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As Cold As Ice; The Tales of Haggiroth The Slaughterer
Topic Started: Jan 5 2005, 02:57 AM (1,171 Views)
Haggiroth
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Changer of Ways
Chapter 6: Nightmares

Finally, Haggiroth began to come to his senses, his eyes opening. The first thing he registered was his lack of pain, which should have rushed upon him as soon as he had awoken. The second thing that dawned upon him, was the odd lack of light. Even at the darkest nights, he would be able to see at least some light. And slowly, he began to hear things, faint shrill sounds that began to increase in volume as the seconds past and finally, his vision came back to him. He bgan to see whisps of odd, multi-coloured gas pass in front of his face, tendrils of their colourful forms dancing across his face. As he looked harder at them, he began to see the gaseous beings were covered in faces, the mouths screaming their despair. That must be what that shrill sound was earlier, that was still in Haggiroth's mind but louder. It was screams. Hundreds of thousands of screaming choirs calling out to him. What was this twisted reality? He finally began to notice that these spectres were passing him with oddly fast speed, the colours beginning to blend into one titanic vortex, and he felt the sensation of plummeting downwards, to his impending doom. The man could not help but join their bodyless spirits in their symphony of screams and moans. He looked down into the eternal void below him as he screamed, seeing nothing but the eternal black and the souls of the damned that passed by. Slowly, another sound entered his mind, numerous times louder than the unholy beings. It was laughter, the sound of someone mocking him as he went ever further to his doom.

Pain seeped through his body, and he was still screaming, even though everything else had went quiet... Everything was a black void again... Please, not that all over again. But then, Haggiroth noticed one thing as he stopped his gibbering screams. His eyes were closed. He opened them, and found himself staring into the starry, night sky and the canopy of trees above him. He was back to reality. He was sure of himself that this was not a dream. He tried to lift his hand but received nothing but a burning pain in his arm. Yes, this was definately reality. He tried to sit up, and that failed as well, the burning sensation of suffering filling his mind. He grunted, and then, a familiar face entered his line of vision. The Arbiter was standing above him, with handfuls of herbs aand dock-leaves as make-shift bandages.The man scowled.
"Don't yell so loud, you might call to creatures that we do not want to attack us. Now, stay still, you idiotic boy and do not try to move." Haggiroth tried to grind his teeth and protest but all he manage was a pitiful and feeble whine as he remained on the floor, on top of what felt like a bear-skin. He felt so tired, and wanted to sleep.But what if that terrible vision came back to him? Would he wake up from that again? No, he shouldn't be such a fool. Only weak, southling children are afraid of going to sleep once more because of dreams. And slowly, Haggiroth convinced himself to go to sleep, his eyes closing and his mouth also as he fell into a restless, haunted sleep. But that dream never visited him again

He remained lying there for what seemed to be a week or so, before he was returned to anything close to his former strength. That fight may have crippled him for life. He had to be force-fed at some times, not even having the strength to move his jaw an inch as he laid there. Arrow-heads and fragments of wood from their shafts that were once imbedded in his flesh were harshly torn from the places where they rested, or at least that was how it felt in the body of Haggiroth. Salves and lotions were spread over his body to sooth pain and aches, to stop any infections. Dock-leaves covered his wounds and finally, when Haggiroth had the strength to speak, he held a conversation with the man who saved, and risked his life so many times.
"Arbiter. I have countless questions... to ask you at a time like this. How long have I been here...? Why... did you risk my life at.. the glade and most of all... why have you saved my life after risking it twice?" Haggiroth was exhausted just from saying those few words. The Arbiter sighed he applied move of his salve.
"In order... You have been here in the Forest Lord's glade for two weeks. I risked your life at the glade to see if you are worth dragging along and third? Because I have discovered that you are worth dragging along so I won't let you die. Yet." Haggiroth frowned at the outrageous wizard? Who did he think was? He may have had control over Haggiroth at this time but without him, the Arbiter would surely died by now! He gritted his teeth but slowly, he went back to sleep for some time.

A few days after the short conversation held between the pair, Haggiroth was well enough to be on the move once more. With a little help from the Arbiter, they could walk a couple of leagues in a day easily. So they left the damned forest of the elves and beastmen, leaving behind a grand bonfire to spread and consume the cursed place. The journey had started once again
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end of mankind
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Clanlord
good! another part in haggiroth's tales! quite interesting also! I wonder what that 'dream' was..
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Gurkhal
Master of the Eleven Foot Stick of Supreme Sticking
Great part.

A good thing to make Haggiroth being inable to make anything for several weeks. If I had any thought that he was something like superman who is invincible to all harm. After reading this part Haggiroth seems much more human and mortal to me.

Good work.
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daemonic badger
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Feaster of Pain and Pleasure
s quite good he way youve made him seem powerful, but in this chapeter also made sure he didn't semmas invinclbe as some charcters you see
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Haggiroth
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Changer of Ways
Lets put it this way: The dream, was a peak into the punishment of a champion who failed to do his duty. Your soul to be cast into the void and be consumed by Chaos. ^^; Or it could just be a hallucination.
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Haggiroth
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Changer of Ways
Okay. This is the time of writing where I need inspiration. Does anyone have any idea of what I should do next for the next few chapters? I've sorted out the main storyline, I just need this to entertain you guys with the next ten chapters.

from Thunder:keep it to one post please
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Whitethunder500
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Insane until further notice.
Bring him to Miniantus? Include him in animosity?(where my long running character Relmar Tigermouth leads the bad dudes)
But, dude, it's your story, make itgo how you want it to go
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Gurkhal
Master of the Eleven Foot Stick of Supreme Sticking
I would say that the reson for the Arbiter to keep him alive could be revield and that he/them could begin to gather an army.
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Haggiroth
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Changer of Ways
You aren't going to get off my case when it comes to that, are you? I'll tell you one thing: Its coming at Chapter 16+. That is an already planned main-plot
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rogge_85
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Anti spammer
Why write so many chapters when you cannot fill them? It only make the rest of the chapters boring, like reading something you know is just filling out a book (such as the last book in wheel of time that was sooo boooriing, but the rest of the books are great).
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Haggiroth
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Changer of Ways
Chapter 7: Out of the Silent Planet

It was a year after the Vision. The pair had travelled from the dreaded forest in the Kvelligs tribe lands, heading in an odd directin, coming sickeningly close to the centre of the Chaos Wastes, it seemed as if the Arbiter was aimming to reach the portal between reality and the dreaded warp world of Chaos. Earth had grown its own maws, tree had grown raw, pink flesh and now mocked the stature of men. Haggiroth shuddered several times as he saw the mutated lands of Chaos. He could not understand how the Arbiter was gliding along, nearly joyous that he was in this hated land. Everything was too silent. There were no animals, no prey. Just eternal predators that dwelt in the earth, creating maws out of dirt to consume unaware travellers. They managed to live off the supplies they had gathered before the journey, the pair slowly consuming everything they had, beginning to thin from the lack of food that could be gained in these dark lands with their eternal twilight. There was not a sound be heard except sometimes the snarling of a nearby, gaping mouth that had got their scent and their foot steps. This was no place for any marauding hunter to live, even one that was wounded and would not bother with a hunt. But he had recovered. They were running out of food. They seemed never to get any closer to the centre of the Waste, but always seemed be keeping to the out skirts. Haggiroth was begining to doubt the sense of direction that his sorceror had. They trudged on for days on end, any fat on their bodies being reduced to nothing. Anything that looked edible here was not. It was poison. But close to the ned of the year, they heard something that filled them with delight.

A grazing animal, its movements so loud after their days in silence. Prehaps a Sabretusk? Anything the slightest bit edible would be excellent. They ran out of supplies, completely empty of every crumb, a few days ago. Haggiroth grinned as he bent down in the still barren land, which was now carrying a hint of snow. He looked around forthe original ofthe sund and as was predicted, a Sabretusk. But it would seem the Arbiter already was taking care of it, a cackling human skull flying in the direction of the beast. It let out a yelp of suprising, turning its head to see the loud thing flying towards it, but did not react in time. Trying to leap out of the way, the creature was hit in it side, several bones cracking loudly while flesh and fur sizzled, the skull continuing its way to its doom. Haggiroth bounded over and instantly, began to skin the creature with a knife, at the same time tearing out meat and gorging himslef on it, blood staining his lips. The Arbiter snickered as he walked over to repair a fire from the small, crushed twigs and tonic they had left in their bags.
"Haggiroth m'boy, you are worse than a damned ogre!" Haggiroth was laughing loudly. This was the only catch they had in weeks that was not sickly mutated and it was unlikely anything like this rarity would be closer. He nudged the Sorcerer.
"Come on, Arbiter! Feast yourself! This is the best catch we've had in weeks now, we don't need any fire!" The Arbiter shrugged.
"Hm... Maybe the illnesses that our kind receive from raw meats do not count with Sabretusks, I am guessing?" Haggiroth paled and instantly shoved the corpse away, spewing out what he had just put into his mouth behind him. And the Arbiter roared with laughter.

(Short Chapter. I was lazy.)
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snyggejygge
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High Zar of Khorne

Good written & a bit different.
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Haggiroth
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Changer of Ways
Chapter 8: Leaving the Motherland

The years past, the pair aged. Their journey continued slowly and without many encounters other than prey for their camp fires. Life was sweet, at least to the two Norsemen in their wandering. Haggiroth was finally thirty when he saw the land that would possibly change his life forever. They were far out of the Norse and Kurgan lands and in the centre of the Hung when they saw an odd landmark. A tall, lean shape far in the distance. The pair sheltered their eyes to gaze at the eye-blistering light the tundra gave off when the sun shines down on it. The Arbiter began to speak as they gazed into the distance, spotting another pillar-like shape in the distance, and another next to it.
"This is what seperates the lands of Naggaroth from the Wastes... Those watch-towers belong to Dark Elves. Those creatures are much like the other elves we encounter except merciless and evil. They will capture, enslave and torture anything they fell. I suggest we move away before any of them sight us." Quickly, the pair began to hurry off once more, into the West as the sun began to drop out of the sky, slowly approaching twilight. They always kept their eyes to the South where the great monumental towers lay, looming into the sky like gigantic pillars, alway watching everything in the North. However, the Arbiter had a frown on his face. He wasn't expecting this but now he knew where they both had to go and he did not like it. He didn't llike the plan at all. He just hoped that they would not be caught by the elves when they went South, or anything worse, which he knew would dwell where they were going.

Night came on. They continued their travels, before spotting a very faint torch light in the distance, illuminating a camp of bear-skin tents. These could not be any elven encampment. Even the savage wood-dwelling Elves of the North would not be so uncouth. It was a warband of Hung marauders, squat and raven-haired. No doubt they would reconize him as a man of Norsca, but he would care not. They would just have to parly. He would begin to approach the camp faster, with the aging Arbiter following raggedly behind him. He knew they had been seen when suddenly, them utated wolves that were trained and bred by the tribes of the North began to snarl and bark. Nearly instantly, men emerged from the tents armed with throwing axes and cruel sickles. Haggiroth stopped, andd his elderly friend bumbled behind him, before also halting. And with that, conversation broke out.
"Who is that who dares to trespass on our land?" This was spoke by a broad and burly chieftan, who reminded Haggiroth of his father. That thought was instantly washed away, forbidden by the mind of the lad and he spoke.
"I am nothing but a friend. A man from the land of the Norscans. May I ask what a camp is doing here, so close to Druchii borders?" The man grumbled to themselves, wary of this newcomer. The chief silenced them with a wave of his own axe.
"Why, we are going to pass into their lands. We are going to a place of legends, and in case we are caught in our expedition, we shall need a few more men." Haggiroth snorted at this, his voice cold.
"It happens we are going in the same direction... So when are you setting out, man?" A broad grin was set on the man face.
"Tonight, lad."

"We shouldn't be doing this, idiot boy... Its ideas like this that make us captives. And this time, we won't just be imprisoned and questions. Most likely just tortured and ki-" The Arbiter was roughly interrupted by Haggiroth's hand swinging in front of the wizard's face, motioning for him to be silent. The old man scowled, bashing the hand out of his line of sight. The group were rapidly approaching the towers, less than a league away. They loomed up higher than anything Haggiroth had ever seen before, even more than the Halls of Gyrt, and it was just as wide. They were of course, several miles away from each other. At day, such towers would be extremely effective for spotting enemies. At night, they could see nothing. The tribe continued on running along, panting silently with the dogs that ran at their side, getting ever closer to one of the towers. They were about to pass the great building when at its gate, they were spotted. An elegent, yet cruel voice barked a command at the guards inside the tower were alerted of an attack. The burly man who was leading the clan, known as Tyrc, cursed before beginning to sprint into the night, also calling out his own command. The dogs they drew with them were suddenly released, charging towards the guards and beginning to maul them as they made their way up the tower, slaughtering elves that were awake and sleeping. Haggiroth had to admire this tactic, as extremely devious as it was. They began to slow their pace back to their normal jogging, as Haggiroth spoke.
"So, leader, where are going now." Tyrc replied rather calmy.
"The Altar of Ultimate Darkness."
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Gurkhal
Master of the Eleven Foot Stick of Supreme Sticking
This sounds intressting.

I take it that the warband our two "heroes" joined with are Undivided, am I right?

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like reading something you know is just filling out a book (such as the last book in wheel of time that was sooo boooriing (...)


HERESY!!!!!! :angry: .

Just joking. But I still can't understand how you can find it boring? It does fill a purpose, makes the action-filled parts more exiting and also gives the hole story a really realistic feeling. The same goes for Lord of the Rings.

That is something that many other stories don't have because they are filled with so much action.

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snyggejygge
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High Zar of Khorne

Good chapter, as usual...

I do however agree with rogge, sometimes it does get boring reading stuff without nothing really happen (such as you say the last Wheel of Time Book, whom I was very dissapointed with), but also some filling should be in it, making it more realistic, but not too much...
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