Open Chronicles Enter The Blightlands! - Arc 00

[Yangcong]

Walking on a dirt road and coming across a towns guard who stood ready just in case any attacks were coming towards the town. Yangcong had stopped and looked at the guard as both his hands were behind his robe.

'What town is this?"

The guard looked at him up and down, sighing to himself as he appeared to be another mercenary just coming about.

"Razor City, and don't start any trouble in this city. The last few nights we had to kick a few mercenaries out of our town."

The guard focused his attention to Yangcong's sword that was located on his left hip sheathed.

"Got it."

Yangcong walking passed the guard and headed straight for the local tavern where a posted sign was located outside on their board.

The Sign Read:

"Looking for someone or a group to enter the Blightlands, several children and adults were kidnapped just a few days ago. Anyone whose interested in the job just go inside and talk to the barkeeper."

Yangcong shook his head in disbelief and entered the tavern as he headed straight for the barkeeper.

"I'm interested in the job you got posted outside."

The barkeeper pointed to the door, signaling him to go through there.

"Just go through that doorway."

He nodded and headed straight to the door where an old man was waiting just behind it and sitting down in what appeared to be a V.I.P section of the bar. He welcomed Yangcong with open arms and insisting that he sit down.


"Thank you so much for coming. The job will pay 1,000 for every person you bring back. They are located in one of the orcs and goblins fortress. They have captured about 50 or so people. "

Yangcong listened in and squinted his eyes for a moment.

"Why would an army of goblins and orcs capture people for? It doesn't make any sense... Its not like they have a labor camp within those fortresses..."

The old man spoke up with a more powerful message behind their true intent.

"Its because a moss giant has made a deal with the orcs and goblins. Bring them to the fortress, in exchange the moss giant protects them from anyone whose foolish enough to invade. We all know that giants are one of the toughest creatures in the world. The Moss giant is said to be using them as test subjects. One of missing persons was able to escape the place and told us all about it. Now we are waiting for someone to help out and free them..."

Yangcong simply sighed and had his hand to his chin, wondering what he should do.

 

[Izara]

A loud growl echoed about as Izara’s stomach reminded her that it had been awhile since her last meal. The Blightlands weren’t a favorite place of hers when it came to finding treasure. Usually, even if she did hear a rumor from a good source, traveling off to the Blightlands meant that she would be fighting tooth and nail will plenty other treasure hunters.

Izzy preferred hunting for treasure in areas that didn’t attract the big and scary sort. The seedy sort were fine, after all, one could label Izzy as a seedy sort. For Kress’ sake, Izzy labeled herself as a seedy sort!

Which was why in the particular tavern she had even bothered to hear about the reward for saving some people Izzy didn’t care too much about. In truth, she was only here for the reward, and to get enough coin to be able to travel back home. Izzy was missing the Wylds at this point, as well as the Tuna Melt.

Izzy, only half-listening to the old man, raised her hand with gusto.

“I’m in!” She shouted, thinking of all the fancy noodle-soups she could buy with even just a thousand coins. She could have almost a thousand noodle soups! Her stomach growled loudly once again, and Izzy, hardly bashful, swung her upraised hand around. “I’ll get everyone back easy peasy! Just wait and see— I hope you have those rewards ready!”

 

[Yangcong]

Yangcong had raised a casual brow upward as he heard a new set of footsteps enter the room. It was a woman and looked to be around his age as he listened to what she had to say on the matter. It seemed that she cared more for the reward than the actual people, Yangcong couldn't blame her since that is what most folks do work for. Yangcong going about his way outside of the tavern and pulling out the scroll from his back, quickly opening it and laying his palm against the sign. Smoke would appear and now his talking tuxedo cat had arrived and looked around.

"Yangcong, why have you summoned me?"

The cat would proceed to lick its paw right after.

Yangcong kneeling down at the cat and pulling out a can of tuna and feeding him as he responded back.

"We are heading to the Blightlands and to one of the goblin and orcs fortresses. A moss giant is there supposed business partner."

The cat would finish up his meal in a matter of seconds.

"Do you have any article of clothing or item for me to sniff and track?"

Yangcong shook his head no before responding and getting up to his feet.

"Sadly I don't, but you are aware of the moss giants territory region correct?"

The cat nodded and sighed to himself.

"Unfortunately..."

Yangcong folding his arms across his chest.

"We will start there then...."

Yangcong then focused his eyes on the woman.

"Teaming up is the best option. My name is Yangcong and I am a mercenary. I use a sword and ice magic, what about you?"

He would proceed to start walking with his cat towards the exit of the town and towards the Blightlands territory.

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

While most folk were standing around, listening to the briefing, DJ was... well, scoping other things out. The serving girl for one, making the rounds with hot plates of food balanced expertly in her hands. Pretty young thing, all the other mercs and sellswords seemed to notice her too as she went around placing plates on tables and saying a kind word here and there. How they smiled and grinned.

Looked like the special was soup for the most part. Big bowls of hot steaming soup with some sandwiches that oozed melted cheese out their sides.

His stomach made a horrible sound.

Damn. Keep your cool, DJ, keep your cool. She went back to the kitchen, and he followed after as the job details sounded through the room. The server picked up a new round of grub, turned on a heel, and near bumped into DJ as a strong voice pulled the tavern's attention.

"Oh!" She whirled about, the plates slipped and slid-

"Woah there!" Dj sounded, helping catch up the one plate that near tipped off.

The serving girl was wide eyed, frazzled, she laughed and breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so sorry about that,"

"Not a problem," Dj said with a wink as he put the bowl of soup back on the serving tray.

"Thanks," she said with a little half-curtsey and went off to do her work.

DJ smirked as he watched her walk off. And bit into a fresh hot cheese sandwich. His face turned red. It was way too hot.

---

Without a word, DJ appeared beside Izara, listening to the ice-blade as he worked on eating his last half of sandwich. "Ice and sword huh?" he said before he stuffed the last bit of crunchy cheesy goodness in his mouth. "Could come in handy," he added after he was done chewing. He pulled a second sandwich out from his coat and offered it over to the Letai woman. "It's hot," he warned with a sidelong glance at her before he looked back to Yangcong. "Three way split ain't too bad," he thought aloud.

Izara Yangcong

 

[Izara]

Izzy nodded her head quite seriously at Yangcong, drooling quite a bit as he opened up that can of tuna for a cat that appeared out of nowhere. Oh what Izzy would give for a bit of that tuna. Or some fish-jerky. Heck, she’d even eat stale day-old bread crusts from that one bakery in Elbion that was often used by old ladies feeding pigeons. Her stomach roared within her abdomen once again, but Izzy managed to wipe her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Teaming up, huh?” Izara said, narrowing her eyes as if she were keen on saying ‘no.’ She wasn’t, she had never encountered a moss giant or a troublesome group of orcs. In all of Izzy’s twenty-eight years, she quite liked orcs. They were tough and didn’t waste a lot of time talking, but boy-oh-boy the moment they got drunk? It was a party that entire night! And, if you asked Izzy, orc parties were the best parties. She had a few stories she could share but…

Before Izzy could complete that thought, a delicious sandwich was held up to her. With a purr of delight, the woman took hold of the toasty sandwich and took a large bite. Burning her tongue and the inside of her mouth, Izzy squealed in a moment of betrayal. Not at DJ, but at this sandwich! How dare it hurt her! Did it not want to be eaten? If it didn’t want to be eaten then why on Arethil did it smell so good?! Keeping her mouth open and huffing air in and out, the bite was chewable.

“Teaming up sounds good, Yangbong!” Izzy said, not realizing—or even not caring— that she had pronounced Yangcong’s name wrong. She looked down at the shorter man and raised a brow. Sword and ice magic? Neat. And he had a magical cat that seemed to be a compass of sorts! What could she bring to the table? Scratch that! Izzy was the table!

“Izzy and DJ, the two sneakiest treasure hunters in all of Arethil! We raid tombs, we run faster than a big stone ball, and we fly over snake and alligator pits with ease!” She bragged, then smirked, jabbing a thumb at chest. “Good with knives and I know a few illusion spells! DJ is the real deal though when it comes to stealth. And he can pick any lock!” Her black tail curled up as she took another bite of the sandwich. “He’s also a good lil flirt, the ladies love him.” Finishing up the food, the letai thought it might be good to add some encouraging words. “Dream team right here! All that moolah gonna be ours!”

She blinked and realized that Yangcong was walking to the exit without them. Blanching at the thought of being left behind, and being horrible with directions, she scampered off after Yangcong, easily matching his stride with her long legs.

Yangcong Dieder J Strietz

 

[Yangcong]

Commander Ivor Of The Orc North Fortress
7'0ft and 500lb

https://imgur.com/yoIZaIV

Moss Giant Reins
20ft and 10 tons.

https://imgur.com/7d6nNfz

Deep in enemy territory, Ivor stood within his throne room and all around him were the bones of his enemies. Skulls that have been impaled by a spike and covered in maggots and blood. Just behind his throne chair, was an opened wall that had been destroyed by the last assault that took place decades ago and that was chosen to never be repaired. Orcs truly lived like savages and were mostly feared throughout the Blightlands. Commander Ivor looked at Reins, who stood where the open wall was at.

I have just received word that three individuals are heading our direction. Three humans by the looks of it. My scouts haven't made contact but I already have a team setting up an ambush for them before they can even reach the fortress."

The Moss giant rubbed his bush covered beard that had twigs in them and the skull of a bird.

"My vines and thorns will be summoned before they can even reach the fortress. They won't ever be able to escape the Thorn Forest that I create. No one has ever escaped it to live the tale..."

The commander nodded.

"If they do somehow breach it, more of my men will be sent to the gate to defend the main door."

The Moss giant nodded in agreement.



Yangcong heard the word dream team and slightly chuckled to himself internally. So these guys were treasure hunters but really, they were thieves. He didn't care for their true motives as to why they came, all he cared about was to save those people and yes, to also acquire the money so that he can eat and sleep in the Inns. He shifted his eyes to them as they caught up to him and as they were making their way deeper into the Blightlands with his cat leading the way.

"Hopefully we will be enough for them."

Deep down his blood was boiling, the fact that he was going to face against orcs and what there race has done to him his entire life, he was waiting for a moment to get back at their race and here was the excuse just to do it in. Yangcong and the team were now walking that much closer to the ambush that the orc commander had set up and his cat began to sniff the air, smelling a foul odor in the air of the orcs awful stenches. Something that he could detect early on due to his high sense of smell nature compared to any other race. The cat had stopped for a brief moment.

Hold up Yangcong... I smell several orcs just up ahead, about one mile or so from here."

Yangcong's eyes had narrowed... was the orcs simply patrolling the blightlands? was there a potential checkpoint they would need to cross? All these thoughts had went through his head as his hand was now touching his chin.

Welcome to the blightlands.....

https://imgur.com/ziMwMEy

 

[Necro Lizard]

**Slodge... Slodge... Slodge...**

The mud behaved like a suction cup, gripping onto every step Necro Lizard struggled to take through the desolate Blightlands.

Low on energy once again, Necro Lizard had no other option then to sacrifice his Bone Creature for a tiny 5% HP. This perked him up enough to continue on through the thick bog he found himself fighting.

The ground tembled causing crows to fly in all directions, confused, as if an earth quake had struck. Trees and bushes riddled with thorns shot from the ground right in front of NecroLizard as he was thrown onto his backside like a drunken sailor being thrown from a shipyard tavern.

Across the way, a team of 3 humans stand strong and quite frankly, intimidating.
It was Yangcong, Izara and Dieder J Strietz...

Necro Lizard knew imediately that things would soon get heated, but before a confrontation was had between him and the 3 Humans, a hord of Orcs could be heard chanting and screaming a war cry from beyond the thorn riddled trees and bushes..

Necro Lizard might be half Orc, but for some deep seeded reason he holds nothing but hatred for them. Maybe something of his forgotten past had scarred him for life?

 

[Dieder J Strietz]

Dieder was a man of action. Smooth, slippery, quiet action, but action all the same.

So he followed along, trailing the ice-blade and the black tailed beauty with an easy stride. Mud sucking at his boots, trying to slow him down, he stepped light, and he listened in to anything that might be pertinent. He heard the tuxedo cat call for a halt, mentioned the smell of orks. Dieder's brow quirked as he cast his gaze out, but before he could suggest to go ahead and scout, a figure appeared on dark the horizon. Sluggish, it slogged through the mud.

"Huh," Dieder sounded with mild surprise. "Think he's bait?" He asked the other two with a jut of his chin pointing to the tall figure with the gas green hair and moon-pale skin.

Not a second later and the earth itself trembled, crows called clear in the night, and Dieder's eyes went wide as his head recoiled back with surprise. Up came a wall of thorns impeding their path forward. Loud war chants and battle cries erupted beyond the thickets, brambles and trunks.

"Shit," Dj cursed as he worked free his sidesword and parrying dagger, his eyes looking all around. "Hey, you!" he cried out to the stranger who had fallen down from the force of the wall. "You teaming up with us, or are you the first one to taste steel?!"

Sometimes, Dieder had learned, it was all about how you made the entrance. Guess he would find the exit later.

Izara Yangcong Necro Lizard