#like I tried to get priestess Gut to knock my character out so I could get Rapheal to send someone to kill her and her guard

[mokeonn]

I spent the last 7 hours trying out a monk in bg3 and playing it in honor mode, and Gale's stupid stinky corpse being in the camp ended up causing him to kill Scratch with his nasty aura. Since it's honor mode, I can't reload a save, so I simply blew my character and Gale up and ended the run with honor.

[masteroftheelements]

Naga Stole My Baby.

*Warning- This post includes blood, gore, and ...character death. NSFW. You have been warned* 

The night seemed cold as the full moon rose into the air, the stars twinkled overhead. A large winged beast flew into the night, its rider cloaked against the winds. The pair flew like silent sentinels over the grounds of Orgrimmar. The Skyscreamer’s wings beating hard against the night air, as the rider urged her forwards. Armored with boiled leather and chainmail, a large staff behind her and two axes at her belt the rider was silhouetted in darkness except for her flaming red hair. The rider pushed forwards and once again the large wings helped to cover the distance of the land, several hours passed; each one passing with tense apprehension. Eventually the Shatterspear would arrive towards the darkened island. The flames were low about the clan, and as she descended there were soft words but hardly anyone spoke. The large beast took off towards one of the surrounding tresses and let out a powerful war cry. Meanwhile the rider shook her braids free from tangling in her armor, and moved towards the huts, the scene around her was one of despair. There were weeping women, skittish men standing at attention and jumping at nearly every turn.  The rider moved about them with her strides taking her through the encampment as warriors past her. She turned to face them but the warriors paid her no mind, they were carrying in their dead or wounded. She could see across the armor blackened with scorch marks from magic, or cut with razor like teeth. Naga. The Naga had breached their shores and most bore the marks of their vicious strikes, the rider looked out at the island. There was still fighting along the beach shores, where warriors were holding fast while others could make for Echo Islands as a whole. Her eyes sharpened, but she moved quickly and with purposeful strides towards a hut near the waters but close enough to be free of the fighting. There in the front of the hut a women was kneeling in tears, around her were small children, huddled close and scared. A man stood beside her holding two of the children, his eyes looking up towards the woman as she approached. Bending low he placed the children beside the grieving mother before he stood, his back straightening as he moved to intercept the rider.

“Tali-“

“Shut up...where is she?”

“Tali you know as well as I-”

Tali’zara moved closer to the woman and knelt beside her. “Sista,….Where is my daughter? Where is Saoirse?” Her words were sharp, but she was gentle and placed a hand to her sisters back. The woman who had been kneeling, tried to speak despite sobbing between her words seemed to have them stuck in her throat.

“Gone...taken...naga.” she whimpered.

Tali’zara glowered at the sea, standing to her full height made more difficult by the loss of one leg as  her sister clung to the other, begging her not to go. The shaman did not care, shaking the woman off of her. She moved against the sea of people fleeing or fighting off the Naga so that others could make it to the main camp. Tali’zara felt the change in air, as if the elements were shifting and drawing up their own energies to the shaman; the Naga had stolen her child, her daughter. The shaman didn’t hesitate as she charged forwards, drawing up earth to act as her missing leg. She twirled the staff in her hands before tilting her head back and bellowing a scream for the skyscreamer to join her. In response,  a screech could be heard from overhead, Re’la the Skyscreamer was issuing her own challenge into the night air. Tali charged forwards as the night began to wane and daybreak crested the horizon, a blood red sunrise eminent. The shaman called forth fire to lance at the scaled beasts, her eyes ablaze with blood lust. Fire responded in kind, lashing  from her hands as she called down waves of fire to striking outwards at her enemies. As she moved about her steps were neither light nor the dances as she did back home in Stranglethorn. These were the powerful steps of a warrior, bound to strike at any who would raise their hand against her. She bought time for those still fighting, and most of the Darkspear scampered back towards the main Echo Islands. Tali advanced forwards, leaving a trail of bodies as she searched for her prey. Her body was covered in blood, thick and smelling of rotted meats. She hadn’t gone through this fight without some wounds of her own, her left arm was tore up when a Naga guardian struck at her with a trident. Luck must have favored the shaman, as between herself and the Skyscreamer she was making good strides. Following the path there was a cavern like cavern where a few of the Naga Spell casters had taken refuge. Two stood sentry, but with another fury of fire and winds, they were no more. Tali had never exuded this much raw force, and fire was egging her on. ‘Burn them….burn them all Shaman! Take my power and unleash ya will unto these fiends who dare strike at your family.’ It whispered in a crackling voice;  Tali…did not stop.

Upon entering the caverns she could hear the slithering of Naga flesh against stone. Her heart pounded as she saw that the stone was coated with  red and charging blindly into the caverns as worry sparked within her heart. Tali followed the winding path, while she knew Re’la would continue her onslaught of killing Naga outside of the caverns. As she charged into the caverns she expected more resistance but she didn’t find any. Going left or right, still nothing. Tali had a sense something wasn’t right. Creeping along shadows, Tali could make out sigils and runes painted in blood, her heart wrenching in side of her. She had to keep faith that her daughter was still alive, that she could reach her in time. The further she crept into the caverns depths, the louder sounds of hissing and flicks of tongues could be heard. Tali moved farther and just when she thought she was drawing near she felt a trident press against her flesh. It gabbed into her sides and she whirled around as if to strike, but the Naga overpowered her. Fists flew and magic was blasted around the cavern, but ultimately a strike from the Trident knocked the shaman from her feet. It was as if time slowed her body tumbled backwards staring at the world around her. Had she become this weak? What more could she do? Her strength ebbed away from her. Had Bethekk forsaken her? Tali couldn’t be at peace, she couldn’t die her not knowing if her daughter was alive or….worse. Struggling against the sensations she realized no matter how hard she tried she could not escape. The sound of her body crumpling to the ground echoed loudly as she lost consciousness, two of the naga she had been fighting picking her up by an arm and dragging her further into the conclave.

It didn’t take Tali too long to wake from her stupor; her eyes were in a sort of haze. She jerked attempting to be free of the Naga’s arms but they held tightly. The shaman was dragged unceremoniously deeper within the cavern, and still the sounds of drums and the rhythmic hissing grew louder and louder. Tali lifted her head in fear, as she watched the cavern’s mouth open, it must have been nearly the heart of the small island. Her eyes stared in horror, a small bundle of cloth lay on the table, a Naga priestess stood nearest the altar summoning forth the energies she had been calling for her curse. The drums pounded in her head, but in that moment everything went quiet except for one shrill cry, her daughter. Saoirse’s arms pale green against the light of the cavern squirmed in anguish and in terror, it cut into Tali’s flesh worse than any blade that the Naga may have processed. “Saoirse!” she tried to cry out, but only got as far as the first syllable before one of the guardians slammed a fist into her gut. Tali gave a grunt of pain, this seemed to have garnered interest from the Naga high priestess. The snake woman turned on the dias and stared out at Tali a wicked grin placed on her lips. “This one is yours I take it?” she almost purred with delight, as she moved to touch Saoirse.

“Get away from her you snake bitch!” Tali growled and struggled against her captors, almost breaking free of their grip however the male guardian on her left gripped at her arms tightly. His scaled hand left no room for an argument.

“Let her watch…..see how much of a poor modda she has become.” Her words mocked her and her voice was cruel, dripping with malice. Her scales slithered over the halls as she drew closer towards the altar where the basket of the screaming tuskling lay.

Tali cried out, struggling with all her rage and anger, calling out for her daughter. “Please no! Please, I’ll do anything….anything just don’t harm my child.” She called out and with some luck broke free of her guard. Falling face first to the floor she began to crawl while rows of Naga hissed at her almost laughing pathetically at her. The high priestess glowered down at the woman, “Anything?....can you bring back da eggs dat were slaughtered in da waters below? No. Can you bring back da children of da sea? No. So why?” her voice grew sharper and a hand lashed out to grab at Saoirse. “Why should I spare da life of one pathetic tuskling!” and with that Tali watched in sheer horror as the High priestess drove the dagger into the heart of the screaming child.

“No!” Tali’s screams were the only thing that penetrated that darkness, flames came to her. Her body enraptured by the elemental gifts. Tali’zara felt the fires of rage and anguish, a mother’s pain. The Naga fell upon her in a torment of serpent’s bodies, but Tali’zara’s flames turned them to ash before they could even get close to her. When the fires could not be called, summoned or demanded to aid her Tali stood on one foot and began to slice into any who came close to her with both her axes. Naga flesh covered her, her body stained in places. Tears poured from her eyes, but the shaman moved forwards, earth rose to cover her missing leg for balance. Twirling and twisting against her enemies Tali’s axes sliced through flesh and bow cleaving them as if a knife to butter. Tali only howled at the darkness, while a torrent of wind and lightning storm outside. The high priestess who had been so calm and assured of her victory could see the shadow of anger and rage about the Shaman; and she was terrified. She slithered backwards, tumbling over bodies and her own court to try and be free of the caverns, but Tali stood in her way. Blood glistened off of the axes, and High priestess called magic to her. The two charged at each other, lightening thundered and struck at Tali; either she didn’t feel it or she was too far gone to her bloodlust that it didn’t even stop her momentum. Digging her axes into flesh, she store scales from bone, in a desperate attempt to end Tali’s life. The Naga grappled with her and finally picked her up by her throat, scratching at her flesh. Tali’s limbs were numb to the pain, the Naga spouted words but Tali could not hear them, she was past words. Tali let out another war cry and found the strength to raise her axes and brought them down heavily on the women’s arms; severing them completely.  Falling to the ground Tali turned as she watched the High priestess shriek and attempt to slither towards the door, she called out but no one could hear her, those who were at the ritual were dead. She scrabbled for the door, but Tali too her time, her blades dragging ominously against the stone ground. “You took her…..you took my daughta from me ……” she said her words were dark and filled with a anguish known to few.  The High priestess continued to slither farther and farther from her, scared and making whimpering sounds of pain. Tali moved so fast that even the priestess could hardly move. In a blind rage, she cut off the snakes head.

Time seemed to pass but Tali could not feel it nor sense any given notion of time. Her body was spent, her energies tapped out. But she moved towards the dais where the High priestess had stood. Tears welling in her eyes, “Saoirse……. Saoirse” she whimpered like a cowering animal. “No no no no, please ….please breathe…please.” Afraid of what she would see. There on the floor in a pool of her own blood, was her daughter. The one she had sworn she would protect, the one she had hoped to raise in spite of her mate abandoning. Tali howled in pain, tilting her head back wailing in anguish. Her vision blurred as more tears poured from her eyes. Taking the dagger and pulling it for the child, she sobbed uncontrollably. The cloth that Saoirse had been bundled with lay beside her, and Tali quickly wrapped her daughter up in the cloth, as if to hide the blood. So much blood from something so small, and yet Tali pulled the child close to her chest. Her head bent now holding her close, not wishing to be parted. “Bethekk…why …..why have you taken her ….. why have you sent her to Bwonsamdi…..she was not ready” she howled into the darkness. “Why…” Curling up with her daughter held to her chest she began to rock back and forth, sobbing into the darkness.

As the sun rose high into the air, the sky was crimson blood had been spilt this day. Tali stood a bundle in her arms, and a helm fashioned out of the high priestess’ skull still fresh form the kill sat atop Tali’s. A group of warriors came to fetch any of their dead or survivors when they saw the scene, all of them said nothing to the rider with the crimson hair; they knew. Re’la moved alongside Tali as she moved back to the Echo islands, her daughter’s body in her arms. It was red that day….red with the blood of the Naga.