Sworded Tales

Merinde’s eyelids fluttered open to the mute glow of darkness.  The hot embers shaded the clearing in orange, and the starlight gave her a picturesque sense of the camp.  No moon was in the sky, and a deep blue orb on the horizon nudged the night away.  This dawn was like none she could have dreamt.

Her heart pounded still.  Her own dream disintegrating with each fevered pump.  Her miniature efforts upon a giant game board.  The pieces crashing down around her.  Huge fingers plucking her out of harm’s way and dropping her into another embattled region.  Had it been Seravis’ hand?  That smarmy bastard.  She couldn’t recall, and already the imagery sifted away on the conscious winds.

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“Okay, so jumping onto the dragon was a bad idea.  I’ll admit that,” Farrin said.

“One of the worst you’ve ever conjured,” Horil replied, shifting her weight to gain better purchase, “I just can’t believe she hasn’t come back.”

“Matters could always be worse though,” the wily man continued his rationalization, “She could come back, for example, or it could be raining or snowing even.”

“We’re over a thousand wheels in the air!”  Horil’s distaste at the way her shout vanished into the cloudy nothingness was paramount. Continue reading

Without missing a step, Marcus smashed his shield into the face of the would be robber as he turned to flee, dropping him like a sack of potatoes.

Katarina lead the animals away via the path of least resistance, as she didn’t want to attract any undue interest to herself while getting the supplies back to camp.  She realized with a grim thought that many will be needing the healing touch of Trymeya as well as her own skills.

A deep sigh escaped Daroun as cursed his inopportune luck.’  He had just released his hold on several spells to make room for the elemental magics they would need against the Trolls.  Now he had not the time to study them, caught more unprepared than ever.  Continue reading

“You’re such a charmer,” Merinde said, “Is it that bad?”

Gerard gazed off, his mind rattling through the images of the Shredder and what it had done to a well armed and able quartet of adventurers.  Time and distance enough had passed though, that he wondered if the predator had moved on to a different course of action.  Good for them, yes.  Bad for the notion that the construct had an agenda.  That increased the likelihood of invasion. Continue reading

Whilst the two leapt up onto their mounts, debating some point whose significance was unclear, Cheskith regarded the oncoming tide of mercenaries with a thoughtful look. Even as he did, his hand tapped his throat and lips, the same sort of whispery words as he’d uttered before issuing forth.

“For us to stay with you, you want?” the question was sent Erellia’s way, spoken somewhat more firmly than usual to carry well over the din from the town and the forces just beyond, “And to assist, or not to assist?” Continue reading

Had the opportunity to run around in Tamriel this weekend.  A beta test for The Elder Scrolls Online.

Let me start by saying that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my offline adventures in Skyrim.  So I went into this MMO with eyes wide open and hopes elevated that I might find a new niche to plumb for a time.

This evolution was comparable to its origins, though I felt that many of the Skyrim nuances were lost in the scope.  I’m not going to touch on the horrific logistical concerns the game faces with only a month until launch.  (There are many.  It was not pretty.)

The stories were adequate.  The voice acting entertaining, though I found myself reading the text and moving on long before the vocal efforts finished.  Certainly beta pressure was a factor, but overall the dialogue was a bit bloated and overlong.  Advancement was grindier and the environment more linear than my tastes allow.  Beautiful setting with mediocre animations.

I could go on and on and on, but I think brevity serves better here.

ESO is simply OK.  Logistical hot mess.  Adequate game play.  Uninspired adventures.  Three months of play not worth the $90 investment.  I’m sure fans of the setting will love every inch of Tamriel, but there just isn’t enough of a draw for me.  I’m going to hunt for my niche elsewhere.

Devon crashed through the surface of an emerald sea, the myriad sparkling gems washing away from him in a tinkling cascade.  The vibrant spectrum flooded his eyesight as the second forest rolled out before him, spanning the horizon in both directions.  He stumbled and swooned and would surely have toppled were it not for the firm hand on his shoulder.

His eyesight followed that limb up to the owner’s face, and an homage to the stranger stared back at him.  This being was majestic and righteous and seething with purpose, where the stranger had been uncertain and aloof.  They were so different, and yet, he knew them to be the same.  His name was Tammer. Continue reading

“Where in the hells am I?” Merinde reiterated her frustration.

“You’re alive,” Gerard smiled her a kindness, “Which is no small gift considering the circumstances.”

Merinde stared at the diminutive ranger.  “I’m hairless,” she announced once more. Continue reading

As Marcus, Borlak and Katarina walked toward town Marcus examined the mule and saddles they were supposed to trade.

“The saddles are new, they should get a good price,” Marcus sighed as he considered the mule, “I like mules better than horses for the most part, unfortunately they are not a speedy animal. Since time seems to be something that we will likely be short of, I will have to ride a horse.”

As they entered the young town, the immature age became apparent by showing only a few buildings and a lot of tents. Granted some of the tents were large, but their transient nature shone through, mainly to support the workers of the bridge. Continue reading

I recently edited a scene from an old PBEM game in which I participated, Black Moon Rising, and I enjoyed the rereading of it so much, that I wanted to include it here.  My character, Rillo, you may recall from an earlier post.  The character of Dunrik and the scene itself were crafted by another player and the GM for the game, so the imagining is not all mine.  Enjoy the collaborative effort!

Shining Horror

Rillo and Dunrik are stationed outside the wooden door, one eye each upon the closed solid portals, the other upon the approaches to their quiet and shadowy enclave.  Silence has descended upon the pair of sentinels as they await their companion’s return. Continue reading