles of bonedust. But when Aarika demands answers, he has none and backs away timidly. "Why, I have no idea! Did he say something to you? I didn't know there was going to be zombies, I just didn't want anyone else to be able to claim this find." It was an enormous chunk of amber. Lanlan would be rich as long as he could prove it wasn't a liability of some kind. "But...here. For your trouble." In addition to the 2000 gold pieces Lanlan agreed to, he offers her an additional 5 silver pieces. All they have to do now is finish what they actually came here for. Eventually the giant egg of amber is covered in paper and the paper scraped over with charcoal. The result is a copy of the runes, that Lanlan can take and have written in a more convenient medium.