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Post by hexweasel on Jan 11, 2023 8:06:38 GMT -5
Even though it was noon, the sky was dark. It was always dark; some vampire somewhere always made sure of that. The fertile and vibrant fields of Thay lay rotting on the vine because the slaves who were supposed to tend them were long conscripted into service.
“Next,” Skira whispered and took a moment to rub her hands trying to get feeling back into them. An enormous Mulan Man dressed in black plate armor shouted, “NEXT!” and a rail thin man with disheveled hair walked slowly into the pavilion tent and knelt before Skira. With red silken gloves she brushed his hair aside and took a moment to appraise him like a sculptor looking over clay.
“Why? Why is this happening?” He looked up imploringly with his one good eye. Skira held out her hand toward the shiny metal table and said, “Lay down and I will tell you while I work.” The dirty man rose and climbed on the table naked and shivering fighting back the tears. Skira wheeled over a little cart filled with various potions and concoctions. “Death is out of balance with the rest of magic. It’s too strong and you and I are working to put things back into balance for the glory of Thay. Please drink this.”
She handed the man a little vial which he drank with some difficulty his arms trembling in fear. Skira picked up a small tiny blade from the table and continued, “You know I personally went to the knights of the Triad in Cormyr and asked them to help us destroy a necromancer on the path to become a god but they refused to help you. Why? Because of your race. You were born Mulan and that is all it takes for the gods to hate you. You know you have lovely skin.” She stopped cutting for awhile and touched it. He gurgled back a response and she continued, “The glory of Thay means that we do not need gods. We assign people according to merit. A person can be born in squalor and rise up to nobility thorough hard work and intelligence. We accept all races, species and kinds to work in our beautiful country. Did you know that in Cormyr it’s illegal to be a gnoll? Its true! They kill them on sight. Such a barbaric country.”
The man on the table now much more muscular started to scream but with a quick snip Skira silenced her audience without killing him. “But its not going to be this way forever, oh no! When I rise up in the ranks I will have the power to set things right. I will make sure that your children and your children’s children are…” She stops, “Well maybe not your children, but someone’s children will live in the utopia of my dreams!”
She carefully pours a thick concoction into his wounded throat. “Just imagine D-28! That’s your name now by the way, D-28. Picture a perfect world where the smartest and hardest working people rule and not some brat born into the life of luxury who never worked a day in his life. A world where our energy is spent uplifting ourselves and not poured out to the gods who swallow up our prayers to become stronger and flip a pittance of power down to maintain control. It’s going to be glorious D-28! And you are part of that now! Part of the great Zulkir army that will make things right! “ She looked over her work and nodded, “Ok off you go now.”
The hulking brute slid off the table and flexed his powerful muscles emitting a low growl from the depths of its rumbling chest. The beast of a man filled with magical energy surging through his body ready to fight and kill. The Armored Mulan man gave the beast a little shove out of the tent and pointed off into the distance where a battle between monsters and skeletons raged. The beast lumbered quickly toward the fray using its arms as well as its legs to propel itself toward the carnage.
Skira cleaned her little blade and then softly said, “Next.”
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Post by hexweasel on Jan 16, 2023 13:55:27 GMT -5
“It would be easier if I could just cut off her face,” Skira said to herself as she added another clump of clay to a shapeless face. Skira gently begins smoothing out the clay first molding the perfect cheek bones and brow. “No no I’d need the whole head bone structure is so important, but unfortunately the life of the eyes is gone… and such a waste, shes very pretty and no sense killing a bush that produces such lovely flowers.” She looks again at the impromptu sketches she made in the Council hall of Valkurs Roar for details.
She starts forming the lips making them lush and sultry. “Maybe I could hire someone to make a mold… some eccentric artist. Maybe she already has a statue somewhere… yes.. that would be perfect.”
She takes the clay face in her hands and leans closer, “I am going to make you so beautiful and enchant you to control and manipulate the whims of lust my little Kiki.” She leans forward putting a little kiss on the wet clay lips. “That handsome knight didn’t look at me twice but he will when he stares into your goddess blessed eyes.”
“She may have blessed you, but I will take your blessings of love and beauty.” She pauses as a shadow of a smile creeps to her lips, “And if I can’t steal your likeness… then I will use your imperfect face to turn whoever looks at you into stone.”
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Post by hexweasel on Feb 4, 2023 4:13:20 GMT -5
“Creepy Lady is back! Creepy Lady is back!” A young orphan bursts into the orphanage and slams the door shut quickly bolting the door shut. A young girl immediately starts crying and is quickly carried away by an older child as they scramble to hide.
Rap, Rap, Rap on the door with a glowing staff, “Hello Children it is I, Omnipotence Skira Onolath come to give you tender ministrations!”
For a moment the children watched the door holding their breath. The bar on the door magically started lifting on its own and a young boy softly cried, “No no no” but was quickly silenced by his peer. The door slowly creeped open and Skira walked into the room, her high heeled boots click, click, clicking as she looked around with wide dark eyes and a perfectly practiced plastic smile. “Children! I am ever-so sorry I didn’t keep my promise to you and Tenna to visit more often!”
From the door of the kitchen a little waif of a girl with long straight black hair and a pale complexion approached without fear, “Where have you been?”
Skira turned and then leaned forward giving the little girl a pat pat pat on the head with her red silken glove, “Oh Julie! I’ve been at war fighting undead abominations that want to drain all your blood and turn you into vampire slaves for their dread lich-god”
The little girl just states up at Skira, “My name is Judy.”
Skira’s smile breaks for just a moment as she says, “Now you are Julie.” and then resumes her happy expression.
A boy with an eyepatch stood leaning in the doorway, “Im not scared of you, Red Wizards suck eggs.” Then he spit on the floor.
Skira turned and approached him walking in short little steps making her appear to glide more than walk, “Oh dear, you sound malnourished. Buy a banana.” Then she hurled a handful of coins at his face and turned around looking around the room.
“My eye!” the boy cried out as he clutched his good eye. Skira ignored him and called out, “Come out children, come out! I have presents!”
The sound of money hitting the floor and the promise of presents was just enough to get some of the children to peek out from their hiding places. Skira opened up a small magical purse and began drawing out sheathed daggers. “Come Children, arm yourselves!”
Julie/Judy scoffed, “You can’t give weapons to children you know.”
Skira handed her a dagger by the handle, “You see Julie, if someone had armed poor little Billy then maybe he wouldn’t have been brutally murdered by filthy mud elves. So come out children and arm yourselves against whatever elf, dwarf, or halfling tries to destroy you!”
“Hey I’m a halfling!” A brave child spoke up.
Skira drew back the dagger she would have given him and dug around for another present. “Here you are. Have a harp. Maybe someday, you’ll be famous like that BlackHarp!”
The hin crept up and took the harp with his eyes lit up with joy, “Darkharp is my hero” With inspiration in his eyes he strummed that gift harp with a passion of a budding musician only to have the last string snap and slice into his hand. “Im bleeding!” he shouted as he dropped the harp and ran off into the kitchen.
Skira placed her hands to her heart, “I renew my promise to you that I will find you all good Thayan homes where you will be much safer than in Valkur’s Roar.”
Still holding his eye the boy shouted, “Don’t come back here creepy lady or I’ll cut you!”
A shadow of a smile crept to Skira’s lips as she looked down at the boy, “There are many things in this world that deserve cutting. Practice hard enough and you will never be a victim again.”
Skira clapped her silk covered hands smiling, “Come children, lets play some games!” In response several children hiding in the cupboards started crying again.
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Post by Script Wrecked on Feb 4, 2023 7:22:20 GMT -5
// *cough* Who lets a Thayian unsupervised into an orphanage? *cough* //
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Post by hexweasel on Feb 4, 2023 8:45:00 GMT -5
((Who knows that happened. Maybe Tenna gave her approval, maybe Skira casted a first level spell on the caretaker, maybe the caretaker was killed trying to save poor Billy from the elves who wanted some unsupervised time with him))
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Post by hexweasel on Mar 10, 2023 22:50:10 GMT -5
*The click of her high-heeled white dragon tooth boots clicks along the stones of Valkurs Roar as she heads to the Orphanage. She stops at the gates and calls out* Yoohoo, Children! It is I Lady Skira Onolath, I have come to...
*she is cut off by a guard at the gate* No Visitors
*Skira places a hand over her corsetted heart* Oh but the children just adore me, I have promised to find them good Thayan homes! Surely an exception can be made for me.
*The guard keeps looking ahead* Just following orders.
*Skira keeps smiling as she turns and walks away. The clicking of her high-heels less energetic than before*
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