She was the only one to think in terms of a rescue party, mostly because she was being overly dramatic about it. For the most part the rest of the castle was not concerned for Ranma's safety - though a select few were concerned that he was skylarking off alone, and unchaperoned, with the two dragons and not with themselves. A number of people meant to have a quiet, or not-so-quiet, word to Ranma about his rash actions, but they were not rushing to do it.
When most people think of goblins warriors they think of low level cannon fodder – mere nucienses except in large numbers. This is largely true for the majority of the breed but exceptions to the rule occassionally arise. Narkberk was one such exception and in many ways he epitomised Tarre’s nighmares about goblins. When she imagined goblins it was as diabolical torturers with sharp instruments of pain planning to butcher her for sport, meat and trophies. Her worst nighmares they were about goblins almost exactly like Narkberk.
Narkberk had started out as a mere bully, but had show exceptional tallent for it and a fondness for sharp metal implements, blunt metal implements and, well, anything involving iron that could give pain to others or protect him from it. He’d quickly risen through the rank and file to stand out as a force to be feared and along the way he’d strayed from worshiping Magubliet into something truly vile. Already a fearsome fighter and a terrible torturer, when he’d attracted notice of the forces of darkness he had immediately and willingly been initiated as a Disciple of Dispater, Lord of the Second Layer of the Nine Hells of Baator.
In return for performing dark ritual sacrifices atop an iron altar under the eyes of an erinyes serving Iron Duke of the City of Dis, Narkberk gained a power over the metal he’d always desired, to the point that his body sometimes even acquired the metalic properties he’d so admired. Still, when faced with two dragons, black and silver, and a human warrior working together to free his captive slave-meat, Narkberk gave into paranoia and called for reinforcements from Outside.
One of the perks of being a Disciple of Dispator was being able to summon erinyes which, while not the most powerful of devils, had their uses, beyond their obvious charms. Unlike other baatezu, eryinyes appeared attractive to humanoids; their feathery wings giving the female devils an almost angelic appearance despite their sinister gaze. This seemingly benign appearance demonstrated a prefference for tempting mortals, like Narkberk, into depravity. They tended to avoid combat whenever possible, using their charms to turn combatants against one another. When that failed, Erinyes, it could be said, were heavily into bondage, though they obviously preferred to be the ones doing the binding with their animated ropes.
Their ability to teleport out of danger, to become invisible, to polymorph into another form, and cast illusions, all at will, also made them tricky opponents. With an erinyes around, you could never be sure who was freined or foe. With three things got awkward. With three and Narkberk, Ranma’s plan went all pearshaped very quickly.
A princely human and a young silver dragon were very tempting targets for the ladies of Dispater, but so was the immature black dragon working by their side. Narkberk, however, gave the orders and they obeyed him as long as his service pleased the archdevil.
It was into this situation that a headless young romantic hurtled. The effluent was really going impact with the atmospheric circulation device with the arrival of ...
(Posted Thu, 02 Jan 2003 08:09)
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