Hunters Fall (November 2017 Challenge map)

[XCali]

Hi everyone!

This is the map I did for the November challenge. I did think I wanted some more time to ponder on what should improve. But, in the end, I decided to add it as a finished version number one of the map. Maybe if a few solid tips drop my way I might approach this map again somewhere. For now, however, it is finished.

The process was Pencil and Paper and when I was happy, I scanned it and multiplied it and colored it. The sandstorm was done completely digitally and the fort also and a few other small pieces. Challenge WIP

A more important point was, as inspiration for this map I created a place on the continent in my first novel. It is a historical reference to the place I will visit in the story in my next novel. Quite some time will have passed from the moment captured on this map to where the story will visit it in the novel.




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Many years ago in the strange yet beautiful Blue Rock Spires, a massive rockslide revealed an entrance into their depths.

At first, it was thought to be just a crack in the hard rock. But explorers, equipped with enough supplies ventured towards the mountains and the big cave. Inside they found three massive sets of doors. Two smaller in size relative to the gigantic middle door. This was a great find for them, and though the doors didn't budge under any of their initial attempts to open them, the explorers did feel a sense of triumph to find something that had been lost in time. And so, they left the cave and set up their camp under the few Morning Trees that stood like sentries facing the cave.

In time a small outpost formed close to the Morning Trees, and a well was dug. With it, the seeds of a small settlement were planted that would become Fort Mire.

But even as the smaller outer doors were finally opened, revealing rooms and rooms full of weapons, nobody could have guessed what was behind the biggest of the doors.

Some argued that it should not be opened.

They were right.
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(Note: Morning Trees refer to special sort of trees from my novel, Nights of Sambria. Just so you know )

[XCali]

This is a side story I wrote while working on the map. It was fun. So, a little bit of Lore for those who like those kinds of things.
Also, I did not slave over being completely spot on grammatically wise. So, if there is a glaring mistake please let me know.

All rights reserved.



~Nights of Sambria~
Hunters Fall

Side story


Chapter One
Preparations

What had he gotten himself into? The Fort was almost finished and he had command over a small army. Yet, unease still gnawed at his bones. There was something in the air. Enough battles fought had carved it into him to expect the unexpected.
But those doors, even he couldn't start to guess what was behind them. An old enemy was already battling inside him, uncertainty.

A sword slid against metal.
He spun at the sound only to see his second in command.
Relief washed over him at the realization. His countenance had become too heavy.
With a sigh, he asked,
"Captain. Is everything ready for the crescent moon?"
The captain straightened.
"Yes, sir! Archers are on the wall and all troops are back behind the wall."
"Good, I have no wish to risk the soldiers when the light from the Morning Trees fades. Give the order for the horn."
He shared a knowing look with the captain nodded in affirmation. Though the man hesitated and said,
"Commander, a small party of adventurers had arrived. What do you suggest we do?"
Haryn regarded the captain and pondered the situation. The Fort still had some construction to undergo, and in turn wasn't open to outsiders yet, but he looked out over the fading light in the valley and said,
"Let them in and give them a place to bunk. There are too few places to stay safe while the Morning Trees go dark. That is all."
The captain saluted and left the room leaving him to his thoughts. His fingers scratched at his week-old beard. He would need to shave soon. Stepping out onto the balcony, he walked to railing and looked out over the last light of the day.

A sudden reverberating sound startled him only a moment. It was the horn to signal the start of the dark nights. The nights when the moonlight was too dim to ensure the light of safety from the Morning Trees. He had heard the sound many times, yet still, it gave him chills.
He shrugged it off and from his perch, he watched the gates lock closed with an audible thud.
Everybody was safely inside. And that was a great peace to his heart.

Suddenly the door burst open, and a young soldier ran inside. His breath coming in labored pants.
There was fear written all over the soldier's features. The signs all too familiar.
"Report!" Haryn barked.
The young man gulped but finally caught a breath.
"Commander. It is your daughter and Stefon."
A tight knot curled in his stomach.
"What happened and where are they?" He asked, unable to keep the tension from his voice.
"They went to the cave, sir. Two hours ago, and they have not returned."
Haryn hissed as a sudden weight punched his nerves.
"They know the Trees are going dark tonight!! Why would they... Soldier! Get my second in command to send five hunters to go find them and hope it is not too late."
"Y-Yes, Commander!"
With it, the young soldier darted from the room.
Haryn clenched his fists over and over and looked out into the darkening night. And all he could hear was his thundering heartbeat. His daughter was out there, and though she and Stefon was quite capable fighters, it did not garruntee their safety when the Trees lost their light. A fear he hadn't had for decades consumed him.

Chapter 2
Secret in the Door

~Tilma~

The cave was silent. And only the flickering torch made any kind of noise. Tilma smiled as the three-story high doors appeared in the torchlight.
“I still feel we shouldn’t be here, Tilma. Not now.”
She turned to the voice and scrunched up her nose at her companion, Stefon.
“Are you afraid of a little dark?”
The man groaned and finally shrugged.
“You know I’m not. But, the Morning Trees will lose their light tonight. And you know full well what that means.”
As he talked she wagged her head from side to side. Not really caring about the fact they could get in a lot of trouble coming here. And it would not come from the Fort. Still, as the door got closer, her resolve renewed.
Nothing anybody had done had come close to opening the main door of the three. But, she had an idea. A crazy idea for sure, as they were risking the dangers of being outside and more, being outside when the nights would be without the protective glow from the Morning Trees.
A faint hum filled the air and Tilma quickly held up a hand to silence Stefon.

He stopped and gave her a questioning look.
“What is it?”
“Shh, listen.” She stepped closer to the door. The huge frame was intimidating, to say the least.
But upon nearing it, the hum became louder. Yet, it was different than before. The spinning mechanism in the middle of the door wasn’t spinning at a breakneck speed like it always did. It was turning almost lethargically in its cycle across the door. Tilma beamed at the find.
“It’s slowing down! I knew it! You see Stefon, it was all about the timing.”
She glanced back at him unable to keep a smug look on her face.

Her companion shrugged in defeat and said,
“So, you were right. I’ll admit to that. But, can we go back now?”
Tilma immediately leveled her fist at him.
“No! We just got here.”
The act of him dragging a hand through his curly dark brown hair showing his agitation didn’t faze her. It was true, he had a point. Yet, the adventurer in her wanted to explore further even if it was risky.

Though, instead of protesting, Stefon said,
“You know, your father is going to have my hide for this one. Let’s be quick.”
It only made her huff. He knew as well as she did her dad considered him in a good light.
With no reply to his words, she shifted her leather armor into a more comfortable position before she stepped into the middle of the big door. The circular mechanism spun slowly enough that she could actually start to see smaller handles.

She waved her hand and said,
“Stefon, boost me up. I think there is something up there worth inspecting.”
Without warning, his bigger hands grabbed her waist and hoisted her up onto his shoulder. She squirmed about and managed to get a knee next to his neck and then a foot onto his shoulder. Stefon grunted when she pressed a hand into his face,
“Is that … ugh … necessary?!”
She grinned.
“No, but I like annoying you too much.”
“Hey! There’s no time for that. Hurry up.”
It took some careful shifting, but she balanced herself on his shoulders and his grip on her shins helped hold her steady. The spinning circle was within reach and Tilma started to time the slower spins. The seconds ticked by and she focused on the handle, counting softly under her breath.
Then with a flash of her hand, she grabbed the next handle. She expected the thing to stop, but her body went surging up as she gripped the handle with white knuckles.

From below, Stefon shouted,
“Tilma! Are you hurt?”
As he said it, the circle slowly came to a stop and Tilma breathed out a sigh of relief. But, when she looked down, she was more than twice the height up from where she was before. A fall from this height could be trouble.
She grunted under the strain on her arms. But she replied,
“Ah, um, yeah. Though, I would like it if you could catch me.”
The affirmative shout came from below.
She took a few breaths and was about to let go when a hole in the circle caught he eyes. With the thing normally spinning incredibly fast, it was no wonder no one saw it.
“Wait, I see something…”

It was clear Stefon asked something from the ground, but she ignored him as she stuck her one arm into the hole. Inside there was a symmetrical protrusion and she pulled at it.
Not a moment later, the whole door shook and she had to grip the handle tighter as it started opening. But her fingers started slipping.
“Oh no! Um, Stefon, try to catch me!—”
She lost her grip and fell.
Air rushed past her for a moment before she struck arms and heard Stefon grunt loudly with the fall. They both tumbled to the ground.
As their momentum stopped, Tilma let out a whoosh of a breath.
“Now that was thrilling.”
A frustrated sound spilled from Stefon's throat.
“One of these days, you are going to get us killed.”
She glanced at him and made a sly smile before she got up.
In front of them, the biggest door of three stood open. And the little light of the torch only revealed a few meters into what looked like a hallway.

Without waiting, or helping her companion up, she grabbed her torch and her knapsack and walked forward.
It was then great big bladed traps came into view. They looked lethal, to say the least.
But, as she got closer, the hall revealed more and more traps. Yet the strange thing was their movement was clearly slowing down. She touched her dark blue braid and played with the end.

A crunch sounded right next to her. She jumped. Only to see Stefon there with her.
“What do you think it means?”
“I don’t know.” Tilma said sincerely.
Then with a reverberating thud, all the visible traps came to a stop and every noise from just a moment before went silent.
The dark hall sent chills up her spine. All of sudden, she didn’t want to explore this discovery alone with Stefon anymore. She started to turn,
“Let’s get out of here—“
A scurrying sound filled the hall, and it got closer and closer, and Tilma pulled out a blade.

Chapter 3:
A memory of terror

~Tilma~

All the traps were silent. And from the dark, a small furry creature appeared. It had big ears and a half grin visible on its face. Tilma stared hard at the critter and a sudden warmth flitted through her heart.
“It is so cute!” She said softly.

The little creature was no more than a forearm long and its ears were almost as big as the body was. It stopped coming closer and scratched at its ear with a tiny paw. Tilma wanted to giggle as she walked closer. There was no way it could be dangerous. The critter distracted her completely from her reluctance to explore any further from just a moment ago.

Ten meters from the furry creature, it stopped and stared at her. Still, Tilma wanted to go closer.
But, with a hard pull, a hand jerked her back.
“No! Stop,” Stefon hissed and said, “I thought I had recognized it. It is a Banshee Vos.”
“A Banshee Vos?” Tilma asked puzzled.

Though he did not answer directly as he stared into the darkness. After a few seconds, he said,
“Do you remember the stories of the monsters that dwelt underground? They used to tell them to us to make sure we don’t go out after dark. I remember this…” He paused and a frown of concentration creased his forehead. It made Tilma shift nervously.
She watched as he placed a hand on his brow and then he spoke of something that scared her to her core.

“They scurry and scurry.
Yet they come like a harmless dog.
Though the fury of their screech brings folly to those tricked by this vos.
Be wary, for when they scream,
they are not alone.
Be wary, for from the dark, the quills
start their quivering run.”

Within seconds, Stefon’s whole face went pale. He turned to her and the fear of his features lanced into her.
“Scatter!” Stefon shouted with immediacy. “They are always around Quilled Skyurs!”

Those words terrified her, she jerked towards the Vos and it looked hungry. And as she turned to run, the most ear-numbing screech she had ever heard blanketed over them.
She fell to the ground as the horrible piercing sound reverberated through the air. All she could do was hold her ears. Her vision blurred at the pain. All her plans to run seemed so far off. She knew was screaming, but she couldn’t hear herself.

Then it stopped.

Her breath came in quick gulps as the pain from her ears rung like a bell. She flipped over and spotted Stefon curled up in a ball, also covering his ears. A few seconds passed before her warrior friend stirred and pressed his body to his knees.

Then from afar, loud rumblings thundered through the hallway that had gone silent so eerily when the traps had stopped. With it, an orchestra of clattering started and through her daze, she anxiously looked at Stefon who was fearfully staring back at her.
He scrambled from his crouched position and grabbed her arm. With a little effort, he plucked her to a standing position.
“Run!” He hissed at her before he swept away from the hallway.
Momentarily she wanted to get her torch. But Stefon shouted,
"Leave it if you want to live!"
With all her might she ran into the dark, leaving her torch behind. Every single story of Quilled Skyurs she ever heard was of extreme danger and precious few survivors.

She looked back and in the dark many hulking beasts lumbered past her firelight. Right, where she had been only ten seconds back.

With tears as she ran, she knew they should never have opened the door...