Giraku
10-08-2008, 04:43 PM
<p>It had recently been that an ancient vessel has been discovered beneath the Sinking Sands. Word spread quickly about D.I.R.T.Y's find; Adventurers from all across Norrath were coming to see what it was all about, and to see if they could get a bit of treasure out of it. </p><p>Giraku wasted no time in heading to the sands, the sun beat down as it always did, causing extreme heat, even on the water. A D.I.R.T.Y. worker pointed him to the Northwest, almost instantly he could see it. On the high-rise rock face a giant wall had been erected, there was no mistake this was where they were working. It took all of a 10 minute walk to reach the cliff and far less time to scale it. </p><p>He was surprised to see so many in the makeshift site, people of all races and professions wandered around, some crafted supplies, other seemed to chase monkeys, while others still were digging at massive chucks of metal. Most if not all of the diggers were gnomes he noted as he wandered slowly through the camp sniffing the air, there was a breeze that could cause a sandstorm. Wooden planks created small floors under large canvas tents, dotted with supply baskets and small carpets. Nearby he noted a deeper hole into the sand than the area around him, peeking down into it he stood in amazement. </p><p>Below was what seemed to be the stern of a ship! Hardly what one would expect to find in the desert. He reasoned that must be what they were excavating. So he wandered around more. He came upon a merchant in some distress; the monkey's were stealing his tools and flinging....something...at him when he tried to get them back. So after a bit of scaring away the little apes, he was asked to get a cure for some kind of poison bite a worker had received so he went and took the trip to Freeport for the cure, it was after he had it administered that he was asked to do something more. </p><p>"I want you to search out the source of what infected the little monkey that bite him." Jimbo the merchant asked. </p><p>"For sure friend." Giraku replied he jumped aboard a near by flying carpet and began soaring through the air to the location Jimbo had spoken of, the true dig site. As he flew he say a giant propeller, a rotor column, and what looked like massive pipes, before finally landing. This camp was similar to the first, but far larger; more workers carried sand and small relics from another nearby hole into the ground. Adventurers spoke with the workers getting tasks to aid in the excavation however they could. </p><p>The large sarnak plodded through the hot sand before spotting a refuse pile behind an erudites tent. "That might hold some illnesses..." he reasons inching closer. Moments later a massive green monkey burst forth from it squealing and scratching madly at him. One stroke of Sedition ended the poor creature's life. With a shake of his head Giraku returned to Jimbo who thanked him graciously and offered to show what he had for sale. The problem was, he only accepted the currency of the D.I.R.T.Y team, with a heavy sigh Giraku returned to the second camp to earn a bit of this "D.I.R.T.Y money". </p><p>The good Dig master tasked him with moving buckets upon buckets of sand in exchange for some coins, to which Giraku grudgingly obliged. Within the pit stood the massive mast of a ship this time, how strange it seemed. Hours past, finally the sun had begun to set and the desert began to cool down. </p><p>"Alright!" The Dig master called out. "Everyone, it's chow time!" Happily everyone, including Giraku left the pit to devour some of the beef stew that was prepared, after supper was finished he was pulled aside by the erudite whose tent he'd past hours before. </p><p>"Excuse me sir?" She asked tenativly. </p><p>"Yes? What is it..." </p><p>"You are a swordsman correct?" </p><p>Giraku simply nodded.</p><p>"We have a problem, strange creatures, seemingly touched by the void storms have been attacking the camp here on a nightly basis, not that travelers here I wanted to ask you, and them for assistance in fending off these horrors, they could ruin the entire excavation! " Her look turned grim. "And as night draws closer so too do they..." </p><p>"I can help." He replied simply. "When is it they will come?"</p><p>"I do not know, but they usually attack near to the wards we set up around the camp. As much good as they actually do us..."</p><p>So it was set, within an hour Giraku along an iksar bruiser named Gezrn, a wood elf ranger named Daidain, a High elf templar called Seraya, and a dwarven berserker called Bronstrom, were laying in wait for the attack that was said too come. Suddenly there was a noise, like that of a snake; it was soon drowned by the sound of the wind as a sandstorm blew up form over the hill above. As the sand rose so too did a row of shadows grow along the hills crest, but not ordinary shadows, these looked like Naga, only black through and through, with blood red eyes. Along side them stood several clawed creatures called Grathok, also known as void brutes. </p><p>"Ready yourselves lads!!!" The Dwarf called out. "Here they come!!!" As if on cue the small horde of creatures surged down the hill. A barrage of arrows soared high at them being knocked off course by the storm winds. Daidain cursed under his breath and drew a scimitar form it's sheath on his belt instead. Bronstrom removed a large two headed axe from his back and charged, Giraku at his side with Sedition. The Templar stood back reading her spells should they be needed. </p><p>The two groups of charging fighters clashed at the base of the hill, the Grathok snapped their claws wildly at the fighters, the void touched Naga hissed out "We follow her commands...!" Gezrn begin viciously plowing his fists into a nearby grathok, ending it's life with a devastating punch. No sooner did it fall than did a Naga wrap around his legs preparing to bite him. An arrow sunk into it's head and it slipped away. Daidain grinned from above him on the hill. </p><p>"Wind can be good too!" He called down. Bronstrom swung his axe wildly at the crowd of beasts causing bits of both Naga and Grathok flesh to fly from his blade, finally one grathok grasped him in it's pincer squeezing the life from him. Serya cast a healing upon him just as Giraku severed the claw form its body, it let out a wild wail moments before the dwarfs axe cleaved its skull cleanly in two. </p><p>After a long drawn out fight, they finally ended the last of the beasts. No sooner were they able to finish them than did a loud bestial roar echo form beyond the hill. Everyone stood ready. A massive Grathok rose over the hills crest, it seemed to glow red around it's visage. </p><p>"This...must be the leader." Gezrn muttered, everyone silently agreed and together they charged. Daidain ran for the high ground, but the beast wielded some sort of shadow magic. It opened its claw and a dark orb shot forth colliding with the ranger sending him tumbling backwards and down the hill. The dwarf used this time to swing his axe at it, the blade bite into the creatures dark flesh, but rather than hurt it seemed annoyed and smacked him aside. Seraya quickly began casting healing spells upon everyone as they fought. Gezrn dodged most of its strikes cursing the fact he had used his devastation fist upon a weak grathok earlier. Punching and kicking it with all his worth, it could be seen that the beast was weakening but slowly. </p><p>Giraku surged forward grasping the beasts face his hand crackling with dark magic. "Now...DIE!" He cried out as it's energy healed him yet wounded the beast. The large creature stumbled backwards dazed, taking advantage of this, they all at once charged weapons drawn. It roared out as the axe sliced it's chest and Giraku's sword dug into it's neck. The Grathok no longer moved, a cheer rose form the camp below as the group returned. </p><p>"Well done all of you! " The erudite declared "More may come but nothing we cannot handle I am sure!" The others left but Giraku stayed to help defend the site from any other creatures, and to aid with the digging. </p><p>"What did you find here? Do you know? " He asked the Erudite girl. </p><p>"It's called the Cloudskipper...we think, the airship from days of old..."</p><p>"Tell me about it?" He asked</p><p>"Certainly the story began..." and with that, the story of the Ethernauts became known to the sarnak, new heroes of the days long past, heroes he truly wished he could have met., but for now, he had to wait, the storms had gotten worse, but in this story, might lay the answers all of Norrath may soon be seeking.</p>